Compare towns
Marblehead vs Dover vs Duxbury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Marblehead has the most renters (14.8% rent).
Dover has the most expensive homes ($1340k median).
Duxbury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
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.
| Measure | Marblehead | Dover | Duxbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,413Highest |
5,930Lowest |
16,185 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.1±2Highest 23% above MA |
44.9±2.3Lowest 12% above MA |
47.6±2.3 19% above MA |
| Marblehead and Duxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.3%±2.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
26%±5.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
22.5%±2.8 MA: 19.4% |
| Dover and Duxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.7%±2.5 MA: 17.9% |
16.7%±2.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
24.5%±3.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Duxbury and Marblehead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 78.3% MA: 47.3% |
84.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
70.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
7.2%±2.7Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
| Dover and Duxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $182,132±$28k 75% above MA |
$250,001Highest 140% above MA |
$176,583±$29kLowest 70% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $943,900±$31k 68% above MA |
$1,340,300±$117kHighest 138% above MA |
$874,600±$35kLowest 56% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,764±$147 about the MA average |
$2,917±$2kHighest 66% above MA |
$1,591±$2kLowest 10% below MA |
| Dover and Marblehead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,309Lowest 39% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$9,518 59% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.5%±8.8 MA: 51.8% |
20%±100Lowest MA: 51.8% |
57.8%±31.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Duxbury and Marblehead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.4% MA: 10% |
2.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
5.1%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
97.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
91.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 20 yrs older than MA |
1970 6 yrs newer than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minLowest 13% above MA |
35 minHighest 19% above MA |
33 minLowest 13% above MA |
| Work from home | 34%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
34.2%±6.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
25.1%±3.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Dover and Marblehead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #47 of 282 in MA | #1 of 282 in MA | #32 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Marblehead | Dover · Dover-Sherborn | Duxbury |
| High school in town | Marblehead High | Dover-Sherborn Regional High | Duxbury High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Highest |
9.8Lowest |
9.9 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.