Compare towns
Scituate vs Wellfleet vs Duxbury
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%).
Wellfleet has grown the fastest since 2010 (+29.7%).
Duxbury has the highest household income ($177k).
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 | Wellfleet | Duxbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 19,365Highest |
4,404Lowest |
16,185 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+29.7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+6.8% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 47.1±3.1Lowest 18% above MA |
58.4±4.1Highest 46% above MA |
47.6±2.3 19% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±2.3 MA: 19.4% |
14.4%±5.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
22.5%±2.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Duxbury and Scituate are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.2%±2.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
35.3%±5.8Highest MA: 17.9% |
24.5%±3.5 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 66.8% MA: 47.3% |
64.6%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
70.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.1%±1.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
3%±2.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
| Scituate and Duxbury 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 |
$117,938±$27kLowest 13% above MA |
$176,583±$29kHighest 70% above MA |
| Duxbury 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±$25kLowest 51% above MA |
$855,300±$70k 52% above MA |
$874,600±$35kHighest 56% above MA |
| Duxbury and Wellfleet are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,609±$311Highest 9% below MA |
$1,563±$597Lowest 11% below MA |
$1,591±$2k 10% below MA |
| Scituate and Duxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,807 47% above MA |
$4,862Lowest 19% below MA |
$9,518Highest 59% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.7%±10.3 MA: 51.8% |
28.6%±23.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
57.8%±31.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Duxbury 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% |
9.2%Highest MA: 10% |
5.1% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.8% MA: 62.5% |
85.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
91.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1960Lowest 4 yrs older than MA |
1975 11 yrs newer than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 38 minHighest 31% above MA |
35 min 19% above MA |
33 minLowest 13% above MA |
| Work from home | 28%±4Highest MA: 18.6% |
20.7%±7.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
25.1%±3.8 MA: 18.6% |
| Scituate and Duxbury 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 | — | #32 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Scituate | Wellfleet | Duxbury |
| High school in town | Scituate High School | None in town | Duxbury High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
— | 9.9Lowest |
| 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.