Because it does well by almost any measure. Duxbury earns an A+, ranked 39th of 282 in Massachusetts. Residents are healthier than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, the median household earns $177K, and crime is low: it reports less per resident than 86% of U.S. towns. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $1.1 million for a typical one and 9.6 times the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 91% of U.S. towns, with 15 places on the National Register. Duxbury’s median household income is $177,000, above both Massachusetts’ towns ($120,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Its National Register listings include Sampson-White Joiner Shop and Capt. Gershom Bradford House. Duxbury is more walkable than 80% of U.S. towns.

StrongestA⁺Outdoors A⁺Health AJobs & incomeWeakestDCost of living

What makes Duxbury stand out

Where Duxbury beats most towns.

Alden, John and Priscilla, Family Sites

HistoryA

Settled in 1624

A history going back 402 years.

Alden, John and Priscilla, Family Sites · National Register of Historic Places

Duxbury’s story

402 years in pictures

Alden, John and Priscilla, Family Sites is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1624, comes before those of 98% of the Massachusetts towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 1,457 in 1790, a low of 1,457 in 1790, 16,090 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1638 and 7 maps from 1885 on.

15 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1624Duxbury is settled

Explore the history →

How Duxbury grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Duxbury is from typical.

How grading works

HealthBeth Israel Deaconess Hospital Plymouth 7.6 miles awayA⁺Open →Jobs & incomeAOpen →SafetyAOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →SchoolsA⁻Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 3.9% of households have no car; 5.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA⁻Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 35% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors18% conserved landA⁺Open →History17 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life8.1 library visits per resident; 6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA⁻Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Housing market22 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 47.6; 71% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Fenway Park and 180 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Duxbury. Close and well known come first.

All 255 attractions →

Big draw29 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park

Big draw29 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium

Big draw29 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum

33 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts

8 mi MuseumPlimoth Patuxet

28 mi AttractionFreedom Trail

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · Plimoth Patuxet: Tr!sie, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting set up

Moving to Duxbury: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Duxbury, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerEversource21.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterDuxbury Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Duxbury’s trash rules yet

SchoolsDuxbury School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Massachusetts you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereDuxbury Town ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023

ZIP code0233202332 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Duxbury.

Duxbury has less food insecurity than most of Massachusetts and has better schools than Marshfield or any other neighbor, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Massachusetts.

HousingCost of living grade D

Duxbury earns a D for cost of living

At 9.6 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income, the typical home (about $1.11M) costs more against local pay than in 90% of Massachusetts towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. Its typical home is the priciest on its borders; Marshfield is next at $796K.

Typical home values rose 5.2% in the year to September 2026.

$1.11MZillow home value

Typical home value

Duxbury$1.11M

Massachusetts$655K

Market temperature

days on market

99.8%

sale-to-list price

+5.2%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Full pageDuxbury’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 5.2% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 6.3 years of income Rents$1,591 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of 3 of its 4 graded neighbors

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

SchoolsA⁻

Duxbury’s public schools outperform 84% of Massachusetts districts

Its A− is the best School Grade on its borders; Marshfield (B+) is next. Its A− for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.11M.

Its public schools are run by the Duxbury school district. Three of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Duxbury High, with 808 students.

84%of MA districts it outscoresA⁻School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Chandler ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2	Grades PK–2	665	–
Duxbury HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	808	A⁺
Duxbury MiddleTop results in townGrades 6–8	Grades 6–8	599	A⁻

Full pageDuxbury’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsDuxbury Vs. the neighborsAhead of all 4 graded neighbors Every school5 schools · Duxbury High Questions“Are Duxbury’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation

HealthA⁺

Duxbury earns an A+ for health

Its widest gap with Massachusetts is food insecurity: 6.1% of its 12,173 adults worry about having enough food, against 12.4% statewide. Against the 1,476 U.S. towns with household incomes like Duxbury’s, it is healthier than 71%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.

29% of Duxbury adults sleep under 7 hours. Duxbury beats the Massachusetts average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 8% of Duxbury adults smoke cigarettes.

97%healthier than U.S. townsA⁺Health Grade

	Duxbury	Massachusetts towns	U.S. towns
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	29%	33%	36%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	8%	11%	14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	14%	16%	17%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)	16%	19%	25%

32 measures vs. Massachusetts

17 better13 too close to call2 worse

What stands out	Duxbury	MA
Fewer adults facing food insecurity	6.1%	12.4%
Fewer uninsured adults	2.6%	5.2%
More adults who have had cancer	11.5%	8.5%

Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Plymouth

7.6 mi away · emergency room

None

primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

82nd

percentile among MA towns

Full pageDuxbury’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsFewer smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby7.6 miles to an ER · Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Plymouth How adults are doingFewer adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than MA on 17 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

SafetyA

Duxbury earns an A for safety

Violent crime is rare: 17 reported in 2025, 1 per 1,000 residents.

Duxbury’s property crime rate is 3 per 1,000 residents.

86%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade

	Duxbury	Massachusetts towns	U.S. towns
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	3 per 1,000 residents	4.9	9.9
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	1 per 1,000 residents	1.5	1.6

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Duxbury1

Massachusetts3

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Duxbury3

Massachusetts10.4

U.S.15.5

86th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

78th

percentile among MA towns

violent crimes reported in 2025

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageDuxbury’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type1 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsSteady since 2023 Vs. the neighborsAhead of 2 of its 4 graded neighbors Questions“Is Duxbury, MA safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

Work & commuteJobs & income grade A

With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Duxbury’s workers commute out

Jobs based here grew from 1,835 in 2013 to 2,981.

Most working residents leave Duxbury for work: only 11% work in town. 25% of workers work from home in Duxbury. Since 2013, Duxbury has added 1,146 jobs, to 2,981 in 2023.

11%work in town

	Duxbury	Massachusetts towns	U.S. towns
Work from home	25%	18%	11%
Average trip to work	33 minutes	30 minutes	25 minutes
Below the poverty line	5.1%	6%	9.6%
Working residents who work in town	11%	9.8%	8%

Where working residents work

In Duxbury11%

Boston15%

Plymouth6%

Quincy3%

Hingham3%

22 mi

median commute distance

2,981

jobs based in Duxbury

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

A−

Walkability grade: more walkable than 80% of U.S. towns

Full pageDuxbury’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here2,981 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work11% work in Duxbury Commute times33 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 22 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

OutdoorsA⁺

17.7% of Duxbury is conserved land

55 miles of trail in 55 parks and preserves. The trail density in Duxbury is 1.5 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is North Hill Marsh Recreational Area, 456 acres with 11 miles of trail.

#176for trails in MA

17.7%

conserved · 4,238 of 23,921 acres

55 mi

of trails · 1.5 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. North Hill Marsh Recreational Area	11 mi	456
2. Waiting Hill Preserve	4.9 mi	146
3. North Hill Marsh Sanctuary	3.2 mi	66

Full pageDuxbury’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map55 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk11 miles of trail · North Hill Marsh Recreational Area Conserved land17.7% conserved · 4,238 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Duxbury?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Climate

Duxbury has four seasons and pleasant summers

Duxbury has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 22° and about 38 inches of snow falls in a winter.

38″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter24–41°

Spring39–57°

Summer61–79°

Fall46–63°

Nov 1

typical first frost

Apr 15

typical last frost

+2.0°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageDuxbury’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 82°, January lows 22°Rain & snow38″ of snow a winter · 51 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+2.0° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B

Duxbury faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

396 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 66 properties have flooded more than once.

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 396 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Duxbury.

35risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingCoastal floodingHurricanes

396

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageDuxbury’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesLow risk Flood claims396 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters11 federal disasters · Paid out in Duxbury Get ready2.3 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Duxbury

20pages on Duxbury

The big questions

SchoolsA⁻Beat 84% of MA districts · 5 schools SafetyA1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA⁺Better than MA on 17 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingD$1.11M typical home · up 5.2% in a year Work & commuteA$177K median household income · 2,981 jobs here Natural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 35% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsA⁺55 mi of trails · 18% conserved land PlacesAttractions255 nearby · King Caesar House under 1 mi LibraryA⁻8.1 library visits per resident CollegesBridgewater State University is 14.3 mi away

The story

HistoryASettled 1624 · 15 on the National Register Famous people17 born in Duxbury Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 23 residents Climate82° summer highs · 38″ of snow

Day to day

News2 recent stories about Duxbury WeatherHandbookZIP code 02331, 02332 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

2 within 15 miles of the center of Duxbury

Bridgewater State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bridgewater14.3 mi$11,808 in-state tuition Massasoit Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Brockton14.7 mi$5,376 in-state tuition

About 4 of every 100 Duxbury residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

By the sea

Duxbury lives by the ocean

Coastal flooding makes up 38% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.

38%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding

99thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally

396paid flood-insurance claims since 1978

9storm & flood disasters paid out here

On the water

North Hill Marsh Recreational Area Directions ↗
North Hill Marsh Sanctuary
Duxbury Beach Reservation Directions ↗
Common Island

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap

Landmarks

15 places in Duxbury on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Alden, John and Priscilla, Family SitesNational Historic Landmark

Capt. Gershom Bradford HouseBuilt 1807

Capt. Gamaliel Bradford HouseBuilt 1807

King Caesar House

Famous people from Duxbury

17 notable people were born in Duxbury.

See all 17 →

Peleg WadsworthContinental Army officer; Congressman from Massachusetts · 1748–1829

Stet HowlandAmerican drummer · born 1960

Peter ChandlerAmerican soccer player-coach · born 1953

Amie VaranoAmerican-Italian ice hockey player · born 1994

Mark MurphyAmerican ice hockey player · born 1976

George PartridgeAmerican politician · 1740–1828

About Duxbury

Town in Massachusetts, United States

Official town website ↗

Duxbury (alternative older spellings: "Duxborough" and "Duxboro") is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb located on the South Shore approximately 35 miles (56 km) to the southeast of Boston, the population was 16,090 at the 2020 census. The town contains the census-designated places (CDPs) of Duxbury, Green Harbor, and South Duxbury.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1624
Area: 38 sq mi
Elevation: 36 ft
ZIP code: 02331, 02332

Duxbury’s neighbors

7 towns share a border with Duxbury.

Explore the map →

It grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Pembroke (A) comes closest.

How the neighbors grade

Town	MA rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Duxbury	#39	A⁺	D	A	A⁻	A⁺
Pembroke	#70	A	D	A	B⁺	A
Plymouth	#180	B	D	B⁻	B⁻	A⁻
Kingston	#92	A⁻	C	B⁺	B	A
Marshfield	#74	A	D	A	B⁺	A
North Plymouth	—	—	—	—	—	—
South Duxbury	—	—	—	—	—	—
Green Harbor	—	—	—	—	—	—

North Plymouth, South Duxbury and Green Harbor aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Duxbury with a neighbor →

Questions about Duxbury

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Duxbury, MA a good place to live?

Yes, by almost any measure. Duxbury grades A+ overall, better than 96% of U.S. towns and #39 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A+ for health, A for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.

Is Duxbury, MA expensive?

Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.

What is Duxbury, MA known for?

17 notable people were born here, including Peleg Wadsworth and Stet Howland.

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Why does Duxbury grade so well?