Compare towns
Rochester vs Dover
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Rochester has the most affordable homes ($599k median).
Dover has the most people working from home (37.4%).
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 | Rochester | Dover |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 5,837Highest |
2,308Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+8.3%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±6Lowest 16% above MA |
47.5±4Highest 19% above MA |
| Dover and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 20.1%±4.6Lowest MA: 19.4% |
20.9%±4.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Dover and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 20.1%±4.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.5%±3.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Rochester and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
83.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
9.4%±4.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Dover and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $120,273±$12kLowest 16% above MA |
$250,001Highest 140% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $599,100±$31kLowest 7% above MA |
$1,308,300±$149kHighest 133% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,432±$743 19% below MA |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,530Lowest 9% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.1%±10.2Lowest MA: 51.8% |
100%±100Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Dover and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 5.4%Highest MA: 10% |
3.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 88.1%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
97.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984Highest 20 yrs newer than MA |
1967Lowest 3 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minLowest 25% above MA |
37 minHighest 26% above MA |
| Work from home | 8.3%±3.7Lowest MA: 18.6% |
37.4%±8.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #104 of 282 in MA | #1 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical · Rochester | — |
| High school in town | Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.