Compare towns
Reading vs Scituate vs Upton vs Northborough
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Reading has the most people working from home (30.2%).
Scituate has the most expensive homes ($848k median).
Upton has the most affordable homes ($577k median).
Northborough has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.2%).
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 | Reading | Scituate | Upton | Northborough |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 25,612Highest |
19,365 |
8,189Lowest |
15,750 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+5.1% MA: +7.4% |
+6.1% MA: +7.4% |
+11.2%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.7±2.3Lowest 9% above MA |
47.1±3.1Highest 18% above MA |
46.4±4.8 16% above MA |
45±3 13% above MA |
| Scituate and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.8%±2.2 MA: 19.4% |
22.2%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
21.6%±2.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Upton and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±2.3 MA: 17.9% |
22.2%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±4.9 MA: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Scituate and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 66.3% MA: 47.3% |
66.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
53.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
65.5% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±0.7 MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.1%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Northborough and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $165,912±$13kHighest 60% above MA |
$136,732±$16kLowest 32% above MA |
$155,508±$33k 50% above MA |
$153,199±$19k 47% above MA |
| Reading and Upton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $809,000±$22k 44% above MA |
$847,600±$25kHighest 51% above MA |
$576,700±$41kLowest about the MA average |
$620,000±$24k 10% above MA |
| Scituate and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,991±$273Highest 13% above MA |
$1,609±$311 9% below MA |
$948±$599Lowest 46% below MA |
$1,919±$269 9% above MA |
| Reading and Northborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,320Highest 56% above MA |
$8,807 47% above MA |
$8,376 40% above MA |
$7,983Lowest 33% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.8%±9.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.7%±10.3 MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31Highest MA: 51.8% |
50.1%±16.3 MA: 51.8% |
| Upton and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.2% MA: 10% |
2.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
3.2% MA: 10% |
3.7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
87.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
86.7% MA: 62.5% |
83.1% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1980 16 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minLowest 6% above MA |
38 minHighest 31% above MA |
35 min 22% above MA |
31 min 7% above MA |
| Work from home | 30.2%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
28%±4 MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3 MA: 18.6% |
22.5%±5.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Reading and Scituate 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 | #50 of 282 in MA | #43 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA | #35 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Scituate | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Northborough · Northboro-Southboro |
| High school in town | — | Scituate High School | Blackstone Valley | Algonquin Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.3Highest |
11.2 |
10.8Lowest |
| 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.