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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

Canton, MA
Real Estate & Demographic Data






Canton profile


Living in Canton



Canton is a medium-sized town located in the state of Massachusetts. With a population of 24,609 people and six associated neighborhoods, Canton is the 82nd largest community in Massachusetts.

Housing costs in Canton are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Massachusetts.

Also of interest is that Canton has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

A relatively large number of people in Canton telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 19.66% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Because of many things, Canton is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Canton a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Canton has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Canton’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

One downside of living in Canton is that it can take a long time to commute to work. In Canton, the average commute to work is 34.84 minutes, which is quite a bit higher than the national average. On the other hand, local public transit is widely used in the town, so leaving the car at home and taking transit is often a viable alternative.

Although the majority of commuting trips in the town are by private automobile, Canton is somewhat unusual for a town of its size for having a substantial number of people who use public transportation. For a lot of people, the train helps to get to and from their jobs every morning, which benefits everyone in the Canton area by reducing both traffic and air pollution.

If knowledge is power, Canton is a pretty powerful place. 61.91% of the adults in Canton have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in Canton in 2018 was $71,858, which is wealthy relative to Massachusetts and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $287,432 for a family of four.

Canton is a very ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Canton home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Canton residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Canton include Irish, Italian, English, German, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in Canton is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and French.