Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Royalston’s subject grades are an A+ for safety and the outdoors and an A for history; the weakest is a D− for walkability. Royalston’s average trip to work is 38 minutes, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 30 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. No town in Massachusetts scores lower than Royalston on walkability. 36% of the land in Royalston is conserved, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 19% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest park or preserve is Birch Hill Wildlife Management Area, at 2,895 acres. Only 29 of Massachusetts’ 325 towns score higher on the outdoors. Royalston has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Royalston beats most towns.
Royalston Common Historic DistrictIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Royalston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,130 in 1790, 1,250 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 7 maps from 1887 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Royalston, 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 Royalston.
Royalston’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents. Among 278 Massachusetts towns, just 6 have a lower property crime rate than Royalston.
| Royalston | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Athol-Royalston school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royalston Community SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 152 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
38 miles of trail in 36 parks and preserves. The trail density in Royalston is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tully River Reservation | 10.7 mi | 1,179 |
| 2. Millers River Wildlife Management Area | 2.7 mi | 1,414 |
| 3. Royalston State Forest | 2.2 mi | 866 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
96% of Royalston households own their home. The typical Royalston home is worth about $390,000, up 1.3% in a year, 40% below the Massachusetts typical home.
| Royalston | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 96% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,650 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Royalston for work: only 6% work in town. Since 2013, Royalston has added 22 jobs, to 102 in 2023. 12% of residents live below the poverty line in Royalston.
| Royalston | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 11% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $102,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.7% | 9.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Royalston has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 13° and about 73 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 6 of the 280 Massachusetts towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Royalston. Royalston beats the Massachusetts average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. Only 7 of the 280 Massachusetts towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Royalston.
| Royalston | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 32% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Royalston | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.1% | 75.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.4% | 11.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Royalston
About 5 of every 100 Royalston residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Where Royalston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
7 notable people were born in Royalston.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Royalston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,250 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
7 notable people were born here, including Alexander Bullock and Asahel Peck.
