Compare towns
Scituate vs Newbury vs Northborough
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Scituate has the most people working from home (28%).
Newbury has the shortest commute (24 min average).
Northborough has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.2%).
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 | Scituate | Newbury | Northborough |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,365Highest |
6,777Lowest |
15,750 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.1% MA: +7.4% |
+0.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+11.2%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.1±3.1 18% above MA |
55.1±4.8Highest 38% above MA |
45±3Lowest 13% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±2.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
17.1%±3.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21.6%±2.8 MA: 19.4% |
| Scituate and Northborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.2%±2.5 MA: 17.9% |
26.5%±5.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
17.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Newbury and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 66.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
60.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
65.5% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.2%±2.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.1%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
| Newbury and Northborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $136,732±$16kLowest 32% above MA |
$174,868±$59kHighest 68% above MA |
$153,199±$19k 47% above MA |
| Newbury and Northborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $847,600±$25kHighest 51% above MA |
$840,600±$40k 50% above MA |
$620,000±$24kLowest 10% above MA |
| Scituate and Newbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,609±$311Lowest 9% below MA |
$1,806±$1k about the MA average |
$1,919±$269Highest 9% above MA |
| Northborough and Newbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,807Highest 47% above MA |
$6,661Lowest 11% above MA |
$7,983 33% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.7%±10.3 MA: 51.8% |
53%±26.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
50.1%±16.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Newbury and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
4.4%Highest MA: 10% |
3.7% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
85.8% MA: 62.5% |
83.1%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1963 1 yr older than MA |
1980Highest 16 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 38 minHighest 31% above MA |
24 minLowest 18% below MA |
31 min 7% above MA |
| Work from home | 28%±4Highest MA: 18.6% |
21.5%±6Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.5%±5.3 MA: 18.6% |
| Scituate and Northborough 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 | #43 of 282 in MA | #137 of 282 in MA | #35 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Scituate | Triton | Northborough · Northboro-Southboro |
| High school in town | Scituate High School | Triton Regional High School | Algonquin Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
10.6Lowest |
10.8 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.