Compare towns
Roxbury vs Methuen vs Sullivan
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).
Methuen has the most people working from home (12.2%).
Sullivan has the most affordable homes ($237k median).
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 | Methuen | Sullivan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 299Lowest |
53,475Highest |
687 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | — | -2.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 43.2±17.7 11% above U.S. |
39.9±1.7Lowest about the U.S. average |
46.6±6.5Highest 20% above U.S. |
| Sullivan and Roxbury 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% |
21.3%±1.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±5 U.S.: 22% |
| Methuen and Sullivan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±10.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.5%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Sullivan and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
31%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
28.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.4%±15.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.7%±1 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±2.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Roxbury and Methuen 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. |
$113,310±$7kHighest 40% above U.S. |
$106,667±$20k 32% above U.S. |
| Methuen and Sullivan 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 |
$499,700±$17kHighest 50% above U.S. |
$236,500±$29kLowest 29% below U.S. |
| Methuen and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,749±$91Highest 24% above U.S. |
$1,225±$275Lowest 13% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,787Highest 86% above U.S. |
$5,061Lowest 62% above U.S. |
$5,099 63% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.4%±6.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40%±84.5 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Methuen and Sullivan 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% |
7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1968Lowest 12 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 21% below U.S. |
28 min 5% above U.S. |
32 minHighest 22% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 0.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.2%±2.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
4.2%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #236 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | — | Methuen | — |
| High school in town | — | Methuen High | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.