What stands out worked out from the figures below

Rupert has the most affordable homes ($363k median).

Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Rupert	Dover
People
Population	676Lowest	5,930Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	57.8±9.7Highest 49% above U.S.	44.9±2.3Lowest 15% above U.S.
Kids under 18	13.9%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22%	26%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	42.3%±8.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	30.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	84.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.1%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	7.2%±2.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Dover and Rupert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$88,229±$36kLowest 9% above U.S.	$250,001Highest 210% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$362,500±$63kLowest 9% above U.S.	$1,340,300±$117kHighest 303% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$2,917±$2k 106% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,594Lowest 47% above U.S.	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	20%±100 U.S.: 51.1%	20%±100 U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	93.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	97.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S.	1970Highest 10 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minLowest about the U.S. average	35 minHighest 31% above U.S.
Work from home	18.6%±9.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	34.2%±6.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#1 of 282 in MA
School district	—	Dover · Dover-Sherborn
High school in town	—	Dover-Sherborn Regional High
Students per teacherat that high school	—	9.8
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.