Compare towns
Newbury vs Scituate vs Rowley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Newbury has the highest household income ($175k).
Scituate has the most people working from home (28%).
Rowley has the most affordable homes ($667k 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.
| Measure | Newbury | Scituate | Rowley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,777 |
19,365Highest |
6,251Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+5.1% MA: +7.4% |
+5.2%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 55.1±4.8Highest 38% above MA |
47.1±3.1Lowest 18% above MA |
50±6.3 25% above MA |
| Newbury and Rowley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.1%±3.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.2%±2.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.3%±4.5 MA: 19.4% |
| Scituate and Rowley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.5%±5.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
22.2%±2.5 MA: 17.9% |
21.6%±4.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Newbury and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.1% MA: 47.3% |
66.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
56.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.2%±2.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.8%±2.2 MA: 7.9% |
| Newbury and Rowley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $174,868±$59kHighest 68% above MA |
$136,732±$16k 32% above MA |
$132,734±$32kLowest 28% above MA |
| Newbury and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $840,600±$40k 50% above MA |
$847,600±$25kHighest 51% above MA |
$667,300±$52kLowest 19% above MA |
| Scituate and Newbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,806±$1kHighest about the MA average |
$1,609±$311 9% below MA |
$1,603±$520Lowest 9% below MA |
| Newbury and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,661Lowest 11% above MA |
$8,807Highest 47% above MA |
$8,309 39% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 53%±26.7 MA: 51.8% |
52.7%±10.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
57.7%±27.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Rowley and Newbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.4%Highest MA: 10% |
2.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
3.1% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.8% MA: 62.5% |
87.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
81.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1963 1 yr older than MA |
1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 18% below MA |
38 minHighest 31% above MA |
28 min 3% below MA |
| Work from home | 21.5%±6 MA: 18.6% |
28%±4Highest MA: 18.6% |
11.1%±4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Scituate and Newbury 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 | #137 of 282 in MA | #43 of 282 in MA | #214 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Triton | Scituate | Triton |
| High school in town | Triton Regional High School | Scituate High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.6Lowest |
11.3Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.