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Massachusetts · 283 graded towns

Towns and cities in Massachusetts

111 of Massachusetts’ 283 graded towns and cities (39%) grade A− or better nationally, against 25% of U.S. towns. Wenham ranks first in the state with an A+; jobs & income (A+) and hazard risk (A+) are its strongest grades; walkability (B+) is its lowest.

Letters are national: the overall grade blends cost of living, safety, schools, health, jobs & income, walkability and hazard risk. How grades work

How Massachusetts compares: report cardBest places to liveBest small townsMost affordable townsSafest townsTowns with the best schoolsHealthiest towns
283
towns of 2,500+ with an overall grade
111
grade A− or better nationally
0
of 2,500+ without enough data for a grade
42
smaller places (1,000–2,499) with subject grades
Towns by letter
A+46A36A−29B+37B35B−30C+21C11C−12D18D−8

All 283 graded towns, by county

Every town of 2,500+ residents with an overall grade, in 15 counties, A to Z inside each. The rank is among 282 Massachusetts towns on the best places to live list. A town that spans counties is listed in the one where most of it lies.

283 graded towns, A to Z.

Sort within each county:
Jump to a county (15)

4 graded

  1. C+Amesbury#214 of 28217,588
  2. C+Easthampton#232 of 28215,851
  3. C+Methuen#227 of 28254,584
  4. C+Watertown#225 of 28235,710

Barnstable County 14 graded

  1. CBarnstable Town#244 of 28250,101
  2. C+Bourne#222 of 28220,772
  3. B+Brewster#136 of 28210,457
  4. B+Chatham#141 of 2826,752
  5. C+Dennis#219 of 28214,906
  6. C+Eastham#213 of 2825,844
  7. B−Falmouth#193 of 28233,361
  8. BHarwich#155 of 28213,635
  9. B−Mashpee#191 of 28215,468
  10. B+Orleans#145 of 2826,524
  11. C−Provincetown#251 of 2823,729
  12. A−Sandwich#100 of 28220,575
  13. BWellfleet#161 of 2823,707
  14. CYarmouth#241 of 28225,225

Berkshire County 11 graded

  1. DAdams#270 of 2827,934
  2. B−Cheshire#196 of 2823,180
  3. BDalton#173 of 2826,157
  4. C+Great Barrington#224 of 2827,239
  5. B+Lanesborough#127 of 2822,999
  6. CLee#237 of 2825,673
  7. BLenox#156 of 2825,059
  8. D−North Adams#279 of 28212,368
  9. DPittsfield#265 of 28242,909
  10. C−Sheffield#248 of 2823,314
  11. A−Williamstown#109 of 2829,186

Bristol County 20 graded

  1. B+Acushnet#142 of 28210,800
  2. C+Attleboro#226 of 28247,447
  3. B+Berkley#114 of 2826,950
  4. B−Dartmouth#184 of 28234,367
  5. BDighton#174 of 2828,348
  6. B+Easton#111 of 28225,795
  7. BFairhaven#181 of 28216,110
  8. D−Fall River#280 of 28295,298
  9. BFreetown#162 of 2829,443
  10. A−Mansfield#96 of 28224,236
  11. D−New Bedford#278 of 282101,834
  12. B+North Attleborough Town#112 of 28231,506
  13. A−Norton#107 of 28219,559
  14. B−Raynham#205 of 28216,579
  15. A−Rehoboth#102 of 28213,567
  16. BSeekonk#160 of 28216,046
  17. BSomerset#151 of 28218,681
  18. BSwansea#152 of 28217,701
  19. DTaunton#262 of 28262,522
  20. B−Westport#198 of 28216,851

Dukes County 4 graded

  1. B−Edgartown#209 of 2825,446
  2. BOak Bluffs#172 of 2825,428
  3. B−Tisbury#197 of 2824,934
  4. B+West Tisbury#143 of 2823,645

Essex County 32 graded

  1. A+Andover#45 of 28237,014
  2. A−Beverly#106 of 28243,363
  3. A+Boxford#3 of 2828,520
  4. B+Danvers#144 of 28229,211
  5. AEssex#67 of 2823,770
  6. AGeorgetown#76 of 2828,577
  7. C+Gloucester#217 of 28230,627
  8. A−Groveland#85 of 2827,102
  9. A+Hamilton#44 of 2827,674
  10. C−Haverhill#249 of 28268,361
  11. AIpswich#59 of 28214,131
  12. D−Lawrence#275 of 28289,320
  13. DLynn#266 of 282104,236
  14. ALynnfield#64 of 28213,274
  15. A+Manchester-by-the-Sea#16 of 2825,475
  16. A+Marblehead#40 of 28220,583
  17. A+Merrimac#46 of 2826,818
  18. AMiddleton#49 of 2829,895
  19. ANahant#81 of 2823,331
  20. B+Newbury#126 of 2826,895
  21. ANewburyport#63 of 28219,148
  22. ANorth Andover#79 of 28232,161
  23. C+Peabody#221 of 28255,953
  24. B+Rockport#118 of 2827,126
  25. B+Rowley#140 of 2826,356
  26. CSalem#234 of 28245,381
  27. B−Salisbury#195 of 2829,530
  28. C+Saugus#233 of 28229,179
  29. A−Swampscott#110 of 28215,183
  30. A+Topsfield#5 of 2826,626
  31. A+Wenham#1 of 2824,952
  32. AWest Newbury#68 of 2824,709

Franklin County 6 graded

  1. B+Deerfield#137 of 2825,147
  2. DGreenfield#274 of 28217,691
  3. DMontague#258 of 2828,377
  4. B−Northfield#201 of 2822,857
  5. DOrange#273 of 2827,569
  6. B−Sunderland#194 of 2823,607

Hampden County 16 graded

  1. CAgawam Town#243 of 28228,783
  2. A−Brimfield#103 of 2823,739
  3. DChicopee#271 of 28255,310
  4. BEast Longmeadow#159 of 28216,581
  5. BHampden#171 of 2824,960
  6. BHolland#178 of 2822,577
  7. D−Holyoke#282 of 28238,023
  8. A−Longmeadow#88 of 28215,688
  9. CLudlow#240 of 28221,279
  10. C−Monson#254 of 2828,175
  11. DPalmer Town#261 of 28212,367
  12. B−Southwick#200 of 2829,305
  13. D−Springfield#281 of 282154,702
  14. DWest Springfield Town#269 of 28228,829
  15. C+Westfield#229 of 28240,546
  16. BWilbraham#167 of 28214,715

Hampshire County 9 graded

  1. A−Amherst TownCollege campus40,920
  2. B+Belchertown#147 of 28215,265
  3. B+Granby#120 of 2825,991
  4. B−Hadley#199 of 2825,213
  5. B+Hatfield#130 of 2823,286
  6. C+Northampton#223 of 28231,047
  7. B+South Hadley#129 of 28217,768
  8. B+Southampton#124 of 2826,085
  9. DWare#267 of 28210,128

Middlesex County 53 graded

  1. A+Acton#20 of 28224,786
  2. A+Arlington#29 of 28246,563
  3. AAshby#60 of 2823,274
  4. AAshland#55 of 28219,177
  5. B+Ayer#123 of 2829,267
  6. A+Bedford#36 of 28214,836
  7. A+Belmont#33 of 28227,118
  8. A−Billerica#89 of 28242,632
  9. A+Boxborough#31 of 2825,508
  10. B+Burlington#131 of 28226,778
  11. B−Cambridge#190 of 282122,588
  12. A+Carlisle#2 of 2825,286
  13. A−Chelmsford#98 of 28238,549
  14. A+Concord#26 of 28218,208
  15. BDracut#170 of 28232,783
  16. A+Dunstable#27 of 2823,486
  17. DEverett#263 of 28253,572
  18. CFramingham#235 of 28273,021
  19. A+Groton#7 of 28211,541
  20. A+Holliston#38 of 28215,206
  21. A+Hopkinton#12 of 28219,866
  22. B+Hudson#138 of 28220,341
  23. A+Lexington#10 of 28234,648
  24. A+Lincoln#35 of 2826,925
  25. A+Littleton#43 of 28210,404
  26. DLowell#260 of 282119,971
  27. CMalden#236 of 28266,370
  28. CMarlborough#242 of 28242,772
  29. BMaynard#158 of 28210,703
  30. BMedford#182 of 28259,834
  31. AMelrose#61 of 28229,597
  32. ANatick#72 of 28236,969
  33. A+Newton#24 of 28290,741
  34. ANorth Reading#51 of 28216,553
  35. A−Pepperell#97 of 28211,762
  36. A+Reading#19 of 28225,803
  37. A+Sherborn#17 of 2824,455
  38. A−Shirley#105 of 2827,189
  39. B−Somerville#204 of 28284,211
  40. A−Stoneham#84 of 28224,253
  41. A+Stow#30 of 2827,248
  42. A+Sudbury#4 of 28219,643
  43. BTewksbury#157 of 28231,901
  44. B+Townsend#119 of 2829,143
  45. C+Tyngsborough#220 of 28212,721
  46. AWakefield#66 of 28229,234
  47. B−Waltham#187 of 28265,037
  48. A+Wayland#6 of 28213,913
  49. A+Westford#37 of 28224,853
  50. A+Weston#22 of 28211,729
  51. A−Wilmington#108 of 28223,629
  52. A+Winchester#13 of 28223,710
  53. BWoburn#177 of 28243,962

Nantucket County 1 graded

  1. B−Nantucket#202 of 28214,758

Norfolk County 28 graded

  1. B−Avon#192 of 2824,861
  2. B−Bellingham#183 of 28218,032
  3. B+Braintree Town#134 of 28238,957
  4. ABrookline#50 of 28263,414
  5. A−Canton#94 of 28225,165
  6. ACohasset#54 of 2828,461
  7. BDedham#150 of 28225,731
  8. A+Dover#41 of 2826,026
  9. A−Foxborough#99 of 28218,934
  10. A+Franklin Town#34 of 28233,955
  11. BHolbrook#165 of 28211,401
  12. A+Medfield#15 of 28213,248
  13. A+Medway#23 of 28213,804
  14. AMillis#56 of 2829,463
  15. A+Milton#25 of 28228,537
  16. A+Needham#28 of 28232,897
  17. A+Norfolk#32 of 28212,096
  18. B+Norwood#115 of 28231,714
  19. BPlainville#179 of 28210,175
  20. B−Quincy#211 of 282103,173
  21. CRandolph Town#239 of 28234,948
  22. A+Sharon#8 of 28218,798
  23. B−Stoughton#206 of 28229,845
  24. AWalpole#71 of 28226,237
  25. A+Wellesley#14 of 28231,239
  26. AWestwood#58 of 28216,426
  27. B−Weymouth Town#186 of 28259,759
  28. A−Wrentham#104 of 28212,453

Plymouth County 27 graded

  1. B−Abington#189 of 28217,142
  2. A−Bridgewater Town#101 of 28229,309
  3. DBrockton#272 of 282106,134
  4. C+Carver#231 of 28211,981
  5. A+Duxbury#39 of 28216,498
  6. B+East Bridgewater#122 of 28214,602
  7. A−Halifax#93 of 2827,845
  8. A−Hanover#90 of 28214,971
  9. B+Hanson#133 of 28210,927
  10. AHingham#52 of 28224,481
  11. BHull#163 of 28210,266
  12. A−Kingston#92 of 28214,548
  13. A−Lakeville#91 of 28212,430
  14. AMarion#80 of 2825,366
  15. AMarshfield#74 of 28226,826
  16. AMattapoisett#65 of 2826,831
  17. C+Middleborough#218 of 28225,149
  18. ANorwell#57 of 28211,546
  19. APembroke#70 of 28218,492
  20. BPlymouth#180 of 28267,846
  21. B+Plympton#128 of 2822,985
  22. B+Rochester#121 of 2825,956
  23. B+Rockland#139 of 28217,949
  24. A+Scituate#21 of 28219,662
  25. C−Wareham#247 of 28223,689
  26. B−West Bridgewater#185 of 2827,872
  27. BWhitman#176 of 28215,526

Suffolk County 4 graded

  1. C−Boston#252 of 282672,973
  2. D−Chelsea#277 of 28240,130
  3. C−Revere#255 of 28260,141
  4. B+Winthrop Town#135 of 28218,647

Worcester County 54 graded

  1. BAshburnham#154 of 2826,554
  2. DAthol#257 of 28212,129
  3. BAuburn#168 of 28217,566
  4. C+Barre#230 of 2825,641
  5. ABerlin#78 of 2823,486
  6. BBlackstone#153 of 2829,416
  7. ABolton#53 of 2826,477
  8. A−Boylston#95 of 2825,104
  9. C+Brookfield#216 of 2823,516
  10. B+Charlton#125 of 28213,685
  11. BClinton#164 of 28215,718
  12. B+Douglas#116 of 2829,545
  13. BDudley#175 of 28211,972
  14. DFitchburg#264 of 28242,136
  15. C−Gardner#250 of 28221,483
  16. AGrafton#62 of 28221,043
  17. C+Hardwick#228 of 2822,736
  18. A+Harvard#11 of 2827,014
  19. A−Holden#87 of 28220,526
  20. B+Hopedale#113 of 2826,066
  21. B+Hubbardston#117 of 2824,460
  22. A−Lancaster#86 of 2829,161
  23. B−Leicester#203 of 28211,428
  24. C−Leominster#246 of 28244,194
  25. BLunenburg#169 of 28212,043
  26. BMendon#149 of 2826,479
  27. C−Milford#245 of 28230,832
  28. B−Millbury#207 of 28214,276
  29. B+Millville#132 of 2823,186
  30. C−North Brookfield#253 of 2824,793
  31. ANorthborough#47 of 28216,080
  32. B−Northbridge#188 of 28216,799
  33. B−Oxford#208 of 28213,514
  34. A+Paxton#42 of 2825,046
  35. A+Princeton#18 of 2823,618
  36. ARutland#77 of 2829,776
  37. AShrewsbury#48 of 28239,627
  38. A+Southborough#9 of 28210,559
  39. D−Southbridge Town#276 of 28218,105
  40. B−Spencer#212 of 28212,173
  41. ASterling#75 of 2828,358
  42. B+Sturbridge#146 of 28210,120
  43. ASutton#73 of 2829,662
  44. B−Templeton#210 of 2828,553
  45. AUpton#82 of 2828,560
  46. BUxbridge#148 of 28214,783
  47. CWarren#238 of 2825,122
  48. DWebster#268 of 28217,835
  49. AWest Boylston#69 of 2827,923
  50. C+West Brookfield#215 of 2823,947
  51. A−Westborough#83 of 28222,894
  52. BWestminster#166 of 2828,807
  53. C−Winchendon#256 of 28210,620
  54. DWorcester#259 of 282213,862
Also in Massachusetts

Not on the ranked list

College campuses

Graded like every town, but left off the best-places lists: more than half the residents are college students (ACS), so its figures mostly describe student life. They appear on the subject lists with a “College campus” label.

Not graded

Every Massachusetts town of 2,500+ residents has an overall grade.

Smaller places 42 with 1,000–2,499 residents

These have subject grades (safety, schools, health and the rest) but no overall grade or rank: the overall starts at 2,500 residents.

Go deeper

Lists in Massachusetts

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Massachusetts rankings →
Best places to live282 towns · #1 WenhamBest small towns98 towns · #1 WenhamMost affordable towns282 towns · #1 CarlisleSafest towns276 towns · #1 GrovelandTowns with the best schools283 towns · #1 Carlisle and SouthboroughHealthiest towns279 towns · #1 SherbornBest towns for jobs & income283 towns · #1 Lincoln and WestonMost walkable towns283 towns · #1 CambridgeTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk283 towns · #1 AvonBest towns for the outdoors283 towns · #1 Provincetown and WellfleetMost historic towns283 towns · #1 NewburyportTowns with the most civic life283 towns · #1 Oak BluffsTowns with the least snow281 towns · #1 Barnstable TownDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns281 towns · #1 AdamsDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters324 towns · #1 NantucketDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers324 towns · #1 Agawam Town and WestfieldDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers324 towns · #1 NantucketDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes283 towns · #1 Carlisle and 4 moreDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes246 towns · #1 DennisDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns284 towns · #1 WilliamstownDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries263 towns · #1 ProvincetownDescribed, no letters