Compare towns
Newton vs Boston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Newton has the most homeowners (70%).
Boston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.4%).
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 | Newton | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 89,044Lowest |
666,442Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.4%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+9.4%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.1±0.9Highest 5% above MA |
33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 20.5%±1Highest MA: 19.4% |
15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 19.1%±0.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 81.1%Highest MA: 47.3% |
54.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 11.1%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $190,304±$9kHighest 83% above MA |
$97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,264,900±$43kHighest 125% above MA |
$731,700±$10kLowest 30% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,370±$81Highest 35% above MA |
$2,147±$25Lowest 22% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$4,456Lowest 26% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.3%±4.5Lowest MA: 51.8% |
51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 4.5%Lowest MA: 10% |
16.6%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70%Highest MA: 62.5% |
35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1942Lowest 22 yrs older than MA |
1947Highest 17 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 9% below MA |
30 minHighest 4% above MA |
| Work from home | 32.2%±2Highest MA: 18.6% |
21.3%±0.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #25 of 282 in MA | #258 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Newton | Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston |
| High school in town | Newton North High | Boston Latin School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.8Lowest |
18.7Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.