Compare towns
Salisbury vs Andover
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Salisbury has the most affordable homes ($479k median).
Andover has the highest household income ($173k).
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 | Salisbury | Andover |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 9,281Lowest |
36,652Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.5%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+10.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 51.3±3.5Highest 28% above MA |
42.9±1Lowest 7% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 13.1%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23.6%±1.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 25.5%±3.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
16%±1.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
75.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±1.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
8.1%±0.8Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $93,361±$6kLowest 10% below MA |
$172,606±$16kHighest 66% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $478,700±$27kLowest 15% below MA |
$855,600±$22kHighest 52% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,691±$411Lowest 4% below MA |
$2,201±$129Highest 25% above MA |
| Andover and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,604Lowest 23% below MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 61.9%±11.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
39.7%±7.7Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 5%Highest MA: 10% |
2.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
79.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Highest 16 yrs newer than MA |
1973Lowest 9 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minLowest 5% below MA |
29 minHighest about the MA average |
| Work from home | 19.8%±5.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
30.4%±2.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #240 of 282 in MA | #68 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Triton | Andover · Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | None in town | Gr Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
| 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.