Compare towns
Wakefield vs Dighton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).
Dighton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.3%).
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.
| Measure | Wakefield | Dighton |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 27,793Highest |
8,193Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+14.3%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.4±1.7Lowest 6% above MA |
42.7±2.9Highest 7% above MA |
| Dighton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 20%±2.2Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21%±4Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Dighton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 19%±1.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
17.5%±3.5Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Wakefield and Dighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 59.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
35.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±0.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.2%±2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Wakefield and Dighton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $134,306±$14kLowest 29% above MA |
$136,646±$19kHighest 31% above MA |
| Dighton and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $723,500±$24kHighest 29% above MA |
$501,900±$47kLowest 11% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,958±$102Highest 11% above MA |
$1,405±$192Lowest 20% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,779Highest 30% above MA |
$6,452Lowest 8% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.7%±7.9Highest MA: 51.8% |
11.8%±16.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 4.9%Highest MA: 10% |
2.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 70.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
90.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 14% above MA |
31 minLowest 6% above MA |
| Work from home | 24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
11%±3.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #179 of 282 in MA | #85 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield | Bristol County Agricultural · Dighton-Rehoboth |
| High school in town | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational | Bristol County Agricultural High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.7Lowest |
11.9Highest |
| 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.
