What stands out worked out from the figures below

Northampton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.6%).

Dedham has the highest household income ($129k).

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	Dedham
People
Population	30,962Highest	25,237Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.6%Highest MA: +7.4%	+2.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	41.3±2.2Lowest 3% above MA	44.6±1.6Highest 12% above MA
	Dedham and Northampton 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%	18.6%±1.9Highest MA: 19.4%
	Dedham and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.4%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9%	21.9%±2Highest MA: 17.9%
	Dedham and Northampton 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%	55%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	14%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9%	5.6%±1Lowest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$80,288±$6kLowest 23% below MA	$128,955±$10kHighest 24% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$429,700±$17kLowest 24% below MA	$661,800±$16kHighest 18% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,439±$75Lowest 18% below MA	$2,042±$182Highest 16% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,680Lowest 5% below MA	$7,918Highest 32% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	57.6%±6.7Highest MA: 51.8%	56.4%±10Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Northampton and Dedham 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%	5.6%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	57.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%	73.4%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	29 minHighest about the MA average
Work from home	24.1%±3.4Highest MA: 18.6%	20%±2.7Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Northampton and Dedham 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	#119 of 282 in MA
School district	Northampton · Northampton-Smith Vocational Agricultural	Dedham
High school in town	Northampton High	Dedham High
Students per teacherat that high school	14.7Highest	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.