Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Blackstone grades B overall, ranked 153rd of 282 in Massachusetts, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 89% of U.S. towns and the median household earns $94K. It also does better than most on health: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 77% of the country. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $480K for a typical one and 5 times the Worcester metro’s $96K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 7 places on the National Register. Blackstone’s trail density is 2.1 miles per square mile, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 1.8 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Its National Register listings include Southwick-Daniels Farm and East Blackstone Friends Meetinghouse.
Where Blackstone beats most towns.
Census counts: 4,391 in 1850, 9,208 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1790 and 8 maps from 1886 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Blackstone is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Blackstone. Close and well known come first.
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw16 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw30 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
30 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
32 mi Ancient siteHMS EndeavourGillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · HMS Endeavour: Samuel Atkins (c.1760-1810), Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Blackstone, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Blackstone.
Blackstone sends most of its workers to Boston and beyond and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Massachusetts; it also has seen reported crime rise by about half.
On this, Blackstone is against 19% in Massachusetts’ towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. 24 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Quisset Wildlife Management Area, 236 acres with 6.3 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Quisset Wildlife Management Area | 6.3 mi | 236 |
| 2. Quisset Wildlife Conservation Easement | 1.7 mi | 127 |
| 3. Turbesi Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Blackstone-Millville school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Blackstone Millville RHS, with 534 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick W. Hartnett Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–7 | Grades 4–7 | 487 | C |
| Blackstone Millville RHSLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 534 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes rose from 14 to 34 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Blackstone’s property crime rate is 2.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Blackstone | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 72% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar.
19% of Blackstone adults binge drink. Blackstone beats the Massachusetts average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 27% of Blackstone adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Blackstone | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 28% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Blackstone | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.2% | 11.9% |
| More adults with obesity | 32% | 27.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Blackstone has 1,242 jobs for its 5,088 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Blackstone for work: only 6% work in town. The average trip to work in Blackstone is 34 minutes. Jobs based in Blackstone grew to 1,242 in 2023, 165 more than in 2013.
| Blackstone | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $94,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 17% | 18% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.6% | 9.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
65% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.8% across Massachusetts.
The typical Blackstone home is worth about $480,000, up 1.7% in a year, 27% below the Massachusetts typical home.
| Blackstone | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,189 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 79% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Blackstone has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 18° and about 48 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Blackstone.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4 within 15 miles of the center of Blackstone
About 2 of every 100 Blackstone residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Where Blackstone’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
7 places in Blackstone on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 notable people were born in Blackstone.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Blackstone is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,208 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the Providence metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Blackstone.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackstone | #153 | B | C | A | C+ | A− |
| Bellingham | #183 | B− | C | B− | C | A |
| Millville | #132 | B+ | C | A+ | C+ | B+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Blackstone grades B overall, better than 64% of U.S. towns and #153 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A− for health, A for safety and C+ for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
9 notable people were born here, including Ambrose Kennedy and Fernand St Germain.
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