Compare towns
Marblehead vs Lancaster vs Swampscott
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 highest household income ($182k).
Lancaster has the most affordable homes ($519k median).
Swampscott has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.6%).
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 | Lancaster | Swampscott |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,413Highest |
8,606Lowest |
15,277 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+4.8% MA: +7.4% |
+9.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.1±2Highest 23% above MA |
43.1±4.9Lowest 8% above MA |
44.5±3.5 11% above MA |
| Marblehead and Swampscott are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.3%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.2%±4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20.1%±2.9 MA: 19.4% |
| Marblehead and Swampscott are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.7%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
19.9%±4.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.4%±2.6 MA: 17.9% |
| Marblehead and Swampscott 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 MA: 47.3% |
50.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
62.2% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1 MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.7%±1.7Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Swampscott and Marblehead 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 75% above MA |
$134,833±$27k 30% above MA |
$134,386±$23kLowest 29% above MA |
| Marblehead and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $943,900±$31kHighest 68% above MA |
$519,100±$60kLowest 8% below MA |
$771,100±$41k 37% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,764±$147Lowest about the MA average |
$2,338±$539Highest 33% above MA |
$2,303±$143 31% above MA |
| Lancaster and Swampscott are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,309Highest 39% above MA |
$7,235Lowest 21% above MA |
$7,936 32% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.5%±8.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
68.3%±36.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
57%±14.2 MA: 51.8% |
| Lancaster and Swampscott are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.4% MA: 10% |
1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.1%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
85.1% MA: 62.5% |
75.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 20 yrs older than MA |
1971Highest 7 yrs newer than MA |
1955 9 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 13% above MA |
32 minLowest 9% above MA |
34 minHighest 18% above MA |
| Work from home | 34%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
33.6%±9.1 MA: 18.6% |
27.2%±4.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Marblehead and Lancaster 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 | #145 of 282 in MA | #76 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Marblehead | Nashoba | — |
| High school in town | Marblehead High | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
— | — |
| 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.