Compare towns
Northborough vs Worcester vs Scituate
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Northborough has the highest household income ($153k).
Worcester has the most renters (57.2% rent).
Scituate has the most expensive homes ($848k 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 | Northborough | Worcester | Scituate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 15,750Lowest |
207,055Highest |
19,365 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.2% MA: +7.4% |
+14.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+5.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45±3 13% above MA |
33.9±0.5Lowest 15% below MA |
47.1±3.1Highest 18% above MA |
| Scituate and Northborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.6%±2.8 MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.2%±2.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Scituate and Northborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.7%±2.3 MA: 17.9% |
13.3%±0.6Lowest MA: 17.9% |
22.2%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Scituate and Northborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 65.5% MA: 47.3% |
35.2%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
66.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
14.1%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $153,199±$19kHighest 47% above MA |
$70,102±$2kLowest 33% below MA |
$136,732±$16k 32% above MA |
| Northborough and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $620,000±$24k 10% above MA |
$374,400±$7kLowest 33% below MA |
$847,600±$25kHighest 51% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,919±$269Highest 9% above MA |
$1,487±$38Lowest 16% below MA |
$1,609±$311 9% below MA |
| Northborough and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,983 33% above MA |
$4,733Lowest 21% below MA |
$8,807Highest 47% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.1%±16.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
54.2%±2.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
52.7%±10.3 MA: 51.8% |
| Worcester and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.7% MA: 10% |
19.6%Highest MA: 10% |
2.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.1% MA: 62.5% |
42.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
87.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest 16 yrs newer than MA |
1951Lowest 13 yrs older than MA |
1960 4 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 7% above MA |
24 minLowest 17% below MA |
38 minHighest 31% above MA |
| Work from home | 22.5%±5.3 MA: 18.6% |
11.5%±1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
28%±4Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Scituate and Northborough 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 | #35 of 282 in MA | #266 of 282 in MA | #43 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Northborough · Northboro-Southboro | Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester | Scituate |
| High school in town | Algonquin Regional High | South High Community | Scituate High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.8Lowest |
14.6Highest |
11.3 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.