Compare towns
Reading vs Rowley vs North Reading vs Wakefield
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%).
Rowley has the oldest population (median age 50).
North Reading has the most homeowners (84.3%).
Wakefield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.7%).
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 | Reading | Rowley | North Reading | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 25,612 |
6,251Lowest |
15,765 |
27,793Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+5.2% MA: +7.4% |
+4.4% MA: +7.4% |
+8.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.7±2.3 9% above MA |
50±6.3Highest 25% above MA |
43±2.8 8% above MA |
42.4±1.7Lowest 6% above MA |
| Rowley and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.8%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
19.3%±4.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.3%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
20%±2.2 MA: 19.4% |
| Reading and North 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% |
21.6%±4.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
16.7%±2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9 MA: 17.9% |
| Rowley 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%Highest MA: 47.3% |
56.8% MA: 47.3% |
56.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
59.7% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.8%±2.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.2%±1.2 MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9 MA: 7.9% |
| Rowley and Wakefield 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 |
$132,734±$32kLowest 28% above MA |
$147,768±$25k 42% above MA |
$134,306±$14k 29% above MA |
| Reading and North Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $809,000±$22kHighest 44% above MA |
$667,300±$52kLowest 19% above MA |
$710,500±$24k 26% above MA |
$723,500±$24k 29% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,991±$273 13% above MA |
$1,603±$520Lowest 9% below MA |
$2,259±$356Highest 28% above MA |
$1,958±$102 11% above MA |
| North Reading and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,320 56% above MA |
$8,309 39% above MA |
$9,693Highest 62% above MA |
$7,779Lowest 30% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.8%±9.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
57.7%±27.3 MA: 51.8% |
75.5%±25.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9 MA: 51.8% |
| North Reading and Rowley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.2% MA: 10% |
3.1% MA: 10% |
2.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.9%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% MA: 62.5% |
81.7% MA: 62.5% |
84.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 6% above MA |
28 minLowest 3% below MA |
34 minHighest 15% above MA |
33 min 14% above MA |
| Work from home | 30.2%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
11.1%±4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
26.1%±4.6 MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1 MA: 18.6% |
| Reading and North Reading 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 | #214 of 282 in MA | #33 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Reading | Triton | North Reading | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield |
| High school in town | Reading Memorial High | None in town | North Reading High | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.1Highest |
— | 10.1Lowest |
10.7 |
| 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.