Compare towns
Scituate vs Upton vs Scituate vs Marshfield
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%).
Upton has the most affordable homes ($577k median).
Scituate has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.1%).
Marshfield has the most renters (19.2% rent).
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 | Upton | Scituate | Marshfield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 19,365 |
8,189 |
5,796Lowest |
25,879Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.1% MA: +7.4% |
+6.1% MA: +7.4% |
+7.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+2.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.1±3.1 18% above MA |
46.4±4.8 16% above MA |
51.7±3.8Highest 29% above MA |
45.9±2.6Lowest 15% above MA |
| Scituate and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
22.1%±4.8 MA: 19.4% |
19.6%±2.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Upton and Scituate 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% |
20.7%±4.9 MA: 17.9% |
27.3%±5Highest MA: 17.9% |
20.2%±2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Scituate 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% |
53.5% MA: 47.3% |
64.7% MA: 47.3% |
52.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
3.1%±1.5 MA: 7.9% |
4%±1.1 MA: 7.9% |
| Scituate and Marshfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $136,732±$16k 32% above MA |
$155,508±$33kHighest 50% above MA |
$124,549±$27kLowest 20% above MA |
$125,986±$8k 21% above MA |
| Upton and Scituate 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 |
$576,700±$41kLowest about the MA average |
$821,600±$82k 46% above MA |
$680,300±$27k 21% above MA |
| Scituate and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,609±$311 9% below MA |
$948±$599 46% below MA |
$884±$721Lowest 50% below MA |
$1,772±$123Highest about the MA average |
| Marshfield and Scituate 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 |
$8,376 40% above MA |
$8,345 39% above MA |
$6,656Lowest 11% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.7%±10.3 MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31 MA: 51.8% |
46.4%±8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
68.1%±10.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Marshfield and Upton 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% |
3.2% MA: 10% |
3.4% MA: 10% |
8.7%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
86.7% MA: 62.5% |
83% MA: 62.5% |
80.8%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1962 2 yrs older than MA |
1968 4 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 38 min 31% above MA |
35 min 22% above MA |
42 minHighest 44% above MA |
35 minLowest 19% above MA |
| Work from home | 28%±4Highest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
26.6%±4.7 MA: 18.6% |
24.8%±4.3 MA: 18.6% |
| Scituate and Scituate 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 | #46 of 282 in MA | #43 of 282 in MA | #54 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Scituate | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | — | Marshfield |
| High school in town | Scituate High School | Blackstone Valley | — | Marshfield High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
11.2 |
— | 11.0Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.