What stands out worked out from the figures below

Malden has the most people working from home (19.8%).

Webster has the most homeowners (59.8%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Malden	Webster
People
Population	65,906Highest	17,748Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+11.5%Highest MA: +7.4%	+6%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	35.8±1Lowest 11% below MA	39.9±2.9Highest about the MA average
Kids under 18	18.2%±1.7Lowest MA: 19.4%	19.6%±2.9Highest MA: 19.4%
	Webster and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	13%±1.2Lowest MA: 17.9%	19.6%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	45.1%Highest MA: 47.3%	25.3%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	9.1%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9%	5.8%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$100,606±$6kHighest 3% below MA	$72,895±$6kLowest 30% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$633,500±$26kHighest 13% above MA	$361,500±$12kLowest 36% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,204±$62Highest 25% above MA	$1,228±$81Lowest 30% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,995Highest 17% below MA	$3,999Lowest 33% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.2%±4.6Highest MA: 51.8%	45.7%±6.7Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Malden and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.4%Lowest MA: 10%	12.7%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	41.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%	59.8%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA	1962Highest 2 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	34 minHighest 18% above MA	31 minLowest 5% above MA
Work from home	19.8%±2.3Highest MA: 18.6%	8%±2.5Lowest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#184 of 282 in MA	#271 of 282 in MA
School district	Malden	Webster
High school in town	Malden High	Bartlett High School
Students per teacherat that high school	16.1Highest	11.6Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.