Compare towns
Peabody vs Townsend vs Leominster
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 most expensive homes ($596k median).
Townsend has the highest household income ($122k).
Leominster has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.4%).
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 | Townsend | Leominster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 54,695Highest |
9,100Lowest |
43,909 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3% MA: +7.4% |
+2.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+7.4%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.3±2.4Highest 13% above MA |
40.9±3.3Lowest about the MA average |
43.3±2.2 8% above MA |
| Peabody and Leominster 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% |
21%±3.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
19%±1.8 MA: 19.4% |
| Townsend and Leominster 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% |
17.1%±2.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
19.3%±1.9 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35% MA: 47.3% |
35.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
33.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±0.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.1%±2.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.9%±1 MA: 7.9% |
| Townsend and Leominster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $96,657±$4k 7% below MA |
$121,528±$23kHighest 17% above MA |
$83,816±$7kLowest 19% below MA |
| Townsend and Peabody are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $596,200±$12kHighest 6% above MA |
$433,200±$22k 23% below MA |
$380,400±$14kLowest 32% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,950±$99Highest 11% above MA |
$1,469±$313 17% below MA |
$1,354±$50Lowest 23% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,065Lowest 15% below MA |
$6,031Highest about the MA average |
$5,256 12% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 58.3%±5.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
50.6%±16.8 MA: 51.8% |
48.9%±5.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Peabody and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
8.9% MA: 10% |
9.2%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 65.6% MA: 62.5% |
82%Highest MA: 62.5% |
62.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 2 yrs newer than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
1967 3 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
37 minHighest 27% above MA |
26 min 10% below MA |
| Work from home | 10.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
10.5%±2.8 MA: 18.6% |
10.9%±2.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Leominster and Townsend 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 | #136 of 282 in MA | #233 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Peabody | North Middlesex | Leominster |
| High school in town | Peabody Veterans Memorial High | North Middlesex Regional | Leominster High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.3Lowest |
13.1Highest |
10.6 |
| 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.