What stands out worked out from the figures below

Wakefield has the most homeowners (70.7%).

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	Wakefield	Boston
People
Population	27,793Lowest	666,442Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8.7%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+9.4%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.4±1.7Highest 6% above MA	33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA
Kids under 18	20%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4%	15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	19%±1.9Highest MA: 17.9%	13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	59.7%Highest MA: 47.3%	54.9%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 7.9%	15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$134,306±$14kHighest 29% above MA	$97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$723,500±$24kLowest 29% above MA	$731,700±$10kHighest 30% above MA
	Boston and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,958±$102Lowest 11% above MA	$2,147±$25Highest 22% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,779Highest 30% above MA	$4,456Lowest 26% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	43.7%±7.9Lowest MA: 51.8%	51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8%
	Boston and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.9%Lowest MA: 10%	16.6%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	70.7%Highest MA: 62.5%	35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1956Highest 8 yrs older than MA	1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	33 minHighest 14% above MA	30 minLowest 4% above MA
Work from home	24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6%	21.3%±0.5Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Wakefield 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	#179 of 282 in MA	#258 of 282 in MA
School district	Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield	Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston
High school in town	Northeast Metro Regional Vocational	Boston Latin School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.7Lowest	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.