Compare towns
Pinehurst vs Reading vs Dighton vs Burlington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pinehurst has the most homeowners (97.4%).
Reading has the most people working from home (30.2%).
Dighton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.3%).
Burlington has the most renters (25.8% rent).
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 | Pinehurst | Reading | Dighton | Burlington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,845Lowest |
25,612 |
8,193 |
26,274Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+3.1% MA: +7.4% |
+14.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+7.7% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.6±2Lowest 7% above MA |
43.7±2.3 9% above MA |
42.7±2.9 7% above MA |
45.9±2.2Highest 15% above MA |
| Burlington and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.8%±4.1 MA: 19.4% |
22.8%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
21%±4 MA: 19.4% |
17.1%±2.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Reading and Dighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.1%±3.2 MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±2.3 MA: 17.9% |
17.5%±3.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
21.9%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Burlington and Pinehurst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.2%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
66.3%Highest MA: 47.3% |
35.9% MA: 47.3% |
58.4% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±1.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.9%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.2%±2 MA: 7.9% |
4.6%±1 MA: 7.9% |
| Pinehurst and Burlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $146,250±$27k 41% above MA |
$165,912±$13kHighest 60% above MA |
$136,646±$19kLowest 31% above MA |
$146,436±$14k 41% above MA |
| Reading and Burlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $623,800±$22k 11% above MA |
$809,000±$22kHighest 44% above MA |
$501,900±$47kLowest 11% below MA |
$740,600±$35k 32% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,946±$1k 10% above MA |
$1,991±$273 13% above MA |
$1,405±$192Lowest 20% below MA |
$2,718±$368Highest 54% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,316 5% above MA |
$9,320Highest 56% above MA |
$6,452 8% above MA |
$6,165Lowest about the MA average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32%±58.1 MA: 51.8% |
27.8%±9.1 MA: 51.8% |
11.8%±16.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
50.4%±10.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Burlington and Pinehurst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 2.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
3.2% MA: 10% |
2.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
5.9%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 97.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
82.4% MA: 62.5% |
90.1% MA: 62.5% |
74.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972 8 yrs newer than MA |
1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1972 8 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest 7% below MA |
31 minHighest 6% above MA |
31 minHighest 6% above MA |
28 min 5% below MA |
| Work from home | 13.1%±3.2 MA: 18.6% |
30.2%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
11%±3.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.5%±3.2 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #50 of 282 in MA | #85 of 282 in MA | #83 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Reading | Bristol County Agricultural · Dighton-Rehoboth | Burlington |
| High school in town | — | Reading Memorial High | Bristol County Agricultural High | Burlington High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1Highest |
11.9 |
11.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.