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Town comparison · Massachusetts

Dunstable vs Pepperell

MetroWest · MetroWest
Pepperell leads 4–2 on headline livability metrics

Across the six headline livability metrics (schools, safety, walkability, biking, affordability, and commute), Pepperell edges Dunstable 4 to 2. Median homes in Pepperell run roughly $230k cheaper than in Dunstable, about 28% less. Dunstable is about 10 minutes closer to Boston by car at peak. Schools tilt clearly toward Dunstable (80 vs. 68).

The two towns at a glance

Dunstable

MetroWest · pop. 3,450
Dunstable is the least populous town in Middlesex County, pure rural, high-income, zero amenities. Household incomes near $200K and home prices near $800K in the middle of nowhere.
54
Default fit score
equal weights, 0–100
Full Dunstable profile →

Pepperell

MetroWest · pop. 11,700
Pepperell is mill-town Massachusetts at the northern 495 fringe, affordable, riverfront, and part of the North Middlesex Regional school district that serves Townsend and Ayer.
49
Default fit score
equal weights, 0–100
Full Pepperell profile →

Head-to-head: every metric

Dunstable Pepperell
Headline
Livability index 49 47
Economics
Median home $815k $585k
Household income $208k $124k
Price ÷ income 3.9× 4.7×
Tax burden 50 46
Schools & Safety
Schools 80 68
Safety 94 78
Getting around
Commute to Boston 55 min 65 min
Walkability 10 25
Transit 5 22
Biking 15 20
Lifestyle
Dining 15 30
Nightlife 8 18
Arts & culture 12 18
Green space 62 48
Community
Diversity 12 18
Climate 72 72
5-yr trend 58 58

Clay = wins this metric. Direction matters: lower median home and shorter commute are better; everything else, higher is better.

Compare on your terms

These winners are based on a neutral, equal weighting of every metric. Your priorities are not neutral. Open Dunstable vs Pepperell in the interactive atlas to tune schools, walkability, affordability, commute, and seven more dimensions, and watch the verdict change.

Stuck between Dunstable and Pepperell?

I'm Gary Fikes, a licensed real estate agent at MP Signature Realty and the curator of this site. I've walked both towns. Tell me what matters most and I'll give you a straight answer within 1 business day. No auto-dialer, no spam, no resale.

About this comparison

Bay State Atlas ranks 194 Massachusetts towns using public data (Census ACS, MA DESE schools, Walk Score, MA Department of Revenue tax data, and the FBI UCR safety index) normalized to 0–100. Every weight is editable. This page is a static, indexable snapshot. The live tool is faster and lets you customize what counts.