Compare towns
Marblehead vs Upton vs Douglas 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 people working from home (34%).
Upton has the most kids (23.2% under 18).
Douglas has the most affordable homes ($471k 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 | Upton | Douglas | Duxbury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 20,413Highest |
8,189Lowest |
9,207 |
16,185 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.1% MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.1±2Highest 23% above MA |
46.4±4.8 16% above MA |
44±2.6Lowest 10% 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%±2.5 MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
21.2%±3.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.5%±2.8 MA: 19.4% |
| Upton 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% |
20.7%±4.9 MA: 17.9% |
15.4%±3.1Lowest 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%Highest MA: 47.3% |
53.5% MA: 47.3% |
41.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
70.9% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1 MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±2.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
| Douglas 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±$28kHighest 75% above MA |
$155,508±$33k 50% above MA |
$152,267±$10kLowest 46% above MA |
$176,583±$29k 70% above MA |
| Marblehead and Duxbury 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 |
$576,700±$41k about the MA average |
$470,600±$29kLowest 16% below MA |
$874,600±$35k 56% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,764±$147Highest about the MA average |
$948±$599Lowest 46% below MA |
$1,503±$697 15% below MA |
$1,591±$2k 10% below MA |
| Marblehead and Duxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,309 39% above MA |
$8,376 40% above MA |
$6,338Lowest 6% above MA |
$9,518Highest 59% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.5%±8.8 MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31 MA: 51.8% |
33.9%±17.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
57.8%±31.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Duxbury and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.4% MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.8% MA: 10% |
5.1%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.2% MA: 62.5% |
86.7% MA: 62.5% |
83.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
91.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 20 yrs older than MA |
1981 17 yrs newer than MA |
1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
1976 12 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minLowest 13% above MA |
35 minHighest 22% above MA |
34 min 16% above MA |
33 minLowest 13% above MA |
| Work from home | 34%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3 MA: 18.6% |
20.9%±4.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
25.1%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #47 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA | #177 of 282 in MA | #32 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Marblehead | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Douglas | Duxbury |
| High school in town | Marblehead High | Blackstone Valley | Douglas High School | Duxbury High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
11.2Highest |
7.2Lowest |
9.9 |
| 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.