Compare towns
Marblehead vs Whately vs Wayland
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 renters (14.8% rent).
Whately has the most affordable homes ($432k median).
Wayland has the highest household income ($224k).
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 | Whately | Wayland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,413Highest |
1,499Lowest |
13,914 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+7.4%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+7.3% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.1±2 23% above MA |
49.3±6.7Highest 23% above MA |
45±1.5Lowest 13% above MA |
| Whately 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% |
16.4%±3.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
24.3%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Wayland and Marblehead 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% |
24.5%±6.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
18.7%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Whately 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% MA: 47.3% |
47.6%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
78.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1 MA: 7.9% |
2.5%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Wayland 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±$28k 75% above MA |
$116,563±$15kLowest 12% above MA |
$224,000±$28kHighest 115% above MA |
| Wayland and Marblehead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $943,900±$31k 68% above MA |
$431,500±$22kLowest 23% below MA |
$978,400±$36kHighest 74% above MA |
| Wayland and Marblehead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,764±$147Highest about the MA average |
$977±$125Lowest 45% below MA |
$1,475±$603 16% below MA |
| Marblehead and Wayland 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 |
$5,027Lowest 16% below MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.5%±8.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
26.7%±29Lowest MA: 51.8% |
42.8%±16 MA: 51.8% |
| Marblehead and Wayland 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% |
5.4%Highest MA: 10% |
4.9% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
88.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
87.6% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 20 yrs older than MA |
1974Highest 10 yrs newer than MA |
1962 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 13% above MA |
23 minLowest 21% below MA |
31 min 5% above MA |
| Work from home | 34%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
20.4%±8.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
35.1%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Wayland and Marblehead 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 | — | #18 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Marblehead | Whately | Wayland |
| High school in town | Marblehead High | None in town | Wayland High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
— | 10.9Highest |
| 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.