What stands out worked out from the figures below

Northampton has the most affordable homes ($430k median).

Beverly has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8%).

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	Northampton	Beverly
People
Population	30,962Lowest	42,665Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+8%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	41.3±2.2Highest 3% above MA	39±1.8Lowest about the MA average
	Northampton and Beverly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16%±1.8Lowest MA: 19.4%	18.5%±1.8Highest MA: 19.4%
	Beverly and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.4%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9%	19.4%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Northampton and Beverly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	62.7%Highest MA: 47.3%	53.4%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	14%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9%	11.3%±0.8Lowest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$80,288±$6kLowest 23% below MA	$106,044±$7kHighest about the MA average
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$429,700±$17kLowest 24% below MA	$650,300±$13kHighest 16% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,439±$75Lowest 18% below MA	$1,771±$106Highest about the MA average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,680Lowest 5% below MA	$6,836Highest 14% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	57.6%±6.7Highest MA: 51.8%	55.5%±7.2Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Northampton and Beverly are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.4%Highest MA: 10%	9.4%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	57.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%	60.1%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1955Lowest 9 yrs older than MA	1956Highest 8 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 26% below MA	30 minHighest 3% above MA
Work from home	24.1%±3.4Highest MA: 18.6%	22.3%±2.4Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Northampton and Beverly 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	#159 of 282 in MA	#144 of 282 in MA
School district	Northampton · Northampton-Smith Vocational Agricultural	Beverly
High school in town	Northampton High	Beverly High
Students per teacherat that high school	14.7Highest	12.2Lowest
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.