Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Yes, by almost any measure. Norwell earns an A, ranked 57th of 282 in Massachusetts. The median household earns $189K, residents are healthier than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and its schools rank ahead of 90% of Massachusetts towns. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $1.1 million for a typical one and 9.1 times the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 91% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. Norwell’s median household income is $189,000, above both the Massachusetts town median ($120,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). Norwell's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 95% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Bryant-Cushing House and Norwell Village Area Historic District.
Where Norwell beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,770 in 1850, 11,351 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1698 and 8 maps from 1885 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Norwell is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for jobs and income (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 8%), so the A overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Norwell. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw19 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
18 mi AttractionFreedom Trail
19 mi MuseumMuseum of Fine Arts Boston477K visitors a year
36 mi MuseumUSS MassachusettsFenway 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 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Martin~jawiki at Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Norwell, 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 Norwell.
Norwell draws workers from Weymouth Town and beyond and has less tooth loss than most of Massachusetts, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Massachusetts.
At 9.1 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income, the typical home (about $1.06M) costs more against local pay than in 87% of Massachusetts towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. 67.1% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 51.8% across Massachusetts.
Norwell’s median rent is $2,215 a month. Typical home values rose 6.5% in the year to September 2026. 92% of households own their home in Norwell.
| Norwell | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,215 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 92% | 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 $1.06M.
Its public schools are run by the Norwell school district. Three of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is South Shore Charter Public School, with 1,057 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| William G VinalLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 556 | A− |
| South Shore Charter Public SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 1,057 | C+ |
| Norwell HighTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 601 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Massachusetts is tooth loss: 6.1% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.9% statewide. Against the 1,155 U.S. towns with household incomes like Norwell’s, it is healthier than 58%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
16% of Norwell adults get no exercise outside work. Norwell beats the Massachusetts average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 8.8% of Norwell adults smoke cigarettes.
| Norwell | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 19% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.8% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 12% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 19% |
| What stands out | Norwell | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.1% | 11.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.8% | 5.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
8,851 jobs are based in Norwell, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. 27.1% of workers work from home, against 18.6% across Massachusetts.
Most working residents leave Norwell for work: only 10% work in town. The average trip to work in Norwell is 35 minutes. Since 2013, Norwell has added 883 jobs, to 8,851 in 2023.
| Norwell | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 27% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 2.7% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
42 miles of trail in 29 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Wompatuck State Park, 533 acres with 6.2 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wompatuck State Park | 6.2 mi | 533 |
| 2. Jacobs Pond Conservation Area | 3.8 mi | 336 |
| 3. Norris Reservation | 2.5 mi | 116 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 82% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Norwell.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Norwell has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 21° and about 51 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Norwell's reported crime rate is well below Massachusetts's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 6 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
| Norwell | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 4.8 per 1,000 residents | 5.6 | 11.5 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
5 within 15 miles of the center of Norwell
About 4 of every 100 Norwell residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Coastal flooding makes up 9% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
4 places in Norwell on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Norwell.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Norwell is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,351 at the 2020 United States census. The town's southeastern border runs along the North River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
8 towns share a border with Norwell.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwell | #57 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
| Hanover | #90 | A− | D | B+ | A− | A |
| Marshfield | #74 | A | D | A | B+ | A |
| North Pembroke | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pembroke | #70 | A | D | A | B+ | A |
| Marshfield Hills | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Scituate | #21 | A+ | D | A+ | A | A+ |
| Hingham | #52 | A | D | B | A | A+ |
Norwell reports no FBI crime data of its own. North Pembroke and Marshfield Hills aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Norwell with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Norwell grades A overall, better than 93% of U.S. towns and #57 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A+ for health 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.
7 notable people were born here, including Jeff Corwin and Gleason Archer.
_underway_c1944.jpg){kind=link}