Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Holden grades A− overall, ranked 87th of 282 in Massachusetts. It has 66 miles of trail and 44% conserved land. Residents are healthier than 93% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and crime is low: it reports less per resident than 92% of U.S. towns. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $556K for a typical one and 5.8 times the Worcester metro’s $96K median household income. 44% of the land in Holden is conserved, against 19% in Massachusetts’ towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. On walkability, just 28 of Massachusetts’ 325 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Holden Center Historic District and Rogers House.
Where Holden beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,077 in 1790, 19,905 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1790 and 7 maps from 1885 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 Holden is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Holden. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw39 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
27 mi LakeWalden Pond
22 mi LakeQuabbin ReservoirLake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · 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 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Quabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Holden, 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 Holden.
Holden pairs an A− overall with homes cheaper than the Massachusetts norm, reports less crime than Paxton or any other graded neighbor and keeps more of its land conserved than most of Massachusetts.
Its 10,071 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 98% of Massachusetts towns.
67 miles of trail in 16 parks and preserves. At 1.8 miles per square mile, Holden’s trail density is where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 1.8 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest place to walk is Wachusett Reservoir Watershed, 1,102 acres with 1.4 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Trout Brook Conservation Area | 6.8 mi | 663 |
| 2. Eagle Lake Wildlife Refuge | 3 mi | 396 |
| 3. Cascades West | 2 mi | 99 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Wachusett school district. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Wachusett Regional High, with 1,779 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountview MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 773 | B |
| Wachusett Regional HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,779 | A+ |
| DawsonTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 487 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Massachusetts is no health insurance: 3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 5.2% statewide. Against the 3,405 U.S. towns with household incomes like Holden’s, it is healthier than 72%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
9.3% of Holden adults smoke cigarettes. Holden beats the Massachusetts average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 13% of Holden adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Holden | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 11% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 19% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 19% | 25% |
| What stands out | Holden | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3% | 5.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.3% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A tops all 5 graded towns on its borders; Paxton (A) comes closest. Violent crime is rare: 14 reported in 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
Holden’s property crime rate is 1.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Holden | 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) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Holden since 1984.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Holden for work: only 7% work in town. The median household income in Holden is $142,000. Jobs based in Holden grew to 3,656 in 2023, 454 more than in 2013.
| Holden | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $142,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.4% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 18% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Holden has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 16° and about 73 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Holden grades A− overall with a typical home of about $556K, below the Massachusetts typical value; only 21 of the 109 Massachusetts towns graded A− or better can say that.
The typical Holden home is worth about $556,000, up 2% in a year, 15% below the Massachusetts typical home. 85% of households own their home in Holden.
| Holden | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,648 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
8 within 15 miles of the center of Holden
About 5 of every 100 Holden residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
17,346 counted in 2010 and 19,905 in 2020; an estimated 20,526 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
10 places in Holden on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Holden.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Holden is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town was founded in 1741, on All Hallow's Eve and the Town Square (Center, Common) was donated by John Hancock, former Governor of Massachusetts. The population was 19,905 at the 2020 census. It includes the village of Jefferson.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Holden.
All 5 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its A−; Rutland (A) is closest.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Holden grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #87 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−.
6 notable people were born here, including Grant Forsberg and Bruce Taylor.
