Compare towns
Middleton vs Peabody vs Wakefield
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 most homeowners (92.7%).
Peabody has the most affordable homes ($596k median).
Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).
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 | Middleton | Peabody | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,816Lowest |
54,695Highest |
27,793 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.7% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±2 8% above MA |
45.3±2.4Highest 13% above MA |
42.4±1.7Lowest 6% above MA |
| 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 MA: 19.4% |
18.7%±1.8 MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Wakefield and Peabody 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% |
24.3%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.7% MA: 47.3% |
35%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
59.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $167,402±$29kHighest 61% above MA |
$96,657±$4kLowest 7% below MA |
$134,306±$14k 29% above MA |
| Middleton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $742,700±$48kHighest 32% above MA |
$596,200±$12kLowest 6% above MA |
$723,500±$24k 29% above MA |
| Middleton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,407±$284Lowest 20% below MA |
$1,950±$99 11% above MA |
$1,958±$102Highest 11% above MA |
| Wakefield and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,785Highest 47% above MA |
$5,065Lowest 15% below MA |
$7,779 30% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25.7%±25.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
58.3%±5.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9 MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 3.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.7%Highest MA: 10% |
4.9% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
65.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
70.7% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
1966 2 yrs newer than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 3% above MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
| Work from home | 12.5%±3.4 MA: 18.6% |
10.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #71 of 282 in MA | #228 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Middleton | Peabody | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield |
| High school in town | None in town | Peabody Veterans Memorial High | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.3Lowest |
10.7Highest |
| 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.