Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Clinton grades B overall, 164th among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns. It reports less crime per resident than 98% of U.S. towns. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $452K for a typical one and 4.7 times the Worcester metro’s $96K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 10 places on the National Register. On hazard risk, just 15 of Massachusetts’ 325 towns do better. Clinton’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, below the Massachusetts town median (1.8) but above the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Its National Register listings include Wachusett Dam Historic District and Bigelow Carpet Mill.
Where Clinton beats most towns.
Bigelow Carpet Mill
Census counts: 3,113 in 1850, 15,428 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1842 and 8 maps from 1887 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Clinton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Clinton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw27 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
18 mi LakeWalden Pond
Big draw31 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
33 mi AttractionFreedom TrailFenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clinton, 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 Clinton.
Clinton reports less crime than Berlin or any other graded neighbor, costs less than Lancaster or any other town next door and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Massachusetts.
Its A+ tops all 5 graded towns on its borders; Berlin (A) comes closest. Violent crime is rare: 6 reported in 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 residents.
At 0.4 per 1,000 residents, Clinton’s property crime rate is below both Massachusetts’ towns (4.9) and U.S. towns (9.9).
| Clinton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Each of its 5 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C, Lancaster highest at A−.
Its public schools are run by the Clinton school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Clinton Senior High, with 582 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 870 | C |
| Clinton Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 582 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 24 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clinton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Clinton for work: only 12% work in town. Jobs based in Clinton fell to 3,713 in 2023, 426 fewer than in 2013. The median household income in Clinton is $90,000.
| Clinton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $90,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 14% | 18% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 9.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its typical home is the least expensive on its borders; Lancaster is next at $580K.
55% of households own their home in Clinton. The typical Clinton home is worth about $452,000, up 0.8% in a year, 31% below the Massachusetts typical home. Clinton’s median rent is $1,402 a month.
| Clinton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,402 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
10 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Wachusett Reservoir Watershed, 1,202 acres with 1.7 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rauscher Farm | 2.7 mi | 59 |
| 2. Wachusett Reservoir Watershed | 1.7 mi | 1,202 |
| 3. Clinton Bluff Natural Heritage Area | — | 47 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Clinton has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 16° and about 73 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 83% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar. All 5 graded neighbors score healthier than its B, from Boylston (A) to Bolton (A+).
Clinton beats the Massachusetts average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 19% of Clinton adults binge drink.
| Clinton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 33% | 33% |
| What stands out | Clinton | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with obesity | 33.6% | 27.7% |
| More adults with depression | 26.9% | 23.8% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 18.3% | 16.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
9 within 15 miles of the center of Clinton
About 7 of every 100 Clinton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Massachusetts.
13,606 counted in 2010 and 15,428 in 2020; an estimated 15,718 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
10 places in Clinton on the National Register of Historic Places.
26 notable people were born in Clinton.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Clinton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,428 at the 2020 census. It contains the census-designated place of the same name.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Clinton.
All 5 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its B; Boylston (A−) is closest. Berlin next door grades higher for schools (A− to Clinton’s C) and lower for cost of living (D− to C−).
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Clinton grades B overall, better than 61% of U.S. towns and #164 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades B for health, A+ for safety and C for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
26 notable people were born here, including Agnes Moorehead and Clarence Brown.
