Compare towns
Peabody vs Wayne vs Middleton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Peabody has the most renters (34.4% rent).
Wayne has the most people working from home (26.2%).
Middleton has the highest household income ($167k).
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 | Wayne | Middleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 54,695Highest |
1,101Lowest |
9,816 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
-5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.3±2.4 16% above U.S. |
55.6±5.3Highest 43% above U.S. |
43.1±2Lowest 11% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±1.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
13.4%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17.2%±3 U.S.: 22% |
| Peabody and Middleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.3%±1.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
29.2%±3.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.1%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Wayne 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
48.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
41.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±0.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.5%±2.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Wayne and Peabody 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 20% above U.S. |
$93,194±$26kLowest 15% above U.S. |
$167,402±$29kHighest 107% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $596,200±$12k 79% above U.S. |
$362,800±$29kLowest 9% above U.S. |
$742,700±$48kHighest 123% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,950±$99Highest 38% above U.S. |
$983±$554Lowest 30% below U.S. |
$1,407±$284 about the U.S. average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,065 62% above U.S. |
$3,289Lowest 5% above U.S. |
$8,785Highest 182% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 58.3%±5.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
25%±52.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
25.7%±25.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Below poverty line | 7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 65.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
89.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
92.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
30 minHighest 15% above U.S. |
30 min 14% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.3%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
26.2%±11.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.5%±3.4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Wayne and Middleton 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 | — | #71 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Peabody | RSU 38 | Middleton |
| High school in town | Peabody Veterans Memorial High | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.3 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.