Compare towns
Roxbury vs Dracut vs Orange
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Roxbury has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Dracut has the most expensive homes ($474k median).
Orange has the most people working from home (20.8%).
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 | Roxbury | Dracut | Orange |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 299Lowest |
32,574Highest |
320 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +10.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 43.2±17.7Highest 11% above U.S. |
41.7±2 7% above U.S. |
41.3±9.1Lowest 6% above U.S. |
| Roxbury and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±11.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.4%±2.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
20.6%±5.6 U.S.: 22% |
| Dracut and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±10.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.2%±2 U.S.: 17.2% |
20%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Orange and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
37.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.4%±15.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.7%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Roxbury and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,226±$14kLowest 14% below U.S. |
$114,036±$10k 41% above U.S. |
$118,750±$39kHighest 47% above U.S. |
| Orange and Dracut are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $323,100±$219k about the U.S. average |
$473,900±$17kHighest 42% above U.S. |
$302,600±$35kLowest 9% below U.S. |
| Dracut and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,839±$130 30% above U.S. |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,787Highest 86% above U.S. |
$5,375 72% above U.S. |
$5,132Lowest 65% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
57.6%±7.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Dracut and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
97.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 21% below U.S. |
30 minHighest 15% above U.S. |
28 min 6% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 0.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.4%±2 U.S.: 15.1% |
20.8%±8.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Orange and Dracut 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 | — | #201 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | — | Dracut | — |
| High school in town | — | Dracut Senior High | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.9 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.