Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Dudley grades B overall, 175th among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 81% of U.S. towns and it has 9 miles of trail. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $85K. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $461K, 4.8 years of the Worcester metro’s $96K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 5 places on the National Register. Dudley’s trail density is 0.4 miles per square mile, below the Massachusetts town median (1.8) and near the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Dudley is home to Nichols College.
Where Dudley beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,114 in 1790, 11,921 in 2020. The archive holds 15 old photos and papers going back to 1803 and 8 maps from 1889 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Dudley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dudley. Close and well known come first.
Big draw5 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
33 mi National Historic SiteSpringfield Armory National Historic Site14K visitors a year
28 mi LakeQuabbin Reservoir
35 mi Theme parkSix Flags New England
9 mi MuseumOld Sturbridge VillageLake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Springfield Armory National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Quabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0 · Six Flags New England: Canadaolympic989, Public domain · Old Sturbridge Village: Wgmleslie at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dudley, 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 Dudley.
Dudley reports less crime than Oxford or any other graded neighbor, has better schools than Oxford or any other neighbor and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Massachusetts.
Its A− tops all 3 graded towns on its borders; Oxford (B+) comes closest.
At 2 per 1,000 residents, Dudley’s property crime rate is against 4.9 in Massachusetts’ towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns.
| Dudley | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its C+ is the best School Grade on its borders; Oxford (C−) is next.
Its public schools are run by the Dudley-Charlton Regional school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Shepherd Hill Regional High, with 942 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 540 | C+ |
| Shepherd Hill Regional HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 942 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Dudley for work: only 8% work in town. 9.1% of workers work from home in Dudley. The top destinations are Worcester (16%), Webster (8%) and Boston (5%).
| Dudley | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 9.1% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Dudley home is worth about $461,000, up 2.2% in a year, 30% below the Massachusetts typical home. Dudley’s median rent is $1,217 a month.
| Dudley | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,217 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 47% | 53% | 48% |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
9.1 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. Pierpont Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, at 194 acres with 1.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pierpont Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary | 1.7 mi | 194 |
| 2. Slater Woods | 0.8 mi | 76 |
| 3. Hiland Park | 0.7 mi | 53 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Dudley has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Dudley is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dudley.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 85% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar.
Dudley beats the Massachusetts average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 27% of Dudley adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Dudley | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 33% |
| What stands out | Dudley | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 13.7% | 11.3% |
| More adults with obesity | 33.4% | 27.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 6.9% | 5.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3 within 15 miles of the center of Dudley
About 13 of every 100 Dudley residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
5 places in Dudley on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Dudley.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Dudley is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,921 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Dudley.
It grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Oxford (B−) comes closest.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dudley | #175 | B | C | A− | C+ | B |
| Webster | #268 | D | C | C | D | C+ |
| Southbridge Town | #276 | D− | C | C+ | D− | C− |
| Oxford | #208 | B− | C+ | B+ | C− | B |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Dudley grades B overall, better than 58% of U.S. towns and #175 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades B for health, A− for safety and C+ for schools.
8 notable people were born here, including Chris Lindstrom and Nora Perry.
