Compare towns
Melrose vs Pawtucket vs Natick
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Melrose has the most people working from home (29.6%).
Pawtucket has the most affordable homes ($326k median).
Natick has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.1%).
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 | Melrose | Pawtucket | Natick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 29,650Lowest |
75,893Highest |
36,873 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.6±1.1Highest 12% above U.S. |
37.1±0.8Lowest 5% below U.S. |
43.3±1.4 11% above U.S. |
| Melrose and Natick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.2%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
22.4%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
21.2%±1.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Pawtucket and Natick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.5%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.4%±1.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Melrose and Natick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 62% U.S.: 35.7% |
22.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
70.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.6%±1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5%±1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Pawtucket and Natick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $133,953±$14k 66% above U.S. |
$68,310±$4kLowest 15% below U.S. |
$138,538±$11kHighest 72% above U.S. |
| Natick and Melrose are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $822,900±$20kHighest 147% above U.S. |
$325,500±$8kLowest about the U.S. average |
$821,000±$25k 147% above U.S. |
| Melrose and Natick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,970±$149 39% above U.S. |
$1,208±$39Lowest 15% below U.S. |
$2,134±$124Highest 51% above U.S. |
| Natick and Melrose are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,578 143% above U.S. |
$4,115Lowest 32% above U.S. |
$8,914Highest 186% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.3%±8.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
45.9%±4.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
41.7%±6.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Melrose and Pawtucket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
13.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 67.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
50.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
68.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1947 33 yrs older than U.S. |
1968Highest 12 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 31% above U.S. |
26 minLowest 3% below U.S. |
31 min 16% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 29.6%±2.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.2%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
25.1%±1.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Melrose and Natick 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 | #62 of 282 in MA | #35 of 38 in RI | #48 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Melrose | Blackstone Academy · Pawtucket | Natick |
| High school in town | Melrose High | William E. Tolman High | Natick High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8 |
14.6Highest |
12.6Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.