Almost everybody says they love children, but that tunes changes when topics like development and schools come into play. Almost every new development is scrutinized closely by cities and towns concerned about expanding their school populations and neighbors worried about noise.
Below is a chart comparing the percentage of households with kids under 18 in communities in Boston and across the region. The statewide average is 28.3 percent, and Melrose comes in at just about that average—28.4 percent.
That’s almost identical to Wakefield, but higher than Saugus, Stoneham, Medford and Malden. Nearby towns with the highest percentage of households with kids under 18 include Lynnfield, Reading and Chelsea, all around 35 percent.
The numbers were provided by the 2010 U.S. Census, except for the Boston neighborhood breakdowns, which were determined using the City of Boston’s myNeighborhood Viewer tool, and represent approximations for each community.