Compare towns
Middleton vs Deerfield vs Peabody
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Middleton has the highest household income ($167k).
Deerfield has the most people working from home (17.5%).
Peabody has the most renters (34.4% rent).
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 | Middleton | Deerfield | Peabody |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,816 |
5,158Lowest |
54,695Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-0.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±2Lowest 8% above MA |
51.8±3.6Highest 30% above MA |
45.3±2.4 13% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±3 MA: 19.4% |
13.2%±3.7Lowest MA: 19.4% |
18.7%±1.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Peabody and Middleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.1%±2.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
22.9%±4.2 MA: 17.9% |
24.3%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Peabody and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.7% MA: 47.3% |
44.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
35%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9% |
7.9%±3.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.8 MA: 7.9% |
| Deerfield and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $167,402±$29kHighest 61% above MA |
$106,136±$14k about the MA average |
$96,657±$4kLowest 7% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $742,700±$48kHighest 32% above MA |
$414,900±$37kLowest 26% below MA |
$596,200±$12k 6% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,407±$284 20% below MA |
$1,334±$318Lowest 24% below MA |
$1,950±$99Highest 11% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,785Highest 47% above MA |
$5,824 about the MA average |
$5,065Lowest 15% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25.7%±25.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
26.1%±15.1 MA: 51.8% |
58.3%±5.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 3.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.8%Highest MA: 10% |
7.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
78.4% MA: 62.5% |
65.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
1972 8 yrs newer than MA |
1966Lowest 2 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 3% above MA |
18 minLowest 40% below MA |
26 min 11% below MA |
| Work from home | 12.5%±3.4 MA: 18.6% |
17.5%±6.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
10.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Deerfield and Middleton 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 | #71 of 282 in MA | #156 of 282 in MA | #228 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Middleton | Deerfield · Frontier | Peabody |
| High school in town | None in town | Frontier Regional | Peabody Veterans Memorial High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.1Highest |
10.3Lowest |
| 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.