What stands out worked out from the figures below

Wakefield has the most people working from home (24.6%).

Woburn has the shortest commute (25 min average).

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	Woburn
People
Population	27,793Lowest	41,939Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8.7%Highest MA: +7.4%	+7.2%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.4±1.7Highest 6% above MA	39.3±1.6Lowest about the MA average
	Wakefield and Woburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4%	17.9%±1.7Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Wakefield and Woburn 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%	15.7%±1.5Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Wakefield and Woburn 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%	46.5%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 7.9%	5.1%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9%
	Woburn and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$134,306±$14kHighest 29% above MA	$111,185±$9kLowest 7% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$723,500±$24kHighest 29% above MA	$673,500±$17kLowest 20% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,958±$102Lowest 11% above MA	$2,221±$77Highest 26% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,779Highest 30% above MA	$5,354Lowest 11% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	43.7%±7.9Lowest MA: 51.8%	55.5%±7.5Highest MA: 51.8%
	Woburn 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%	7.9%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	70.7%Highest MA: 62.5%	55.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1956Lowest 8 yrs older than MA	1968Highest 4 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	33 minHighest 14% above MA	25 minLowest 13% below MA
Work from home	24.6%±3.1Highest MA: 18.6%	16%±2.6Lowest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#179 of 282 in MA	#169 of 282 in MA
School district	Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield	Woburn
High school in town	Northeast Metro Regional Vocational	Woburn High
Students per teacherat that high school	10.7Lowest	11.2Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.