Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 16,080, settled in 1672.
Northborough is one of the best-graded places in America: an A, ranked 47th of 282 in Massachusetts. Residents are healthier than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, crime is low: it reports less per resident than 95% of U.S. towns, and the median household earns $153K. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $686K for a typical one and 7.2 times the Worcester metro’s $96K median household income. 65% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Northborough, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 47% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 21 of Massachusetts’ 325 towns score lower on history. Wayne F. MacCallum Wildlife Management Area, at 296 acres with 3.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Northborough beats most towns.
Census counts: 619 in 1790, 15,741 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1896 and 7 maps from 1887 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Northborough is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Northborough. Close and well known come first.
Big draw28 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw22 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw28 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
17 mi LakeWalden Pond
30 mi AttractionFreedom TrailFenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Northborough, 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 Northborough.
Northborough reports less crime than Berlin or any other graded neighbor, has less no health insurance than most of Massachusetts and pairs an A− for schools with high home prices.
Its widest gap with Massachusetts is no health insurance: 2.8% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 5.2% statewide. Against the 2,544 U.S. towns with household incomes like Northborough’s, it is healthier than 79%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
8.3% of adults smoke cigarettes in Northborough. Northborough beats the Massachusetts average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 11% of adults report frequent physical distress in Northborough.
| Northborough | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.3% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 19% |
| What stands out | Northborough | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.8% | 5.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.2% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A− for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $686K.
Its public schools are run by the Northborough school district. Three of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert E. Melican Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 545 | B |
| Algonquin Regional HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,197 | A+ |
| Lincoln StreetTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 268 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Its A+ tops all 5 graded towns on its borders; Berlin (A) comes closest. Reported crimes rose from 17 to 101 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Northborough is 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Northborough | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.1 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
43 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. Northborough’s trail density is 2.3 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wayne F. MacCallum Wildlife Management Area | 3.5 mi | 296 |
| 2. Mount Pisgah Wildlife Management Area | 3.3 mi | 91 |
| 3. Mount Pisgah Conservation Area | 3.2 mi | 183 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 2005, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Northborough.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Northborough has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 16° and about 73 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here grew from 7,102 in 2013 to 9,398.
Most working residents leave Northborough for work: only 9% work in town. Since 2013, Northborough has added 2,296 jobs, to 9,398 in 2023. 23% of Northborough workers work from home.
| Northborough | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $153,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 23% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Northborough home is worth about $686,000, up 1.4% in a year, close to the Massachusetts typical home.
| Northborough | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,919 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 83% | 79% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
9 within 15 miles of the center of Northborough
About 5 of every 100 Northborough residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
14,155 counted in 2010 and 15,741 in 2020; an estimated 16,080 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
10 notable people were born in Northborough.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Northborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The official spelling of the town's name is "Northborough," but the alternative spelling "Northboro" is also used. The population was 15,741 at the 2020 census. It contains the census-designated place of the same name.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Northborough.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northborough | #47 | A | D | A+ | A− | A+ |
| Westborough | #83 | A− | D− | B | A | A+ |
| Marlborough | #242 | C | D | C | C− | A− |
| Shrewsbury | #48 | A | D | A− | A | A+ |
| Boylston | #95 | A− | D | A− | A− | A |
| Berlin | #78 | A | D− | A | A− | A |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Northborough grades A overall, better than 94% of U.S. towns and #47 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.
10 notable people were born here, including John Davis and Elijah Brigham.
