Compare towns
Walpole vs Dudley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Walpole has the most people working from home (28.2%).
Dudley has the most affordable homes ($393k 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.
| Measure | Walpole | Dudley |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 26,388Highest |
11,929Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+4.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 40.9±1.2Highest about the MA average |
40.2±2.4Lowest about the MA average |
| Walpole and Dudley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 25.1%±2.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
20.6%±3.3Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Walpole and Dudley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Age 65+ | 16.9%±1.7 MA: 17.9% |
16.9%±3 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 67.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
24.1%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
13.1%±2Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $171,500±$16kHighest 65% above MA |
$84,604±$12kLowest 19% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $687,100±$20kHighest 22% above MA |
$392,600±$19kLowest 30% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,205±$222Highest 25% above MA |
$1,217±$182Lowest 31% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,523Highest 42% above MA |
$3,691Lowest 38% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.8%±9.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
47.4%±4.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Dudley and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 3.6%Lowest MA: 10% |
6.4%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.5%Highest MA: 62.5% |
73.1%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Highest 13 yrs newer than MA |
1967Lowest 3 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 15% above MA |
27 minLowest 6% below MA |
| Work from home | 28.2%±4.3Highest MA: 18.6% |
9.1%±2.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #107 of 282 in MA | #142 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Norfolk County Agricultural · Walpole | Dudley-Charlton Reg |
| High school in town | Walpole High | Shepherd Hill Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Lowest |
14.3Highest |
| 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.