What stands out worked out from the figures below

Peabody has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.3%).

Dalton has the most affordable homes ($296k 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.

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

Measure	Peabody	Dalton
People
Population	54,695Highest	6,256Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.3%Highest MA: +7.4%	-6.3%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	45.3±2.4Lowest 13% above MA	49.7±5.8Highest 24% above MA
	Dalton and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.7%±1.8Lowest MA: 19.4%	20.6%±4.7Highest MA: 19.4%
	Dalton and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.3%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9%	27.9%±5.7Highest MA: 17.9%
	Dalton and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35%Lowest MA: 47.3%	44.3%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.4%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9%	2.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Peabody and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$96,657±$4kHighest 7% below MA	$79,438±$8kLowest 24% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$596,200±$12kHighest 6% above MA	$295,700±$26kLowest 47% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,950±$99Highest 11% above MA	$872±$70Lowest 51% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,065Highest 15% below MA	$4,276Lowest 29% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	58.3%±5.9Highest MA: 51.8%	41.2%±19Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Peabody and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.7%Highest MA: 10%	7.4%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	65.6%Lowest MA: 62.5%	70.7%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1966Highest 2 yrs newer than MA	1957Lowest 7 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest 11% below MA	22 minLowest 24% below MA
Work from home	10.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 18.6%	12.5%±7.1Highest MA: 18.6%
	Dalton and Peabody 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	#228 of 282 in MA	#192 of 282 in MA
School district	Peabody	Central Berkshire
High school in town	Peabody Veterans Memorial High	Wahconah Regional High
Students per teacherat that high school	10.3Lowest	10.9Highest
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.