Compare towns
Peabody vs Wakefield vs Middleton
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 affordable homes ($596k median).
Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).
Middleton has the most homeowners (92.7%).
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 | Wakefield | Middleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 54,695Highest |
27,793 |
9,816Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.7% MA: +7.4% |
+8.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.3±2.4Highest 13% above MA |
42.4±1.7Lowest 6% above MA |
43.1±2 8% above MA |
| Peabody and Middleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±1.8 MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.2%±3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Wakefield 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%±1.9 MA: 17.9% |
18.1%±2.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
59.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
41.7% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $96,657±$4kLowest 7% below MA |
$134,306±$14k 29% above MA |
$167,402±$29kHighest 61% above MA |
| Middleton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $596,200±$12kLowest 6% above MA |
$723,500±$24k 29% above MA |
$742,700±$48kHighest 32% above MA |
| Middleton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,950±$99 11% above MA |
$1,958±$102Highest 11% above MA |
$1,407±$284Lowest 20% below MA |
| Wakefield and Peabody 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 |
$7,779 30% above MA |
$8,785Highest 47% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 58.3%±5.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9 MA: 51.8% |
25.7%±25.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 7.7%Highest MA: 10% |
4.9% MA: 10% |
3.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 65.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
70.7% MA: 62.5% |
92.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966 2 yrs newer than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
1986Highest 22 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
33 minHighest 14% above MA |
30 min 3% above MA |
| Work from home | 10.3%±1.6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
12.5%±3.4 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #228 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA | #71 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Peabody | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield | Middleton |
| High school in town | Peabody Veterans Memorial High | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.3Lowest |
10.7Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.