Compare towns
Middleborough vs Lawrence vs Dracut
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Middleborough has the most people working from home (13.6%).
Lawrence has the most renters (71.9% rent).
Dracut has the highest household income ($114k).
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 | Middleborough | Lawrence | Dracut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 24,505Lowest |
88,736Highest |
32,574 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+16.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+10.7% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.4±2.1Highest 9% above MA |
32.6±0.9Lowest 19% below MA |
41.7±2 4% above MA |
| Middleborough and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.8%±2.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
26.3%±1.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
21.4%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 21.8%±2.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
10.5%±0.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
18.2%±2 MA: 17.9% |
| Middleborough and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32% MA: 47.3% |
16.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
36.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.4%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.1%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
| Lawrence and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $97,056±$7k 7% below MA |
$60,433±$3kLowest 42% below MA |
$114,036±$10kHighest 10% above MA |
| Dracut and Middleborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $468,700±$18k 17% below MA |
$415,200±$23kLowest 26% below MA |
$473,900±$17kHighest 16% below MA |
| Dracut and Middleborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,706±$72 3% below MA |
$1,662±$50Lowest 6% below MA |
$1,839±$130Highest 4% above MA |
| Dracut and Middleborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,023Highest about the MA average |
$3,422Lowest 43% below MA |
$5,375 10% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.2%±11.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
60.6%±3.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
57.6%±7.4 MA: 51.8% |
| Lawrence and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
17.6%Highest MA: 10% |
7.8% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 76.9% MA: 62.5% |
28.1%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
79.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA |
1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA |
1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 7% above MA |
23 minLowest 21% below MA |
30 min 4% above MA |
| Work from home | 13.6%±2.9Highest MA: 18.6% |
6.8%±1.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
11.4%±2 MA: 18.6% |
| Middleborough and Dracut 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 | #170 of 282 in MA | #278 of 282 in MA | #201 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Middleborough | Lawrence | Dracut |
| High school in town | Middleborough High | Lawrence High School | Dracut Senior High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
13.6Highest |
12.9 |
| 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.