Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Milford grades C− overall, 245th of 282 graded towns in Massachusetts, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It has 34 miles of trail. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $557K, 5.8 years of the Worcester metro’s $96K median household income. Milford’s trail density is 2.3 miles per square mile, against 1.8 in Massachusetts’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Only 32 of Massachusetts’ 321 towns score lower on health. Its National Register listings include Ted's Diner and Milford Town Hall.
Where Milford beats most towns.
Census counts: 839 in 1790, 30,379 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1865 and 8 maps from 1886 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Milford is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Milford. Close and well known come first.
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw18 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw25 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
21 mi LakeWalden Pond
36 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 Milford, 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 Milford.
Milford trades workers with Boston and other neighbors and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Massachusetts; it also trails Hopkinton and its other neighbors on schools.
Waldenwoods Conservation Area, at 314 acres with 2.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. NEMBA Land | 4.6 mi | 49 |
| 2. Waldenwoods Conservation Area | 2.1 mi | 314 |
| 3. Camp St Site | 0.3 mi | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Each of its 6 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its D, Hopkinton highest at A+.
Its public schools are run by the Milford school district. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Milford High, with 1,316 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| WoodlandLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 1,036 | C |
| Milford HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,316 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 71% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Milford.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Milford 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
Milford has about as many jobs (17,101) as working residents, but only 2,383 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 36.9 minutes, against 29.1 across Massachusetts.
Most working residents leave Milford for work: only 16% work in town. At 37 minutes, Milford’s average trip to work is where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 30 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Since 2013, Milford has added 2,596 jobs, to 17,101 in 2023.
| Milford | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 37 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 15% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Milford’s median rent is $1,909 a month. The typical Milford home is worth about $557,000, up 2.6% in a year, 15% below the Massachusetts typical home. 65% of households own their home in Milford.
| Milford | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,909 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 65% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 89% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar. All 6 graded neighbors score healthier than its B, from Hopedale (A) to Hopkinton (A+).
Milford beats the Massachusetts average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 19% of Milford adults report frequent mental distress.
| Milford | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 33% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Milford | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 14.3% | 11.3% |
| More uninsured adults | 6.5% | 5.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 8.7% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Massachusetts has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Milford sits closer to the middle.
| Milford | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.6 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
4 within 15 miles of the center of Milford
About 4 of every 100 Milford residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
7 places in Milford on the National Register of Historic Places.
25 notable people were born in Milford.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Milford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 30,379 according to the 2020 census. It contains the census-designated place of the same name. First settled in 1662 and incorporated in 1780, Milford became a booming industrial and quarrying community in the 19th century due to its unique location which includes the nearby source of the Charles River, the Mill River, the Blackstone River watershed, and large quantities of Milford pink granite.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Milford.
All 6 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C−; Bellingham (B−) is closest.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Milford grades C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #245 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades B for health, B− for safety and D for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes, by national standards. Massachusetts has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Milford sits nearer the middle.
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.
25 notable people were born here, including Joseph Murray and William Claflin.
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