Dover vs Sherborn
marks the Massachusetts median on each scale. The better of the two is picked out where the gap is big enough to call; where neither is, they are level.
Dover and Sherborn share the Dover-Sherborn district from grade 6 up, but each runs its own elementary schools — which is why their MCAS figures differ despite the shared name. The early years are the part that is genuinely different.
Choose Dover if the commute matters most.
All Dover numbers →Choose Sherborn if you want the lower price.
All Sherborn numbers →Side by side
Some rows have no better. Town character describes a place rather than ranking it, and per-pupil spending tracks need rather than results, so neither is picked out.
SchoolsDover ahead on 2 of 10
| Dover | Sherborn | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | top schoolsT1 | top schoolsT1 |
| MCAS achievement | 95th | 93rd |
| Student growth | 52nd | 55th |
| Graduation rate | 98.1% | 98.1% |
| Niche district rank | 5th of 236 | 5th of 236 |
| SchoolDigger rank | 6th of 361 | 31st of 361 |
| State accountability | Meeting or exceeding targets | Substantial progress toward targets |
| Spending per pupil | $26,166 | $26,166 |
| Schools in the district | 2 | 2 |
| Private schools within 12 mi | 37 | 29 |
What a home costsSherborn ahead on 5 of 6
| Dover | Sherborn | |
|---|---|---|
| 4BR house | $2MT4 | $1.5MT4 |
| 3BR townhouse | $1.3M | $1.05M |
| 2BR condo | $960k | $775k |
| 3BR rent | $3,937/mo | $3,360/mo |
| Income needed for the 4BR | $527k | $416k |
| 10-year price growth | 5.1% a year | 5.1% a year |
What you pay the townDover ahead on 1 of 4
| Dover | Sherborn | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax rate | $12.00T2 | $15.50T4 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$24,000 | ≈$23,300 |
| Town spending per resident | $7,357 | $7,714 |
| Share of budget on schools | 57% | 58% |
Getting to workDover ahead on 1 of 3
| Dover | Sherborn | |
|---|---|---|
| Commute to Boston | 44 minT2 | 47 minT3 |
| MBTA rail | No MBTA rail | No MBTA rail |
| Miles from downtown | 15 mi | 17 mi |
Before kindergartenDover ahead on 2 of 4
| Dover | Sherborn | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed child care programs | 4 | 4 |
| Child care places | 152 | 61 |
| Centers vs family programs | 4 centers | 2 centers |
| Infant places in centers | 9 | 0 |
What the place is likeDescribes the two, does not rank them
| Dover | Sherborn | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,923 | 4,401 |
| Energy | 2/10 | 2/10 |
| Compact center | 2/10 | 2/10 |
| Family amenities | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Culture | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Gathering places | 4/10 | 4/10 |
The tax bill is each town’s own rate on its own median 4BR, so a lower rate does not always mean a lower bill. School tiers are editorial, shown beside the state’s own MCAS figures rather than derived from them.
Prices calibrated to Zillow ZHVI and Redfin · FY2026 residential tax rates · rail leg from the MBTA timetable, drive modeled · rents are HUD FY2026 Small Area FMRs · reviewed · methodology. Never uses demographics as an input.
