Massachusetts is a great place to raise a family, but some towns seem to be especially suited to settling down.
Niche has just released their latest rankings of family-friendly towns and cities in Massachusetts, Their research took a plethora of factors into account such as crime rates, cost of living, education statistics, access to libraries, grocery stores and much more. Read more about their methodology here.
You might be surprised (in a good way!) at some of the top places.
Carlisle is a small town with a suburban feel. There’s a strong sense of community and plenty of local businesses. Carlisle earned great scores for safety and public schools, making it a great place to settle down with a family.
Belmont has a population of about 25,000 and is a suburb of Boston. The town earned top marks for safety and health, as well as being recognized for its stellar public schools. Living in Belmont will allow you to experience the rural feel of a smaller town out west while still having access to the T.
Southborough is a charming town with great local schools. The neighborhoods are safe for families and there’s great access to outdoor activities and good jobs. You won’t get much bang for your buck in terms of housing, but the trade-off is a beautiful town and a great commute to the city.
This small town of just about 5,100 people is pretty quiet (it earned a C+ rating for nightlife, but it’s the perfect spot to raise a family due to its low crime rate, great schools and access to larger cities like Boston and Worcester.
With just about 6,800 residents, Cochituate is a quiet and safe place to raise a family. Housing quality and price is good for the area and there is hardly any violent crime to speak of. With a median rent of just $741, this is an affordable spot to settle.
Even though Wayland has a median home value of $611,100, the median cost to rent is just $747. This makes gaining access to Wayland’s amazing public schools and jobs much more affordable. The town itself is pretty and clean, and there are always new local events to check out.
With a population of about 29,000, Wellesley is one of the larger towns on this list. Still, it has a small town feel and great public schools. Job quality is also high in this area, which compensates for the rather high cost of living.
Hopkinton has a suburban feel and a population of about 16,000. For a smaller town, it earned a respectable B+ score for nightlife and aced other categories like health, schools and crime. The beautiful town common frequently hosts family-friendly events and markets.
Weston has a reputation for being a swanky spot to live, and there’s definitely truth to that. Though it has a population of just about 11,800, the median home value here is a whopping $1.1 million. However, the median rent is just $1,253. If you decide to settle here, you’ll be getting amazing schools, great access to outdoor activities and a stellar commute in return.
Cordaville is a tiny town of just about 2,500 residents, but it’s a great spot to settle down. Niche ranked it as the number one spot to buy a house in Massachusetts in 2017 and there is so little crime that the researchers were unable to give it a "crime and safety" grade.
Sharon is a suburb of Boston with a population of roughly 18,000. Home values are high, the public schools are among the best in the state and the commuting time to the city is very reasonable. It was ranked as the number two best place to live in Massachusetts by Niche in 2017.
Sudbury is one of the prettiest areas in Greater Boston and boasts plenty of lush, open spaces for families to frolic. It has a population of about 18,300 and received A scores in categories like public schools, crime and safety and jobs.
The number one town in Massachusetts to raise a family (according to Niche) is Lexington. This suburb of Boston has one of the top-ranked school systems in the country and is considered the birthplace of the American Revolution. With a population of 32,700, this town also earned a C- score for cost of living but aced almost every other category.
If you need further convincing that Massachusetts is a great place to settle down, check out this list of 13 reasons why the Bay State is the best and everyone should move here.
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