Compare towns
Middleton vs Hampden vs Peabody
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Middleton has the highest household income ($167k).
Hampden has the most people working from home (21.3%).
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 | Hampden | Peabody |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,816 |
7,896Lowest |
54,695Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±2 11% above U.S. |
41±2.9Lowest 5% above U.S. |
45.3±2.4Highest 16% above U.S. |
| Peabody and Middleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
25.8%±5.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±1.8 U.S.: 22% |
| Hampden and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.1%±2.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.2%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.3%±1.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
35%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±2.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Hampden 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 107% above U.S. |
$111,959±$13k 39% above U.S. |
$96,657±$4kLowest 20% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $742,700±$48kHighest 123% above U.S. |
$301,300±$38kLowest 9% below U.S. |
$596,200±$12k 79% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,407±$284 about the U.S. average |
$1,286±$317Lowest 9% below U.S. |
$1,950±$99Highest 38% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,785Highest 182% above U.S. |
$3,694Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$5,065 62% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25.7%±25.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
22.2%±15.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
58.3%±5.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 3.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
85.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
65.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
1982 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
23 minLowest 14% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 12.5%±3.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
21.3%±5.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.3%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Hampden 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 | #6 of 133 in ME | #228 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Middleton | RSU 22 | Peabody |
| High school in town | None in town | Hampden Academy | Peabody Veterans Memorial High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 14.8Highest |
10.3Lowest |
| 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.