Compare towns
Peabody vs Lancaster vs Danvers
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Peabody has the shortest commute (26 min average).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
Danvers has the most expensive homes ($644k 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 | Peabody | Lancaster | Danvers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 54,695Highest |
8,606Lowest |
28,098 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+4.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.3±2.4Highest 13% above MA |
43.1±4.9Lowest 8% above MA |
45.3±3Highest 13% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±1.8 MA: 19.4% |
19.2%±4Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.2%±2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Lancaster and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.3%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
19.9%±4.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
22.6%±2.2 MA: 17.9% |
| Peabody and Danvers 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% |
50.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
48.4% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.3 MA: 7.9% |
| Peabody and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $96,657±$4kLowest 7% below MA |
$134,833±$27kHighest 30% above MA |
$125,395±$10k 21% above MA |
| Lancaster and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $596,200±$12k 6% above MA |
$519,100±$60kLowest 8% below MA |
$644,200±$23kHighest 15% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,950±$99Lowest 11% above MA |
$2,338±$539Highest 33% above MA |
$2,076±$192 18% above MA |
| Lancaster and Danvers are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,065Lowest 15% below MA |
$7,235Highest 21% above MA |
$6,654 11% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 58.3%±5.9 MA: 51.8% |
68.3%±36.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
48.8%±8.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Lancaster and Peabody 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% |
1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.8% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 65.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
85.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
69.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 2 yrs newer than MA |
1971Highest 7 yrs newer than MA |
1963Lowest 1 yr older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
32 minHighest 9% above MA |
28 min about the MA average |
| Work from home | 10.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
33.6%±9.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
19.3%±3.6 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #228 of 282 in MA | #145 of 282 in MA | #91 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Peabody | Nashoba | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District · Danvers |
| High school in town | Peabody Veterans Memorial High | None in town | Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.3Lowest |
— | 12.8Highest |
| 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.