The Town FilesDover, Massachusetts
Town in Norfolk County · population 5,923 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,340,300
- Household income
- $250,001
- Jan low / Jul high
- 18° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 46 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 44.9
Dover is a town of 5,923 people in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. The median home is worth $1,340,300, above the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). It ranks better for families than 100% of Massachusetts towns, more upscale than 100% of Massachusetts towns, more of a college town than 87% of Massachusetts towns.
How Dover ranks
Percentile among Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Massachusetts towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Dover is worth $1,340,300, above the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). Homes cost about 5.4 times the median household income of $250,001, which is more affordable than 29% of Massachusetts towns. Median rent is $2,917 a month. 97.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Dover | Typical Massachusetts town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,340,300 | $510,150 |
| Median rent | $2,917 | $1,561 |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $108,622 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.4× | 4.5× |
| Homeownership | 97.9% | 80.7% |
| Median year built | 1970 | 1968 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Dover
| People | Dover | Typical Massachusetts town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.9 | 44.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.7% | 20.7% |
| Under 18 | 26.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 84.8% | 45.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.7% | 6.3% |
| Veterans | 2.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 16.3% | — |
| Work from home | 34.2% | 17.7% |
| Average commute | 34.6 min | 30.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.8% | 93.9% |
Weather in Dover
July highs average 81.8°F and January lows 17.5°F. About 47.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 45.7 inches of snow (typical Massachusetts town: 49.5 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 143 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Dover since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Massachusetts town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on November 21, 1956 about 7.6 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 6 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on October 7, 2020.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 25 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 28, 2020.
Severe weather in Norfolk County since 1996
Norfolk County has been included in 38 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 15, 2023 | Hurricane | EM-3599: Hurricane Lee |
| April 18, 2022 | Snowstorm | DR-4651: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| March 27, 2020 | Biological | DR-4496: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3438: Covid-19 |
| July 19, 2018 | Snowstorm | DR-4379: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
Jobs and pay in Norfolk County
Norfolk County had 346,327 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $84,497 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Dover itself the ACS puts it at 8.2%.
Public schools in Dover
3 public schools with 1,602 students, about 11.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover-Sherborn Regional High | 9-12 | 648 | 11.4 |
| Chickering | PK-5 | 497 | 11.3 |
| Dover-Sherborn Regional Middle School | 6-8 | 457 | 10.2 |
Towns near Dover
- Medfield, MA3.3 mi · 6,939 people · home $815,300
- Medfield, MA3.5 mi · 12,799 people · home $911,100
- Westwood, MA3.9 mi · 16,266 people · home $1,041,500
- Needham, MA4.1 mi · 32,091 people · home $1,188,500
- Sherborn, MA4.2 mi · 4,401 people · home $1,026,800
- Natick, MA4.6 mi · 37,006 people · home $821,000
- Wellesley, MA5.0 mi · 29,550 people · home $1,582,700
- Millis-Clicquot, MA5.5 mi · 4,499 people · home $545,600
Dover questions
Is Dover, Massachusetts a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Dover scores better for retirees than 71% of Massachusetts towns and quieter than 36%. 16.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.9).
How much does a house cost in Dover?
The median owner-occupied home in Dover is valued at $1,340,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $250,001, so homes cost about 5.4 times income. Median rent is $2,917 a month.
What is the weather like in Dover?
July highs average 81.8°F and January lows 17.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.3 inches of precipitation a year and 45.7 inches of snow.
Does Dover get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Dover since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on November 21, 1956. The typical Massachusetts town has had 8.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)