Signals
Dedham
Wakefield
Climate
63 · Bottom 30%
vs63 · Bottom 27%
Physical resilience
92 · Top 9%
vs88 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 40%
vs75 · Bottom 42%
Schools
71 · Top 25%
vs75 · Top 20%
Access
98 · Top 21%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
79 · Top 9%
vs79 · Top 9%
Measured values
| Metric | Dedham | Wakefield | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,237 | 27,793 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $128,955 | $134,306 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $69,824 | $67,454 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,457/sq mi | 3,759/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $661,800 | $723,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,042 | $1,958 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 73.4% | 70.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55.0% | 59.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.6% | 4.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 86°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.9" | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.9 min | 35.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.6 | 42.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.42 | 11.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 38.3% | 40.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 50.4% | 54.0% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Dedham
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding.
Wakefield
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Dedham, MA · Wakefield, MA · How this is calculated: methodology