What stands out worked out from the figures below

Wilmington has the most homeowners (88.1%).

Boston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.4%).

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	Wilmington	Boston
People
Population	23,336Lowest	666,442Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.6%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+9.4%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	42.3±2.2Highest 6% above MA	33.3±0.2Lowest 17% below MA
Kids under 18	23.1%±2.7Highest MA: 19.4%	15.1%±0.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	15.6%±1.8Highest MA: 17.9%	13%±0.3Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	50.4%Lowest MA: 47.3%	54.9%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.1%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9%	15%±0.3Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$168,152±$19kHighest 62% above MA	$97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$680,500±$19kLowest 21% above MA	$731,700±$10kHighest 30% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,394±$328Highest 36% above MA	$2,147±$25Lowest 22% above MA
	Wilmington and Boston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,704Highest 29% above MA	$4,456Lowest 26% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	60.9%±2Highest MA: 51.8%	51.2%±1.2Lowest MA: 51.8%
Below poverty line	3.8%Lowest MA: 10%	16.6%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.1%Highest MA: 62.5%	35.7%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Highest 15 yrs newer than MA	1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 min 4% above MA	30 min 4% above MA
Work from home	19.7%±2.3Lowest MA: 18.6%	21.3%±0.5Highest MA: 18.6%
	Boston and Wilmington 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	#73 of 282 in MA	#258 of 282 in MA
School district	Wilmington	Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston
High school in town	Wilmington High	Boston Latin School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.1Lowest	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.