#1Oak Bluffs
Dukes County · 5,428 peopleCivic life grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall B · #172 of 282 in MA
Oak Bluffs, #1 on this list · Photo: Elkman at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Massachusetts rankings · Civic life
Towns with the most civic life in Massachusetts
Oak Bluffs ranks first on civic life among Massachusetts’ 283 towns of 2,500+; 94 of the 283 grade A− or better on civic life nationally.
The Civic life grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): library visits per resident (IMLS), community nonprofits (IRS) and volunteering groups. How grades work
#1A+
#2Tisbury
Dukes County · 4,934 peopleCivic life grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall B− · #197 of 282 in MA
#3Provincetown
Barnstable County · 3,729 peopleCivic life grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall C− · #251 of 282 in MA
All 283 towns
Civic life grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank; the overall grade and state rank are beside each.
283 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.
#TownGradeOverall
13WilliamstownBerkshire County · 9,186 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #109 of 282
14Manchester-by-the-SeaEssex County · 5,475 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #16 of 282
25Great BarringtonBerkshire County · 7,239 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #224 of 282
55BelchertownHampshire County · 15,265 peopleA−better than 85% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #147 of 282
59Amherst Town College campusHampshire County · 40,920 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·Overall A−
73West BrookfieldWorcester County · 3,947 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #215 of 282
86NorthboroughWorcester County · 16,080 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #47 of 282
87WestboroughWorcester County · 22,894 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #83 of 282
90Franklin TownNorfolk County · 33,955 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #34 of 282
94South HadleyHampshire County · 17,768 peopleA−better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #129 of 282
97Barnstable TownBarnstable County · 50,101 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #244 of 282
101West BridgewaterPlymouth County · 7,872 peopleB+better than 72% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #185 of 282
103BrookfieldWorcester County · 3,516 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #216 of 282
108SomervilleMiddlesex County · 84,211 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #204 of 282
110SturbridgeWorcester County · 10,120 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #146 of 282
114North AdamsBerkshire County · 12,368 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #279 of 282
115East LongmeadowHampden County · 16,581 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #159 of 282
124North BrookfieldWorcester County · 4,793 peopleBbetter than 65% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #253 of 282
126WilmingtonMiddlesex County · 23,629 peopleBbetter than 64% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #108 of 282
130West BoylstonWorcester County · 7,923 peopleBbetter than 63% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #69 of 282
144SouthboroughWorcester County · 10,559 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #9 of 282
147SouthamptonHampshire County · 6,085 peopleB−better than 55% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #124 of 282
150North ReadingMiddlesex County · 16,553 peopleB−better than 53% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #51 of 282
157TyngsboroughMiddlesex County · 12,721 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #220 of 282
158PittsfieldBerkshire County · 42,909 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #265 of 282
185East BridgewaterPlymouth County · 14,602 peopleC+better than 42% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #122 of 282
186Weymouth TownNorfolk County · 59,759 peopleC+better than 41% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #186 of 282
188HubbardstonWorcester County · 4,460 peopleC+better than 40% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #117 of 282
193WestminsterWorcester County · 8,807 peopleC+better than 37% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #166 of 282
196LanesboroughBerkshire County · 2,999 peopleC+better than 37% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #127 of 282
197Braintree TownNorfolk County · 38,957 peopleC+better than 37% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #134 of 282
200BurlingtonMiddlesex County · 26,778 peopleC+better than 36% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #131 of 282
207WinchendonWorcester County · 10,620 peopleCbetter than 34% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #256 of 282
220Bridgewater TownPlymouth County · 29,309 peopleCbetter than 29% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #101 of 282
227Winthrop TownSuffolk County · 18,647 peopleCbetter than 27% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #135 of 282
241MiddleboroughPlymouth County · 25,149 peopleC−better than 24% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #218 of 282
247LeominsterWorcester County · 44,194 peopleC−better than 22% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #246 of 282
252MarlboroughMiddlesex County · 42,772 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #242 of 282
257WorcesterWorcester County · 213,862 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #259 of 282
258NorthbridgeWorcester County · 16,799 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #188 of 282
259Randolph TownNorfolk County · 34,948 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #239 of 282
262New BedfordBristol County · 101,834 peopleC−better than 17% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #278 of 282
263West Springfield TownHampden County · 28,829 peopleC−better than 16% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #269 of 282
264Southbridge TownWorcester County · 18,105 peopleC−better than 16% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #276 of 282
271SpringfieldHampden County · 154,702 peopleDbetter than 13% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #281 of 282
273North Attleborough TownBristol County · 31,506 peopleDbetter than 10% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #112 of 282
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Which Massachusetts town has the most civic life?
Oak Bluffs (Dukes County) ranks first on civic life among 283 towns, with an A+; Tisbury and Provincetown follow.
How are these towns ranked?
The Civic life grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): library visits per resident (IMLS), community nonprofits (IRS) and volunteering groups. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a civic life grade (283 in Massachusetts). Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the Massachusetts page.
Go deeper
All Massachusetts rankings →More Massachusetts lists
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
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