Compare towns
Plympton vs Wakefield vs Kingston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Plympton has the most affordable homes ($518k median).
Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).
Kingston has the oldest population (median age 46.5).
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 | Plympton | Wakefield | Kingston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,935Lowest |
27,793Highest |
14,027 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+8.5% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.4±4.2 16% above MA |
42.4±1.7Lowest 6% above MA |
46.5±3.9Highest 16% above MA |
| Kingston and Plympton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.6%±5Highest MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2 MA: 19.4% |
19.9%±3.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Plympton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.7%±5 MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
22.8%±3.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Kingston and Plympton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 38.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
59.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
48.2% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.2%±1.8 MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.7%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Wakefield and Plympton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $126,736±$20k 22% above MA |
$134,306±$14kHighest 29% above MA |
$119,876±$13kLowest 15% above MA |
| Wakefield and Plympton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $517,800±$52kLowest 8% below MA |
$723,500±$24kHighest 29% above MA |
$610,600±$30k 9% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $555±$148Lowest 69% below MA |
$1,958±$102Highest 11% above MA |
$1,159±$244 34% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,628Lowest 11% above MA |
$7,779Highest 30% above MA |
$7,650 28% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.8%±40.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9 MA: 51.8% |
35.9%±13Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Plympton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.3%Highest MA: 10% |
4.9% MA: 10% |
3.1%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
81.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981 17 yrs newer than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
1982Highest 18 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minLowest 13% above MA |
33 min 14% above MA |
35 minHighest 20% above MA |
| Work from home | 19.3%±6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
19.5%±4.9 MA: 18.6% |
| Wakefield and Kingston 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 | #110 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA | #99 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Plympton | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield | Kingston · Silver Lake |
| High school in town | None in town | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational | Silver Lake Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7Lowest |
12.0Highest |
| 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.