What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sutton has the most affordable homes ($523k median).

Ipswich has the most expensive homes ($745k 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.

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

Measure	Sutton	Ipswich
People
Population	9,452Lowest	13,930Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.4%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+4.6%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	44.3±2.5Lowest 11% above MA	47.2±3.5Highest 18% above MA
	Ipswich and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.6%±3.3Highest MA: 19.4%	18.9%±2.7Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Sutton and Ipswich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.8%±3.2Lowest MA: 17.9%	21.9%±2.4Highest MA: 17.9%
	Ipswich and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	52.8%Lowest MA: 47.3%	60.2%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.9%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9%	4.1%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9%
	Ipswich and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$147,125±$25kHighest 42% above MA	$138,750±$16kLowest 33% above MA
	Sutton and Ipswich are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$523,100±$47kLowest 7% below MA	$745,400±$40kHighest 33% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,190±$401Lowest 32% below MA	$1,598±$90Highest 9% below MA
	Ipswich and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,763Lowest 13% above MA	$7,960Highest 33% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	47.5%±24.4Lowest MA: 51.8%	51.5%±12.2Highest MA: 51.8%
	Ipswich and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.8%Highest MA: 10%	5.7%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.7%Highest MA: 62.5%	74.4%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA	1964Lowest same as MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest about the MA average	29 minLowest about the MA average
Work from home	22.7%±4.1Highest MA: 18.6%	18.9%±3.8Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Sutton and Ipswich 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	#101 of 282 in MA
School district	Sutton	Ipswich
High school in town	Sutton High School	Ipswich High
Students per teacherat that high school	12.6Highest	9.0Lowest
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.