Compare towns
Marblehead vs Exeter vs Swampscott
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Marblehead has the highest household income ($182k).
Exeter has the most affordable homes ($457k median).
Swampscott has the youngest population (median age 44.5).
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 | Exeter | Swampscott |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,413Highest |
16,151 |
15,277Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.1±2Highest 26% above U.S. |
45.8±2.3 18% above U.S. |
44.5±3.5Lowest 14% above U.S. |
| Marblehead and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.3%±2.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.1%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Marblehead and Swampscott are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.7%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.4%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Exeter 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%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
62.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.7%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Exeter and Swampscott are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $182,132±$28kHighest 126% above U.S. |
$110,346±$13kLowest 37% above U.S. |
$134,386±$23k 66% above U.S. |
| Marblehead and Swampscott are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $943,900±$31kHighest 184% above U.S. |
$456,600±$21kLowest 37% above U.S. |
$771,100±$41k 132% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,764±$147Lowest 25% above U.S. |
$1,856±$223 31% above U.S. |
$2,303±$143Highest 63% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,309 166% above U.S. |
$8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
$7,936Lowest 154% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.5%±8.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
57%±14.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Exeter and Swampscott are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 36 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1955 25 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 25% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 6% below U.S. |
34 minHighest 30% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 34%±3.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
27.2%±4.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Marblehead and Swampscott 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 | #22 of 120 in NH | #76 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Marblehead | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Swampscott |
| High school in town | Marblehead High | Exeter High School | Swampscott High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
12.1Highest |
11.7 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 59 photos → | None yet |
U.S. 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.