North Reading today - the good and the bad (Andover: condo, home)

[sal1181]

North Andover’s median household income is slightly higher than Newburyport.
Newburyport has the best downtown in the area and the fact that it’s a coastal city brings in tourist. I’m not a fan though of having a small yard like most of the homes in NBPT has.

[mwj119]

Originally Posted by sal1181

North Andover’s median household income is slightly higher than Newburyport.
Newburyport has the best downtown in the area and the fact that it’s a coastal city brings in tourist. I’m not a fan though of having a small yard like most of the homes in NBPT has.

According to the census, they’re both identical.

But the median home value in Newburyport is at $800k right now, a good bit higher than North Andover. Can’t even imagine what the median single family is right now, as Newburyport has so quite a bit of apartments and condos as a %. That, and a material percentage of the town is summer homes.

The reality is, a family living in a SFH year around in Newburyport, has to be very well off in 2021.

[sal1181]

Originally Posted by mwj119

According to the census, they’re both identical.

But the median home value in Newburyport is at $800k right now, a good bit higher than North Andover. Can’t even imagine what the median single family is right now, as Newburyport has so quite a bit of apartments and condos as a %. That, and a material percentage of the town is summer homes.

The reality is, a family living in a SFH year around in Newburyport, has to be very well off in 2021.

I went by what City Data has for 2019 Median household income. Median sales price for single family homes sold from June-August in North Andover was $813k. City data is also showing a higher median household income for Middleton than Newburyport.

[mwj119]

Originally Posted by sal1181

I went by what City Data has for 2019 Median household income. Median sales price for single family homes sold from June-August in North Andover was $813k. City data is also showing a higher median household income for Middleton than Newburyport.

Why use anything other than the census?

[sal1181]

Originally Posted by mwj119

Why use anything other than the census?

The census is using 2015-2019 average data
Incomes have went up since 2015 and so has home values

[Remy11]

Originally Posted by johngolf

Anyone calling Andover and North Andover "The Andovers" is from North Andover........LOL

I honestly didn’t grow up there don’t live there now, but my home and auto insurance agency is there and I enjoy The Loft! I had never heard of “The Andovers” either, but a relative who previously lived in Andover mentioned it when I asked her about this topic.

[Remy11]

Originally Posted by sal1181

The census is using 2015-2019 average data
Incomes have went up since 2015 and so has home values

Sal, sorry if my list seemed like it excluded North Andover, but I definitely would include it. Not sure if you read through the thread but there was some back and forth about it, so I pulled it out and wrote my own comments about it.

A friend who grew up right outside of Boston was looking to move her family north as it was time for her three kids to go to school. The towns she specifically asked me about were Boxford, Georgetown, Newburyport, Andover, and North Andover. We also have family friends who could afford any town in the area and specifically chose to build in NA. NA is definitely highly desirable and has cachet.

[Remy11]

Originally Posted by mwj119

Though I grew up west/northwest of the city, this would have been my list. Obviously in the case of Magnolia and Beverly Farms, these are affluent enclaves in rather "normal" towns.

In fear of sounding like a classist, smug jerk, a town with 51% of residents that have a bachelor's degree, and median income of $128k is not generally going to be considered posh or considered top tier in Massachusetts. Quite frankly, even Reading is not known that way, and it has 65% of the population with at least a bachelor's degree and a slightly higher income level.

I understand that well located towns in Eastern Mass, especially those that can be gotten at a decent price, will all see steady rises in educational attainment and median income. But North Reading is far from the exception in that way.

While I think North Reading is a "step up" from Wilmington, the median income levels are the same. I'd put it in the same league, along with a town like Wakefield. But that's just me.

Mwj119,

Thank you!

I kind of debated adding Newburyport because I heard from people (including my parents) that it was a very different place in the seventies. So, although it’s extremely ritzy and desirable now, it hasn’t been consistently high-end like Andover or Marblehead. However, I thought about the exact things you mentioned in your comments and decided to include it. Plus, as someone mentioned it has what most would consider the best downtown in the area.

[massnative71]

I've only been there once or twice, but am surprised to here all this talk about Newburyport being wealthy. I always thought of it as having a mix (like a small "city")? And prior to reading this thread, I would have guessed North Reading to be overall more affluent.

[Remy11]

Originally Posted by massnative71

I've only been there once or twice, but am surprised to here all this talk about Newburyport being wealthy. I always thought of it as having a mix (like a small "city")? And prior to reading this thread, I would have guessed North Reading to be overall more affluent.

Massnative,
Take a look at the prices on realtor.com and tell me if you still consider it a “mix”.