Compare towns
Marblehead vs Sutton vs Millis 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%).
Sutton has the most affordable homes ($523k 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 | Sutton | Millis | Swampscott |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,413Highest |
9,452 |
8,888Lowest |
15,277 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+4.4% MA: +7.4% |
+7.2% MA: +7.4% |
+9.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.1±2Highest 23% above MA |
44.3±2.5Lowest 11% above MA |
46.4±3 16% above MA |
44.5±3.5 11% above MA |
| Marblehead and Millis 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% |
19.6%±3.3 MA: 19.4% |
18.4%±2.8Lowest 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%±2.5 MA: 17.9% |
18.8%±3.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
23.5%±3.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.4%±2.6 MA: 17.9% |
| Millis 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 MA: 47.3% |
52.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
54.5% MA: 47.3% |
62.2% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.8 MA: 7.9% |
4.9%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.7%±1.7 MA: 7.9% |
| Millis 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 |
$147,125±$25k 42% above MA |
$155,996±$9k 50% above MA |
$134,386±$23kLowest 29% above MA |
| Marblehead and Millis 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 |
$523,100±$47kLowest 7% below MA |
$603,500±$31k 7% above MA |
$771,100±$41k 37% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,764±$147 about the MA average |
$1,190±$401Lowest 32% below MA |
$1,696±$279 4% below MA |
$2,303±$143Highest 31% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,309 39% above MA |
$6,763Lowest 13% above MA |
$9,344Highest 56% above MA |
$7,936 32% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.5%±8.8 MA: 51.8% |
47.5%±24.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
56.5%±16.6 MA: 51.8% |
57%±14.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Swampscott and Millis are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
5.8% MA: 10% |
4.8% MA: 10% |
7.1%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.2% MA: 62.5% |
89.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.2% MA: 62.5% |
75.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 20 yrs older than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1974 10 yrs newer than MA |
1955 9 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 13% above MA |
30 minLowest about the MA average |
31 min 5% above MA |
34 minHighest 18% above MA |
| Work from home | 34%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
22.7%±4.1 MA: 18.6% |
17.5%±4.2Lowest 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 | #105 of 282 in MA | #63 of 282 in MA | #76 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Marblehead | Sutton | Millis | Swampscott |
| High school in town | Marblehead High | Sutton High School | Millis High School | Swampscott High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
12.6Highest |
10.7Lowest |
11.7 |
| 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.