What stands out worked out from the figures below

Stoneham has the most homeowners (71%).

Boston has the most renters (64.3% 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Stoneham	Boston
People
Population	23,355Lowest	666,442Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8.4%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+9.4%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.2±2.2Highest 6% above MA	33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA
Kids under 18	20.8%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4%	15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	20.4%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9%	13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	55.9%Highest MA: 47.3%	54.9%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.7%±1.4Lowest MA: 7.9%	15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$113,964±$10kHighest 10% above MA	$97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$671,900±$26kLowest 20% above MA	$731,700±$10kHighest 30% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,035±$142Lowest 15% above MA	$2,147±$25Highest 22% above MA
	Boston and Stoneham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,523Highest 9% above MA	$4,456Lowest 26% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	41.9%±8.2Lowest MA: 51.8%	51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8%
	Boston and Stoneham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.4%Lowest MA: 10%	16.6%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	71%Highest MA: 62.5%	35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1964Highest same as MA	1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 4% below MA	30 minHighest 4% above MA
Work from home	24.6%±3.6Highest MA: 18.6%	21.3%±0.5Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Stoneham and Boston 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	#117 of 282 in MA	#258 of 282 in MA
School district	Stoneham	Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston
High school in town	Stoneham High	Boston Latin School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.7Lowest	18.7Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.