Compare towns
Mendon vs Danvers vs Rochester vs Lancaster
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mendon has the most kids (22.8% under 18).
Danvers has the most renters (30.8% rent).
Rochester has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.3%).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
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 | Mendon | Danvers | Rochester | Lancaster |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,325 |
28,098Highest |
5,837Lowest |
8,606 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.7% MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
+9.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+4.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.1±4.4 10% above MA |
45.3±3 13% above MA |
46.5±6Highest 16% above MA |
43.1±4.9Lowest 8% above MA |
| Rochester and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.8%±6.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.2%±2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20.1%±4.6 MA: 19.4% |
19.2%±4 MA: 19.4% |
| Mendon and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 14.7%±3.4Lowest MA: 17.9% |
22.6%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.1%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
19.9%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
| Danvers and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 46.9% MA: 47.3% |
48.4% MA: 47.3% |
43.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
50.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.8%±2.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Mendon and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $132,256±$33k 27% above MA |
$125,395±$10k 21% above MA |
$120,273±$12kLowest 16% above MA |
$134,833±$27kHighest 30% above MA |
| Lancaster and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $616,000±$37k 10% above MA |
$644,200±$23kHighest 15% above MA |
$599,100±$31k 7% above MA |
$519,100±$60kLowest 8% below MA |
| Danvers and Mendon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,840±$196 4% above MA |
$2,076±$192 18% above MA |
$1,432±$743Lowest 19% below MA |
$2,338±$539Highest 33% above MA |
| Lancaster and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,213 20% above MA |
$6,654 11% above MA |
$6,530Lowest 9% above MA |
$7,235Highest 21% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 78.7%±26Highest MA: 51.8% |
48.8%±8.6 MA: 51.8% |
39.1%±10.2Lowest MA: 51.8% |
68.3%±36.7 MA: 51.8% |
| Mendon and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 7.1%Highest MA: 10% |
4.8% MA: 10% |
5.4% MA: 10% |
1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.9% MA: 62.5% |
69.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
88.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
85.1% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 21 yrs newer than MA |
1963Lowest 1 yr older than MA |
1984 20 yrs newer than MA |
1971 7 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 4% above MA |
28 minLowest about the MA average |
37 minHighest 25% above MA |
32 min 9% above MA |
| Work from home | 15.1%±5.7 MA: 18.6% |
19.3%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
8.3%±3.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
33.6%±9.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #210 of 282 in MA | #91 of 282 in MA | #104 of 282 in MA | #145 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Mendon-Upton | — | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester | Nashoba |
| High school in town | None in town | — | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 9.1 |
— |
| 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.