Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Because it does well by almost any measure. Norfolk earns an A+, 32nd among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns. It is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns, crime is low: it reports less per resident than 94% of U.S. towns, and the median household earns $201K. The exception is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $807K, 7 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. Norfolk’s median household income is $201,000, against $120,000 in Massachusetts’ towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Wrentham State School and Warelands. Only 6 of the 277 Massachusetts towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Norfolk.
Where Norfolk beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,081 in 1870, 11,662 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1870 and 8 maps from 1887 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 Norfolk is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Norfolk. Close and well known come first.
Big draw4 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw27 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw19 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
30 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
22 mi LakeWalden PondGillette 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 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Norfolk, 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 Norfolk.
Norfolk has less tooth loss than most of Massachusetts and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more, but it has commutes longer than most of Massachusetts.
Its widest gap with Massachusetts is tooth loss: 6.9% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.9% statewide. Against the 1,049 U.S. towns with household incomes like Norfolk’s, it is healthier than 61%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
24% of adults have obesity in Norfolk. Norfolk beats the Massachusetts average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 15% of adults get no exercise outside work in Norfolk.
| Norfolk | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 28% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Norfolk | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.9% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.3% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Norfolk school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Philip Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 706 | B |
| Freeman-Kennedy SchoolTop results in townGrades 3–6 | Grades 3–6 | 579 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 34 to 23 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 residents.
Norfolk’s property crime rate is 1.8 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 87% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 36 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Norfolk.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
24 miles of trail in 13 parks and preserves. The trail density in Norfolk is 1.5 miles per square mile. Leland Wild, at 188 acres with 3.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Norfolk | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.5 miles per square mile | 1.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 16% | 19% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Leland Wild | 3.2 mi | 188 |
| 2. Stoney Brook Wildflife Sanctuary | 1.2 mi | 87 |
| 3. Bristol Blake State Res | 0.8 mi | 145 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The average commute for its 5,484 working residents takes 36.2 minutes, against 29.1 across Massachusetts. 32.6% of workers work from home, against 18.6% across Massachusetts.
Most working residents leave Norfolk for work: only 6% work in town. 33% of Norfolk workers work from home. Only 10 of the 283 Massachusetts towns we compare have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Norfolk.
| Norfolk | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 33% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 2.2% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.2% | 9.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The median property tax bill is $9,651, against $5,992 across Massachusetts, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Norfolk home is worth about $807,000, up 2% in a year, 23% above the Massachusetts typical home.
| Norfolk | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 95% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $2,019 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Norfolk 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
11 within 15 miles of the center of Norfolk
About 3 of every 100 Norfolk residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Where Norfolk’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
7 places in Norfolk on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Norfolk ( NOR-fək, locally NOR-fork) is a New England town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, with a population of 11,662 people at the 2020 census. Formerly known as North Wrentham, Norfolk broke away to become an independent town in 1870.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Norfolk.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | #32 | A+ | D | A | A− | A+ |
| Walpole | #71 | A | D | B | B+ | A+ |
| Franklin Town | #34 | A+ | C− | A | A− | A |
| Millis | #56 | A | C− | A+ | B+ | A |
| Medway | #23 | A+ | C | A | A− | A+ |
| Millis-Clicquot | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wrentham | #104 | A− | C+ | C+ | B+ | A |
| Medfield | #15 | A+ | C− | A | A | A+ |
Millis-Clicquot isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Norfolk with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Norfolk grades A+ overall, better than 97% of U.S. towns and #32 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.
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.
2 notable people were born here, including Liam Kyle Sullivan and Franklin Ware Mann.
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