Compare towns
Marblehead vs Williamstown 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%).
Williamstown has the shortest commute (16 min average).
Duxbury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.8%).
Williamstown is a college town. 28.9% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Williamstown | Duxbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 20,413Highest |
9,150Lowest |
16,185 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.2% MA: +7.4% |
-3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.1±2Highest 23% above MA |
37.5±6.9Lowest 6% below 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% |
15.5%±3.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.5%±2.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Duxbury and Marblehead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.7%±2.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
24.1%±3.2 MA: 17.9% |
24.5%±3.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Duxbury and Williamstown 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% |
70.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
70.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
28.9%±2.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $182,132±$28kHighest 75% above MA |
$106,650±$25kLowest about the MA average |
$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 |
$437,100±$39kLowest 22% below MA |
$874,600±$35k 56% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,764±$147Highest about the MA average |
$1,584±$292Lowest 10% 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 |
$5,290Lowest 12% below MA |
$9,518Highest 59% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 49.5%±8.8 MA: 51.8% |
48.9%±15.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
57.8%±31.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Duxbury and Marblehead 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% |
11.2%Highest MA: 10% |
5.1% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.2% MA: 62.5% |
73.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
91.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1944Lowest 20 yrs older than MA |
1959 5 yrs older than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 13% above MA |
16 minLowest 45% below MA |
33 minHighest 13% above MA |
| Work from home | 34%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
27.3%±5.5 MA: 18.6% |
25.1%±3.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Marblehead and Williamstown 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 | #45 of 282 in MA | #32 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Marblehead | Mount Greylock | Duxbury |
| High school in town | Marblehead High | Mt Greylock Regional High | Duxbury High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7 |
11.4Highest |
9.9Lowest |
| 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.