Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Grafton grades A overall, 62nd among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns. It has 44 miles of trail. It reports less crime per resident than 91% of U.S. towns and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 89% of the country. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $608K for a typical one and 6.3 times the Worcester metro’s $96K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 8 places on the National Register. Grafton’s trail density is 1.9 miles per square mile, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 1.8 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Its National Register listings include Grafton Inn and Willard House and Clock Museum.
Where Grafton beats most towns.
Census counts: 872 in 1790, 19,664 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1887 and 8 maps from 1886 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Grafton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Grafton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw31 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
23 mi LakeWalden Pond
34 mi AttractionFreedom TrailLake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Grafton, 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 Grafton.
Grafton pairs an A overall with homes cheaper than the Massachusetts norm, sees little violent crime and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Massachusetts.
Violent crime is rare: 18 reported in 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 residents.
At 1.2 per 1,000 residents, Grafton’s property crime rate is below both the Massachusetts town median (4.9) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9).
| Grafton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Grafton school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millbury Street Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 2–6 | Grades 2–6 | 585 | B+ |
| Grafton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 914 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Within Massachusetts it is healthier than 59% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar. Against the 4,389 U.S. towns with household incomes like Grafton’s, it is healthier than 69%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
19% of adults binge drink in Grafton. Grafton beats the Massachusetts average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 8.7% of adults have diabetes in Grafton.
| Grafton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 9.3% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Grafton | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.5% | 5.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.4% | 11.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
45 miles of trail in 42 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Hassenamesett Woods, 176 acres with 1.2 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hennessy Land | 1.8 mi | 161 |
| 2. Blackstone River Park | 1.4 mi | 63 |
| 3. Blithewood Purchase | 1.4 mi | 55 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Grafton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Grafton for work: only 8% work in town. The median household income in Grafton is $131,000. Jobs based in Grafton grew to 4,498 in 2023, 626 more than in 2013.
| Grafton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 22% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $131,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Grafton has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 17° and about 48 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 19% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 44% of residents (39% statewide). 56% of Grafton adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Grafton has grown 7% since 2020, to 21,043 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Grafton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 56% | 47% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 41.1 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.1 points. Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 42.2, men 39.4.
| Grafton | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.5% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.7% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.2% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.7% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.9% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.3% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.4% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.6% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 33.7% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 22% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Grafton grades A overall with a typical home of about $608K, below the Massachusetts typical value; only 21 of the 109 Massachusetts towns graded A− or better can say that.
The typical Grafton home is worth about $608,000, up 2.4% in a year, 7% below the Massachusetts typical home. Grafton’s median rent is $1,504 a month.
| Grafton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,504 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
9 within 15 miles of the center of Grafton
About 6 of every 100 Grafton residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
17,765 counted in 2010 and 19,664 in 2020; an estimated 21,043 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 7% since 2020, after 10.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
8 places in Grafton on the National Register of Historic Places.
22 notable people were born in Grafton.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Grafton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,664 at the 2020 census. The town consists of the North Grafton, Grafton, and South Grafton geographic areas, each with a separate ZIP Code. Incorporated in 1735, the town is home to a Nipmuc village known as Hassanamisco Reservation, the Willard House and Clock Museum, Community Harvest Project, and the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Grafton.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grafton | #62 | A | C− | A | B+ | A |
| Upton | #82 | A | C | A | B | A |
| Westborough | #83 | A− | D− | B | A | A+ |
| Shrewsbury | #48 | A | D | A− | A | A+ |
| Sutton | #73 | A | C+ | A− | B | A |
| Northbridge | #188 | B− | C | A− | C | B+ |
| Millbury | #207 | B− | D | C+ | C+ | A− |
| Worcester | #259 | D | C− | — | C− | C+ |
Worcester reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Grafton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Grafton grades A overall, better than 91% of U.S. towns and #62 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A for health, A for safety and B+ 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−.
22 notable people were born here, including John Adams Whipple and Albert Arthur Allen.
