Compare towns
Reading vs Scituate 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 highest household income ($166k).
Scituate has the most homeowners (87.8%).
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 | Northborough |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 25,612Highest |
19,365 |
15,750Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+5.1% 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 |
45±3 13% above MA |
| Scituate and Northborough 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% |
22.2%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
21.6%±2.8Lowest 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%±2.3 MA: 17.9% |
22.2%±2.5Highest 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% |
65.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±0.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
4.1%±1.6 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 |
$153,199±$19k 47% above MA |
| Reading and Northborough 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 |
$620,000±$24kLowest 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±$311Lowest 9% 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 |
$7,983Lowest 33% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.8%±9.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.7%±10.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
50.1%±16.3 MA: 51.8% |
| Scituate and Northborough 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% |
3.7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
87.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
83.1% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1980Highest 16 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minLowest 6% above MA |
38 minHighest 31% above MA |
31 min 7% above MA |
| Work from home | 30.2%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
28%±4 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 | #35 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Reading | Scituate | Northborough · Northboro-Southboro |
| High school in town | Reading Memorial High | Scituate High School | Algonquin Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.1Highest |
11.3 |
10.8Lowest |
| 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.