Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Pembroke grades A overall, 70th among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns. It has 32 miles of trail. The median household earns $146K and residents are healthier than 90% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $665K for a typical one and 5.7 times the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. Pembroke’s median rent is $2,464 a month, above both the Massachusetts town median ($1,682 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). On history, just 20 of Massachusetts’ 325 towns do worse. Pembroke reports less crime per resident than 87% of U.S. towns.
Where Pembroke beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,954 in 1790, a low of 1,240 in 1900, 18,360 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 7 maps from 1885 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pembroke takes its name from Pembroke in Dyfed, Wales, 3,070 miles across the Atlantic.
UKUK editionPembroke, settled in 1650, takes its name from Pembroke, a town in Dyfed, Wales.
1 more U.S. town is named after Pembroke:Pembroke, ME778
Named after: each U.S. town’s Wikipedia article. Grades compare each town with towns in its own country, so they aren’t a head-to-head.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Pembroke is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pembroke. Close and well known come first.
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw24 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
31 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
24 mi AttractionFreedom Trail
24 mi MuseumMuseum of Fine Arts Boston477K visitors a yearFenway 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 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Martin~jawiki at Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pembroke, 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 Pembroke.
Pembroke sees little violent crime and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Massachusetts.
Within Massachusetts it is healthier than 60% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar. Its widest gap with Massachusetts is no health insurance: 3.3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 5.2% statewide.
19% of Pembroke adults binge drink.
| Pembroke | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 19% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 19% |
| What stands out | Pembroke | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.6% | 11.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Pembroke school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Pembroke High School, with 690 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Pembroke ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 518 | A− |
| Pembroke High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 690 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Violent crime is rare: 9 reported in 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in Pembroke is 0.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Pembroke | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.2 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 87% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pembroke.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Pembroke for work: only 9% work in town. Pembroke’s average trip to work is 35 minutes. Since 2013, Pembroke has added 1,002 jobs, to 6,193 in 2023.
| Pembroke | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $146,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 21% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 4% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The biggest place to walk is Misty Meadows Conservation Area, 142 acres with 1.4 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tubbs Meadow | 2.8 mi | 123 |
| 2. Wildlands Trust - Willow Brook Farm | 2.3 mi | 137 |
| 3. Wildlands Trust - Tucker Preserve | 1.6 mi | 79 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Pembroke has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 20° and about 34 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 19% of residents (24% statewide). 45% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Pembroke.
| Pembroke | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.5 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 47% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 19% | 20% | 22% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.9 points. Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 48.7, men 41.8.
| Pembroke | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.7% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.7% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.8% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.1% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.1% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.1% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.8% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.6% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.4% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.8% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.7% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.3% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.2% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.6% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical Pembroke home is worth about $665,000, up 4.3% in a year, close to the Massachusetts typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
3 within 15 miles of the center of Pembroke
About 5 of every 100 Pembroke residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Where Pembroke’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
9 notable people were born in Pembroke.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Pembroke is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Pembroke is a South Shore suburb of the Boston metropolitan area. The town is located approximately halfway between Boston and Cape Cod. The town is considered rural in character, with pockets of suburban neighborhoods. The population was 18,361 at the 2020 census, with a median household income of $119,827. Neighborhoods include Bryantville (along the Hanson town line), North Pembroke and East Pembroke.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
9 towns share a border with Pembroke.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pembroke | #70 | A | D | A | B+ | A |
| North Pembroke | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Duxbury | #39 | A+ | D | A | A− | A+ |
| Norwell | #57 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
| Hanover | #90 | A− | D | B+ | A− | A |
| Hanson | #133 | B+ | C− | A− | C+ | A− |
| Halifax | #93 | A− | C− | B+ | B+ | A− |
| Marshfield | #74 | A | D | A | B+ | A |
Norwell reports no FBI crime data of its own. North Pembroke isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Pembroke with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Pembroke grades A overall, better than 89% of U.S. towns and #70 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A for health, A for safety and B+ 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.
9 notable people were born here, including Eric Flaim and Ben Edlund.
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