Compare towns
Scituate vs Wakefield vs Cohasset
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%).
Wakefield has the most renters (29.3% rent).
Cohasset has the most expensive homes ($1319k 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 | Scituate | Wakefield | Cohasset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,365 |
27,793Highest |
8,427Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+8.7% MA: +7.4% |
+11.1%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.1±3.1Highest 18% above MA |
42.4±1.7Lowest 6% above MA |
43.9±4.4 10% above MA |
| Scituate and Cohasset 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% |
20%±2.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
27.2%±4.1Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Cohasset and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.2%±2.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
19%±1.9 MA: 17.9% |
17.8%±2.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Scituate and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 66.8% MA: 47.3% |
59.7%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
76.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6 MA: 7.9% |
4.4%±0.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.8%±1.7Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Wakefield and Scituate 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 |
$134,306±$14kLowest 29% above MA |
$199,306±$53kHighest 92% above MA |
| Cohasset 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±$25k 51% above MA |
$723,500±$24kLowest 29% above MA |
$1,318,900±$165kHighest 135% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,609±$311Lowest 9% below MA |
$1,958±$102 11% above MA |
$2,755±$399Highest 56% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,807 47% above MA |
$7,779Lowest 30% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.7%±10.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
43.7%±7.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.6%±15.5 MA: 51.8% |
| Scituate and Cohasset 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% |
4.9%Highest MA: 10% |
3% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
83% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960 4 yrs older than MA |
1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
1968Highest 4 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 38 minHighest 31% above MA |
33 minLowest 14% above MA |
37 min 28% above MA |
| Work from home | 28%±4Highest MA: 18.6% |
24.6%±3.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
25.7%±5.3 MA: 18.6% |
| Scituate and Cohasset 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 | #179 of 282 in MA | #41 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Scituate | — | Cohasset |
| High school in town | Scituate High School | — | Cohasset High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
— | 9.0Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.