Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Taunton earns a D, ranked 262nd of 282 in Massachusetts, mostly because of schools. Its public schools trail 77% of Massachusetts towns on state tests and graduation. In its favor, it has 72 miles of trail. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 97 places on the National Register. Its National Register listings include Taunton State Hospital and Church Green. On health, just 14 of Massachusetts’ 321 towns do worse. Taunton’s trail density is 1.5 miles per square mile, below Massachusetts’ towns (1.8) but above U.S. towns (0.4).
Where Taunton beats most towns.
Its 97 National Register listings are more than in 97% of Massachusetts towns with a listing.
Census counts: 3,804 in 1790, 59,408 in 2020. The archive holds 21 old photos and papers going back to 1760 and 7 maps from 1885 on.
Taunton takes its name from Taunton in Somerset, England, 3,180 miles across the Atlantic.
UKUK editionTaunton, settled in 1637, takes its name from Taunton, a large town in Somerset, England.
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 Taunton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Taunton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw32 mi MuseumThe Breakers
14 mi MuseumUSS Massachusetts
Big draw40 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw30 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner MuseumGillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · The Breakers: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Massachusetts: USN, Public domain · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Taunton, 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 Taunton.
Taunton reports more crime than Middleborough and its other graded neighbors, but it scores below Middleborough and its other neighbors on health and trails Lakeville and its other neighbors on schools.
Each of its 6 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C−, Lakeville highest at B+.
Its public schools are run by the Taunton school district. Two of its 15 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| James L. Mulcahey Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 898 | C− |
| Taunton HighLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 2,877 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
The biggest park or preserve is Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area, at 1,353 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Arthur Sharp Estate | 6.8 mi | 290 |
| 2. Westville Conservation Area | 2.7 mi | 58 |
| 3. Erwin S. Wilder Wildlife Management Area | 2 mi | 365 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Each of the 6 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Middleborough (C+) to Norton (A). At 26.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 89% of Massachusetts’s graded towns.
At 3.8 per 1,000 residents, Taunton’s violent crime rate is where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 1.4 and U.S. towns at 1.6. Taunton’s property crime rate is 10.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Taunton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.5 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
67 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 12 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 67 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Taunton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Taunton home is worth about $518,000, up 3.9% in a year, 21% below the Massachusetts typical home. 62% of Taunton households own their home.
| Taunton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 79% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 57% | 52% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,324 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Taunton has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 20° and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
All 6 graded neighbors score healthier than its C+, from Middleborough (B+) to Berkley (A−).
20% of adults report frequent mental distress in Taunton. Taunton beats the Massachusetts average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Taunton.
| Taunton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 19% |
| What stands out | Taunton | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 17.9% | 11.3% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10.1% | 7% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 17.6% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Taunton for work: only 16% work in town. The median household income in Taunton is $79,000. Since 2013, Taunton has added 2,603 jobs, to 24,079 in 2023.
| Taunton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 8% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $79,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
5 within 15 miles of the center of Taunton
About 5 of every 100 Taunton residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
97 places in Taunton on the National Register of Historic Places.
35 notable people were born in Taunton.
City in Massachusetts, United States
Taunton is a city in and the county seat of Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River, which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay, 10 miles (16 km) to the south. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 59,408; this makes Taunton the third most populated municipality in Bristol County behind New Bedford and Fall River. Shaunna O'Connell is the mayor of Taunton. Founded in 1637 by members of the Plymouth Colony, Taunton is one of the oldest towns in the United States. Taunton is also known as the "Silver City", as it was a historic center of the silver industry beginning in the 19th century when companies such as …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
8 towns share a border with Taunton.
All 6 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Middleborough (C+) is closest.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taunton | #262 | D | C− | C | C− | C+ |
| Raynham | #205 | B− | D | B− | B− | B+ |
| Dighton | #174 | B | C− | B+ | C+ | A− |
| Berkley | #114 | B+ | C− | A | B | A− |
| Middleborough | #218 | C+ | C− | C+ | C+ | B+ |
| Lakeville | #91 | A− | C− | A− | B+ | A− |
| North Lakeville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Norton | #107 | A− | D | A | C+ | A− |
North Lakeville isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Taunton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Taunton grades D overall, better than 12% of U.S. towns and #262 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades C+ for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Massachusetts has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Taunton sits nearer the middle.
Yes. That is 5.9 years of the area's median household income ($87,040 across the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
35 notable people were born here, including William Standish Knowles and Mildred Wiley.
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