Compare towns
Marblehead vs Rowley vs Upton 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 most people working from home (34%).
Rowley has the shortest commute (28 min average).
Upton has the most affordable homes ($577k 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 | Rowley | Upton | Swampscott |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,413Highest |
6,251Lowest |
8,189 |
15,277 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+5.2% MA: +7.4% |
+6.1% MA: +7.4% |
+9.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.1±2 23% above MA |
50±6.3Highest 25% above MA |
46.4±4.8 16% above MA |
44.5±3.5Lowest 11% above MA |
| Rowley and Marblehead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.3%±2.5 MA: 19.4% |
19.3%±4.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
20.1%±2.9 MA: 19.4% |
| Upton and Marblehead 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% |
21.6%±4.1 MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±4.9 MA: 17.9% |
20.4%±2.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Marblehead and Rowley 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% |
56.8% MA: 47.3% |
53.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
62.2% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1 MA: 7.9% |
4.8%±2.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.7%±1.7 MA: 7.9% |
| Rowley 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 75% above MA |
$132,734±$32kLowest 28% above MA |
$155,508±$33k 50% above MA |
$134,386±$23k 29% above MA |
| Marblehead and Upton 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 |
$667,300±$52k 19% above MA |
$576,700±$41kLowest about the MA average |
$771,100±$41k 37% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,764±$147 about the MA average |
$1,603±$520 9% below MA |
$948±$599Lowest 46% below MA |
$2,303±$143Highest 31% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,309 39% above MA |
$8,309 39% above MA |
$8,376Highest 40% above MA |
$7,936Lowest 32% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.5%±8.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
57.7%±27.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31 MA: 51.8% |
57%±14.2 MA: 51.8% |
| Rowley 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% |
3.1%Lowest MA: 10% |
3.2% MA: 10% |
7.1%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.2% MA: 62.5% |
81.7% MA: 62.5% |
86.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
75.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 20 yrs older than MA |
1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1955 9 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 13% above MA |
28 minLowest 3% below MA |
35 minHighest 22% above MA |
34 min 18% above MA |
| Work from home | 34%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
11.1%±4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3 MA: 18.6% |
27.2%±4.6 MA: 18.6% |
| 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 | #214 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA | #76 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Marblehead | Triton | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Swampscott |
| High school in town | Marblehead High | None in town | Blackstone Valley | Swampscott High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
— | 11.2 |
11.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.