What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sutton has the most homeowners (89.7%).

Boston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.4%).

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	Sutton	Boston
People
Population	9,452Lowest	666,442Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.4%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+9.4%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	44.3±2.5Highest 11% above MA	33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA
Kids under 18	19.6%±3.3Highest MA: 19.4%	15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	18.8%±3.2Highest MA: 17.9%	13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	52.8%Lowest MA: 47.3%	54.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.9%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9%	15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$147,125±$25kHighest 42% above MA	$97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$523,100±$47kLowest 7% below MA	$731,700±$10kHighest 30% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,190±$401Lowest 32% below MA	$2,147±$25Highest 22% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,763Highest 13% above MA	$4,456Lowest 26% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	47.5%±24.4Lowest MA: 51.8%	51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8%
	Boston and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.8%Lowest MA: 10%	16.6%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.7%Highest MA: 62.5%	35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA	1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minLowest about the MA average	30 minHighest 4% above MA
Work from home	22.7%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6%	21.3%±0.5Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Sutton 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	#105 of 282 in MA	#258 of 282 in MA
School district	Sutton	Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston
High school in town	Sutton High School	Boston Latin School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.6Lowest	18.7Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.