What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sullivan has the most affordable homes ($222k median).

Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).

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	Sullivan	Dedham
People
Population	1,246Lowest	1,656Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.4%Highest ME: +2.6%	-2%Lowest ME: +2.6%
Median age	47.1±15Highest 5% above ME	46.5±2.2Lowest 4% above ME
	Sullivan and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18%±5.2Lowest ME: 18.1%	23.8%±3.6Highest ME: 18.1%
	Dedham and Sullivan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.5%±2.9Highest ME: 22.4%	18.7%±2.9Lowest ME: 22.4%
	Sullivan and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	26%Lowest ME: 36.2%	49.5%Highest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±4Highest ME: 5.8%	3.3%±1.7Lowest ME: 5.8%
	Sullivan and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$59,643±$14kLowest 20% below ME	$111,442±$18kHighest 49% above ME
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$222,000±$33kLowest 25% below ME	$356,400±$33kHighest 20% above ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$883±$114Lowest 22% below ME	$1,422±$607Highest 25% above ME
	Dedham and Sullivan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,228Lowest 27% below ME	$3,942Highest 30% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	34.9%±23.6Highest ME: 48.4%	13%±85.3Lowest ME: 48.4%
	Sullivan and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.6%Highest ME: 10.7%	9%Lowest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	85.2%Lowest ME: 74.3%	95.5%Highest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Lowest 4 yrs newer than ME	1983Highest 6 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 7% above ME	30 minHighest 22% above ME
Work from home	12.6%±7.9Highest ME: 15.9%	9.3%±4.3Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Sullivan and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	RSU 24	Dedham Public Schools
High school in town	Sumner Memorial High School	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	10.5	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

ME 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.