Compare towns
Reading vs Rowley vs Scituate
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 highest household income ($166k).
Rowley has the most affordable homes ($667k median).
Scituate has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.1%).
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 | Scituate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 25,612Highest |
6,251 |
5,796Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+5.2% MA: +7.4% |
+7.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.7±2.3Lowest 9% above MA |
50±6.3 25% above MA |
51.7±3.8Highest 29% above MA |
| Scituate and Rowley 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% |
22.1%±4.8 MA: 19.4% |
| Reading and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
21.6%±4.1 MA: 17.9% |
27.3%±5Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Scituate and Rowley 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%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
64.7% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.8%±2.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.1%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
| Rowley 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 |
$132,734±$32k 28% above MA |
$124,549±$27kLowest 20% above MA |
| Reading and Rowley 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 |
$667,300±$52kLowest 19% above MA |
$821,600±$82kHighest 46% 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 |
$1,603±$520 9% below MA |
$884±$721Lowest 50% below MA |
| Reading and Rowley 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 |
$8,309Lowest 39% above MA |
$8,345 39% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.8%±9.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
57.7%±27.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
46.4%±8 MA: 51.8% |
| Rowley 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% |
3.1%Lowest MA: 10% |
3.4%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4% MA: 62.5% |
81.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1962 2 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 6% above MA |
28 minLowest 3% below MA |
42 minHighest 44% above MA |
| Work from home | 30.2%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
11.1%±4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
26.6%±4.7 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 | #214 of 282 in MA | #43 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Reading | Triton | — |
| High school in town | Reading Memorial High | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.1 |
— | — |
| 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.