What stands out worked out from the figures below

Northfield has the most affordable homes ($376k median).

Dedham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.6%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Northfield	Dedham
People
Population	2,872Lowest	25,237Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5.5%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+2.6%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	48.9±4.2Highest 22% above MA	44.6±1.6Lowest 12% above MA
	Northfield and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14.8%±4.1Lowest MA: 19.4%	18.6%±1.9Highest MA: 19.4%
	Dedham and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.5%±5.1Highest MA: 17.9%	21.9%±2Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Northfield and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	42.4%Lowest MA: 47.3%	55%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.4%±3Lowest MA: 7.9%	5.6%±1Highest MA: 7.9%
	Dedham and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$103,375±$10kLowest about the MA average	$128,955±$10kHighest 24% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$375,800±$31kLowest 33% below MA	$661,800±$16kHighest 18% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,142±$200Lowest 35% below MA	$2,042±$182Highest 16% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,594Lowest 23% below MA	$7,918Highest 32% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	49.2%±25.9Lowest MA: 51.8%	56.4%±10Highest MA: 51.8%
	Dedham and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	6.8%Highest MA: 10%	5.6%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	85.1%Highest MA: 62.5%	73.4%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1962Highest 2 yrs older than MA	1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 8% above MA	29 minLowest about the MA average
Work from home	16.5%±10.3Lowest MA: 18.6%	20%±2.7Highest MA: 18.6%
	Dedham and Northfield 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	#231 of 282 in MA	#119 of 282 in MA
School district	Pioneer Valley	Dedham
High school in town	Pioneer Valley Regional	Dedham High
Students per teacherat that high school	10.7Highest	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.