Compare towns
Middleton vs Reading 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%).
Reading has the most people working from home (30.2%).
Wakefield has the most renters (29.3% 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 | Reading | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,816Lowest |
25,612 |
27,793Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.7% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.1±2 8% above MA |
43.7±2.3Highest 9% above MA |
42.4±1.7Lowest 6% above MA |
| Reading 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% |
22.8%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2 MA: 19.4% |
| Reading and Wakefield 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% |
20.7%±2.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9 MA: 17.9% |
| Reading and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
66.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
59.7% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.9%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
2.9%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Wakefield and Middleton 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 |
$165,912±$13k 60% above MA |
$134,306±$14kLowest 29% above MA |
| Middleton and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $742,700±$48k 32% above MA |
$809,000±$22kHighest 44% above MA |
$723,500±$24kLowest 29% above MA |
| Reading and Middleton 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 |
$1,991±$273Highest 13% above MA |
$1,958±$102 11% above MA |
| Reading and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,785 47% above MA |
$9,320Highest 56% above MA |
$7,779Lowest 30% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 25.7%±25.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
27.8%±9.1 MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Wakefield and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.4% MA: 10% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.9%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
82.4% MA: 62.5% |
70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minLowest 3% above MA |
31 min 6% above MA |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
| Work from home | 12.5%±3.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
30.2%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
| Reading and Wakefield 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 | #50 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Middleton | Reading | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield |
| High school in town | None in town | Reading Memorial High | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1Highest |
10.7Lowest |
| 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.