#1Provincetown
Barnstable County · 3,729 peopleOutdoors grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall C− · #251 of 282 in MA
Provincetown, #1 on this list · Photo: WestportWiki · CC BY-SA 3.0Massachusetts rankings · Outdoors
Best towns for the outdoors in Massachusetts
Provincetown ranks first on outdoors among Massachusetts’ 283 towns of 2,500+; 272 of the 283 grade A− or better on outdoors nationally.
The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. How grades work
#1A+
#2Wellfleet
Barnstable County · 3,707 peopleOutdoors grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall B · #161 of 282 in MA
#3Dover
Norfolk County · 6,026 peopleOutdoors grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall A+ · #41 of 282 in MA
All 283 towns
Outdoors 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
25Manchester-by-the-SeaEssex County · 5,475 peopleA+among the top in the U.S.·Overall A+ · #16 of 282
51Barnstable TownBarnstable County · 50,101 peopleA+among the top in the U.S.·Overall C · #244 of 282
92Great BarringtonBerkshire County · 7,239 peopleA+better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #224 of 282
103NorthboroughWorcester County · 16,080 peopleA+better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #47 of 282
107PittsfieldBerkshire County · 42,909 peopleA+better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #265 of 282
108WinchesterMiddlesex County · 23,710 peopleA+better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #13 of 282
118SturbridgeWorcester County · 10,120 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #146 of 282
121West BridgewaterPlymouth County · 7,872 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #185 of 282
123LeominsterWorcester County · 44,194 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #246 of 282
124Braintree TownNorfolk County · 38,957 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #134 of 282
128FraminghamMiddlesex County · 73,021 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #235 of 282
136MarlboroughMiddlesex County · 42,772 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #242 of 282
140LanesboroughBerkshire County · 2,999 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #127 of 282
146WestboroughWorcester County · 22,894 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #83 of 282
151Randolph TownNorfolk County · 34,948 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #239 of 282
154SouthboroughWorcester County · 10,559 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #9 of 282
155WinchendonWorcester County · 10,620 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #256 of 282
156WestminsterWorcester County · 8,807 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #166 of 282
157BrookfieldWorcester County · 3,516 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #216 of 282
161TyngsboroughMiddlesex County · 12,721 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #220 of 282
165NorthbridgeWorcester County · 16,799 peopleA+better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #188 of 282
167Franklin TownNorfolk County · 33,955 peopleA+better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #34 of 282
168North ReadingMiddlesex County · 16,553 peopleA+better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #51 of 282
171BelchertownHampshire County · 15,265 peopleAbetter than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #147 of 282
174West Springfield TownHampden County · 28,829 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #269 of 282
176Weymouth TownNorfolk County · 59,759 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #186 of 282
178North Attleborough TownBristol County · 31,506 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #112 of 282
186Winthrop TownSuffolk County · 18,647 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #135 of 282
187MiddleboroughPlymouth County · 25,149 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #218 of 282
210HubbardstonWorcester County · 4,460 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #117 of 282
223SouthamptonHampshire County · 6,085 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #124 of 282
224WilmingtonMiddlesex County · 23,629 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #108 of 282
225SpringfieldHampden County · 154,702 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #281 of 282
229Bridgewater TownPlymouth County · 29,309 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #101 of 282
230Southbridge TownWorcester County · 18,105 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #276 of 282
234West BrookfieldWorcester County · 3,947 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #215 of 282
237CambridgeMiddlesex County · 122,588 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #190 of 282
246New BedfordBristol County · 101,834 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #278 of 282
254East LongmeadowHampden County · 16,581 peopleAbetter than 85% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #159 of 282
259East BridgewaterPlymouth County · 14,602 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #122 of 282
264LeicesterWorcester County · 11,428 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #203 of 282
267North BrookfieldWorcester County · 4,793 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #253 of 282
276West BoylstonWorcester County · 7,923 peopleB+better than 72% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #69 of 282
280SomervilleMiddlesex County · 84,211 peopleBbetter than 64% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #204 of 282
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Which Massachusetts town is best for the outdoors?
Provincetown (Barnstable County) ranks first on outdoors among 283 towns, with an A+; Wellfleet and Dover follow.
How are these towns ranked?
The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. 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 outdoors 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.
Best places to live282 towns · #1 WenhamBest small towns98 towns · #1 WenhamMost affordable towns282 towns · #1 CarlisleSafest towns276 towns · #1 GrovelandTowns with the best schools283 towns · #1 CarlisleHealthiest towns279 towns · #1 SherbornBest towns for jobs & income283 towns · #1 WestonMost walkable towns283 towns · #1 CambridgeTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk283 towns · #1 AvonMost historic towns283 towns · #1 NewburyportTowns with the most civic life283 towns · #1 Oak BluffsTowns with the least snow281 towns · #1 Barnstable TownDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns281 towns · #1 AdamsDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters278 towns · #1 NantucketDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers278 towns · #1 Agawam Town and WestfieldDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers278 towns · #1 NantucketDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes283 towns · #1 Carlisle and 4 moreDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes246 towns · #1 DennisDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns284 towns · #1 WilliamstownDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries263 towns · #1 ProvincetownDescribed, no letters
Other states