Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Templeton grades B− overall, 210th of 282 graded towns in Massachusetts, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 81% of U.S. towns and it has 24 miles of trail. It also does better than most on health: residents are healthier than 62% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its lowest everyday mark is in schools: its schools rank behind 72% of the state's. A typical home there costs about $418K, 4.4 years of the Worcester metro’s $96K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. 20% of the land in Templeton is conserved, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 19% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Its National Register listings include Templeton Farm Colony and Templeton Common Historic District.
Where Templeton beats most towns.
Census counts: 950 in 1790, 8,149 in 2020. The archive holds 23 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 7 maps from 1887 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Templeton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Templeton, 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 Templeton.
At 1.8 per 1,000 residents, Templeton’s property crime rate is below both the Massachusetts town median (4.9) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9).
| Templeton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Narragansett school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Narragansett Regional High, with 492 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Templeton Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 581 | C |
| Narragansett Regional HighLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 492 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
The typical Templeton home is worth about $418,000, up 2.6% in a year, 36% below the Massachusetts typical home. 85% of households own their home in Templeton.
| Templeton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,207 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Templeton for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in Templeton grew to 1,309 in 2023, 296 more than in 2013. The median household income in Templeton is $101,000.
| Templeton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $101,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 17% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Templeton’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Birch Hill Reservoir Area, 1,112 acres with 5.9 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Birch Hill Reservoir Area | 5.9 mi | 1,112 |
| 2. Templeton State Forest | 3.6 mi | 706 |
| 3. Otter River State Forest | 1.6 mi | 507 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Templeton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 80°, January nights drop to 14° and about 51 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 84% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar. Its B for health tops all 4 graded neighbors; Winchendon (C+) comes closest.
28% of Templeton adults have been diagnosed with depression. Templeton beats the Massachusetts average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 18% of Templeton adults report frequent mental distress.
| Templeton | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 24% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 28% | 35% |
| What stands out | Templeton | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 13.8% | 11.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.1% | 5.9% |
| More adults with obesity | 33.3% | 27.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Templeton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
21 mi MountainMount Monadnock
18 mi LakeQuabbin Reservoir
38 mi LakeWalden Pond
25 mi Stadium & arenaDCU Center
25 mi LandmarkBurnside FountainLake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mount Monadnock: Jonwmcinenrey, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Quabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · DCU Center: Terageorge, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Burnside Fountain: Daderot, CC0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Templeton
About 3 of every 100 Templeton residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Where Templeton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Templeton on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Templeton.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Templeton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,149 at the 2020 census. The town comprises four main villages: Templeton Center, East Templeton, Baldwinville, and Otter River.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Templeton.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Templeton | #210 | B− | C+ | A− | C | B |
| Phillipston | — | — | B− | — | C | C |
| Gardner | #250 | C− | C+ | B− | C− | C |
| Winchendon | #256 | C− | C | B− | D | C+ |
| Royalston | — | — | B− | A+ | C− | C+ |
Phillipston and Royalston have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Phillipston reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Templeton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Templeton grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #210 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades B for health, A− for safety and C for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
11 notable people were born here, including Sarah Goodridge and Stephen Pearl Andrews.
