Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Rockland grades B+ overall, ranked 139th of 282 in Massachusetts, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $112K and it has 15 miles of trail. It also does better than most on health: it is healthier than 73% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $557K for a typical one and 4.8 times the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 9 places on the National Register. Rockland’s trail density is 1.5 miles per square mile, below the Massachusetts town median (1.8) but above the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Its National Register listings include Rockland Almshouse and Rockland High School. Rockland is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 77% of U.S. towns.
Where Rockland beats most towns.
Census counts: 4,553 in 1880, 17,803 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1881 and 8 maps from 1885 on.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Rockland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Rockland. Close and well known come first.
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw17 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
18 mi AttractionFreedom Trail
32 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
17 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 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Martin~jawiki at Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rockland, 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 Rockland.
Rockland trades workers with Boston and other neighbors and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Massachusetts.
Rockland’s FEMA hazard score stands at 16 of 100, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 25 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100. Nearly two thirds of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hurricanes at 12%. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1996: 6.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The largest public high school is Rockland Senior High, with 590 students. The public schools here belong to the Rockland school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| John W Rogers MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 687 | C+ |
| Rockland Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 590 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Trails total 15 miles in 14 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Beech St Conservation Land, at 52 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rockland Town Forest | 1.2 mi | 34 |
| 2. Beech St Conservation Land | — | 52 |
| 3. Phillips Street Conservation Land | — | 27 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 76% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar. Against the 6,807 U.S. towns with household incomes like Rockland’s, it is less healthy than 52%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Rockland tracks Massachusetts closely on all 32 CDC measures. 18% of Rockland adults binge drink.
| Rockland | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 28% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
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
The violent crime rate in Rockland is 2.4 per 1,000 residents. Massachusetts has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Rockland sits closer to the middle.
| Rockland | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.8 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Rockland has about as many jobs (8,107) as working residents, but only 810 people both live and work here.
Rockland’s typical journey to work stands at 33 minutes. Commuting out is the norm here: nearly a tenth of working residents work locally. The top destinations are Boston (18%), Weymouth Town (5%) and Quincy (5%). For half of commuters, work is under 12 miles away.
| Rockland | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $112,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 15% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
A home in Rockland typically sold within 17 days of listing. Values rose 3.7% in the 12 months to September 2026. In Rockland, the typical rent is $1,610 a month.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
9 within 15 miles of the center of Rockland
About 3 of every 100 Rockland residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
9 places in Rockland on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Rockland.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Rockland is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,803 at the 2020 census. As of December 31, 2009, there were 11,809 registered voters in the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Rockland.
Norwell next door grades higher for schools (A to Rockland’s C+) and lower for cost of living (D to C).
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockland | #139 | B+ | C | B | C+ | B+ |
| Hanover | #90 | A− | D | B+ | A− | A |
| Abington | #189 | B− | D | C+ | C+ | A− |
| Norwell | #57 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
Norwell reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Rockland with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Rockland grades B+ overall, better than 67% of U.S. towns and #139 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades B+ for health, B for safety and C+ for schools.
Yes, by national standards. Massachusetts has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Rockland sits nearer the middle.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
6 notable people were born here, including Jonathan Togo and John H. Flavell.
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