Compare towns
Newburyport vs Scituate vs Swampscott
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Newburyport has the shortest commute (32 min average).
Scituate has the most homeowners (87.8%).
Swampscott has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.6%).
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 | Newburyport | Scituate | Swampscott |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 18,652 |
19,365Highest |
15,277Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+5.1% MA: +7.4% |
+9.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 49.8±2.9Highest 25% above MA |
47.1±3.1 18% above MA |
44.5±3.5Lowest 11% above MA |
| Newburyport and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.9%±3.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.2%±2.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
20.1%±2.9 MA: 19.4% |
| Scituate and Swampscott are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.4%±2.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
22.2%±2.5 MA: 17.9% |
20.4%±2.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Newburyport and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 67%Highest MA: 47.3% |
66.8% MA: 47.3% |
62.2%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.5%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
4.7%±1.7Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Swampscott and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $139,625±$21kHighest 34% above MA |
$136,732±$16k 32% above MA |
$134,386±$23kLowest 29% above MA |
| Newburyport and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $834,000±$37k 48% above MA |
$847,600±$25kHighest 51% above MA |
$771,100±$41kLowest 37% above MA |
| Scituate and Newburyport are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,592±$221Lowest 10% below MA |
$1,609±$311 9% below MA |
$2,303±$143Highest 31% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,944 33% above MA |
$8,807Highest 47% above MA |
$7,936Lowest 32% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 46.4%±9.7Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.7%±10.3 MA: 51.8% |
57%±14.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Swampscott and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5% MA: 10% |
2.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
7.1%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 77.5% MA: 62.5% |
87.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
75.9%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1954Lowest 10 yrs older than MA |
1960Highest 4 yrs older than MA |
1955 9 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minLowest 8% above MA |
38 minHighest 31% above MA |
34 min 18% above MA |
| Work from home | 28.9%±4Highest MA: 18.6% |
28%±4 MA: 18.6% |
27.2%±4.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Newburyport and Scituate 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 | #56 of 282 in MA | #43 of 282 in MA | #76 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Newburyport | Scituate | Swampscott |
| High school in town | Newburyport High | Scituate High School | Swampscott High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.3Lowest |
11.3 |
11.7Highest |
| 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.