Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Few places in the country grade higher. Holliston earns an A+, ranked 38th of 282 in Massachusetts. It is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns, crime is low: it reports less per resident than 96% of U.S. towns, and the median household earns $160K. The exception is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $736K, 6.3 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 5 places on the National Register. 66% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Holliston, against 47% in Massachusetts’ towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Isaac Bullard House and Bullard Farm. Holliston's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Where Holliston beats most towns.
Census counts: 875 in 1790, 14,996 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1710 and 8 maps from 1887 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 Holliston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Holliston. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw21 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw23 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw21 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
18 mi LakeWalden Pond
37 mi MuseumUSS MassachusettsGillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Holliston, 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 Holliston.
Holliston has less tooth loss than most of Massachusetts, has seen reported crime fall by about half and has household incomes well above the Massachusetts norm.
Its widest gap with Massachusetts is tooth loss: 5.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.9% statewide.
24% of adults have obesity in Holliston. Holliston beats the Massachusetts average on 20 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 10% of adults report frequent physical distress in Holliston.
| Holliston | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 28% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.6% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Holliston | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.2% | 11.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.7% | 5.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Holliston school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Holliston High, with 809 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miller SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 649 | A− |
| Holliston HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 809 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 50 to 16 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
Holliston’s property crime rate is 0.8 per 1,000 residents. Among 277 Massachusetts towns, just 8 have a lower violent crime rate than Holliston.
| Holliston | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
48 miles of trail in 24 parks and preserves. The trail density in Holliston is 2.5 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Brentwood Conservation Land, at 299 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Town Forest | 6.7 mi | 242 |
| 2. Fairbanks Land | 5.2 mi | 204 |
| 3. Wenakeening Woods | 3.2 mi | 106 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 21 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Holliston.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Holliston has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 18° and about 48 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
31.1% of workers work from home, against 18.6% across Massachusetts.
31% of Holliston workers work from home. Most working residents leave Holliston for work: only 9% work in town. 3.1% of Holliston residents live below the poverty line.
| Holliston | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 31% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $160,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.1% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The median property tax bill is $9,397, against $5,992 across Massachusetts, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Holliston home is worth about $736,000, up 1.9% in a year, 12% above the Massachusetts typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
11 within 15 miles of the center of Holliston
About 4 of every 100 Holliston residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
13,547 counted in 2010 and 14,996 in 2020; an estimated 15,206 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
5 places in Holliston on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Holliston is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Greater Boston area. The population was 14,996 at the 2020 census. It is located in MetroWest, a Massachusetts region that is west of Boston. Holliston is the only town in Middlesex County that borders both Norfolk and Worcester counties.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Holliston.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Holliston grades A+ overall, better than 96% of U.S. towns and #38 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 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−.
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