Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The city was incorporated in 1681 and has 90,741 residents today.
Much to like here, and you pay for it. Health is its strong suit (A+). At A+ overall, Newton is better than 98% of U.S. towns and ranks 24th of 282 in Massachusetts. Incomes is a strength too: the median household earns $190K. What holds it back is cost of living — the typical home is worth about $1.5 million, 12.8 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. Its National Register listings include Reginald A. Fessenden House and Jackson Homestead. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 99% of U.S. towns, with 183 places on the National Register.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · National Register of Historic Places.
Where Newton beats most towns.
Reginald A. Fessenden House| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Boston College | 14,512 |
| Lasell University | 1,271 |
| William James College | 851 |
| Widest gap | Newton | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.9% | 11.9% |
Reginald A. Fessenden House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 183 National Register listings are more than in 99% of Massachusetts towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,360 in 1790, 88,923 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1660 and 6 maps from 1893 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Newton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Newton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw6 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
5 mi Stadium & arenaHarvard Stadium
6 mi MuseumMuseum of Fine Arts Boston477K visitors a year
10 mi LakeWalden PondFenway 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 · Harvard Stadium: Nick Allen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Martin~jawiki at Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Newton, 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 Newton.
Newton has less tooth loss than most of Massachusetts, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Massachusetts and has a long record of flood insurance claims.
At 12.8 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income, the typical home (about $1.48M) costs more against local pay than in 96% of Massachusetts towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
Newton’s median rent comes in at $2,370 a month. The typical Newton home is worth about $1,483,000, up 1.9% in a year, more than twice the Massachusetts typical home. Among renter households locally, 43% spend 30% or more of their income on rent. 70% of Newton households live in a home they own, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 79% and U.S. towns at 73%.
| Newton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,370 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 43% | 53% | 48% |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.48M.
The Newton school district runs its public schools. Below: Three of its 35 schools, each with why it was picked. 6 public schools serve Newton, with 2,266 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| F A Day MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 860 | A |
| Newton North HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,096 | A+ |
| Newton South HighTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,898 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Massachusetts is tooth loss: 4.9% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.9% statewide.
Just over a tenth of Newton adults say their health is fair or poor, below both Massachusetts’ towns (15%) and U.S. towns (19%). For adults in the town, the share who smoke cigarettes is 6.5%. Also worth knowing: among 279 Massachusetts towns, just 8 have a lower share of adults who have obesity than Newton.
| Newton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 28% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 8.8% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.5% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Newton | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.9% | 11.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.6% | 5.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
48 miles of trail in 72 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Webster Conservation Area, 92 acres with 3.3 miles of trail. The trail network density for Newton comes to 2.7 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Webster Conservation Area | 3.3 mi | 92 |
| 2. Cold Spring Park | 3.3 mi | 69 |
| 3. Hammond Pond Reservation | 2.3 mi | 52 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Violent crime is rare: 51 reported in 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
Newton’s rate of reported violence is 0.6 per 1,000 residents. Its level of property crime comes in at 5.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Newton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.2 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
302 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 47 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1978, 302 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Newton. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in the town than in 77% of U.S. communities. 71% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hurricanes at 10%. Federal aid has come to Newton households in 13 declared disasters; the latest was in 2018.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The range runs from 18° on a January night to 84° on a July afternoon, with about 70 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
32.2% of workers work from home, against 18.6% across Massachusetts.
Newton had 45,891 jobs in 2023, down 2,879 from 2013. Most people who work leave Newton to do it: just 12% work in town. The top destinations are Boston (35%), Cambridge (9%) and Waltham (5%).
| Newton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 32% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $190,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
52 within 15 miles of the center of Newton
About 11 of every 100 Newton residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
4 colleges in town.
183 places in Newton on the National Register of Historic Places.
43 notable people were born in Newton.
City in Massachusetts, United States
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located roughly 8 miles (13 km) west of Downtown Boston, and comprises a patchwork of thirteen villages. The city borders Boston to the northeast and southeast (via the neighborhoods of Brighton and West Roxbury), Brookline to the east, Watertown and Waltham to the north, and Weston, Wellesley, and Needham to the west. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2025 estimates, the population of Newton, Massachusetts was 90,741. Newton is home to the Charles River, Crystal Lake, and Heartbreak Hill, among other landmarks. It is served by several streets and highways (including Route 9, Hammond Pond Parkway, and the Mass Pik…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Newton.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Newton grades A+ overall, better than 98% of U.S. towns and #24 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.
Newton was incorporated in 1681 and has 183 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 43 notable people were born here, including Jack Lemmon and Matt LeBlanc.
