What stands out worked out from the figures below

Montague has the most affordable homes ($282k median).

Dedham has the most expensive homes ($662k median).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Montague	Dedham
People
Population	8,482Lowest	25,237Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.7%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+2.6%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	44.3±3.1Lowest 11% above MA	44.6±1.6Highest 12% above MA
	Dedham and Montague are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19%±2.8Highest MA: 19.4%	18.6%±1.9Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Montague and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	23.5%±3.2Highest MA: 17.9%	21.9%±2Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Montague and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	37.5%Lowest MA: 47.3%	55%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.7%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9%	5.6%±1Highest MA: 7.9%
	Dedham and Montague are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$70,510±$12kLowest 32% below MA	$128,955±$10kHighest 24% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$282,100±$17kLowest 50% below MA	$661,800±$16kHighest 18% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,207±$115Lowest 31% below MA	$2,042±$182Highest 16% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,922Lowest 35% below MA	$7,918Highest 32% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	64.6%±8.6Highest MA: 51.8%	56.4%±10Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Montague and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.5%Highest MA: 10%	5.6%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	62.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%	73.4%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1951Lowest 13 yrs older than MA	1956Highest 8 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 28% below MA	29 minHighest about the MA average
Work from home	14.9%±4.2Lowest MA: 18.6%	20%±2.7Highest MA: 18.6%
	Dedham and Montague 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	#265 of 282 in MA	#119 of 282 in MA
School district	Franklin County Regional Vocational Technical · Gill-Montague	Dedham
High school in town	Franklin County Technical	Dedham High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.7Highest	10.4Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.