Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Walpole grades A overall, ranked 71st of 282 in Massachusetts. Residents are healthier than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household earns $172K. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $774K, 6.7 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. Walpole’s median household income is $172,000, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at $120,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Walpole is more walkable than 89% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Union Station and Deacon Willard Lewis House.
Where Walpole beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,005 in 1790, 26,383 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1876 and 2 maps from 1943 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Walpole is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Walpole. Close and well known come first.
Big draw4 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw16 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Big draw31 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
21 mi LakeWalden Pond
18 mi AttractionFreedom TrailGillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Walpole, 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 Walpole.
Walpole has less tooth loss than most of Massachusetts, has household incomes well above the Massachusetts norm and has an unusually large share working from home.
Its widest gap with Massachusetts is tooth loss: 6.5% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 11.9% statewide.
23% of adults have obesity in Walpole. Walpole beats the Massachusetts average on 18 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 15% of adults get no exercise outside work in Walpole.
| Walpole | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 28% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.5% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Walpole | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.5% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Three of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walpole Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 829 | – |
| Walpole HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 917 | A |
| Elm Street SchoolTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 438 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
49 miles of trail in 15 parks and preserves. Walpole’s trail density is 2.3 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Adams Farm, 162 acres with 5.1 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Adams Farm | 5.1 mi | 162 |
| 2. Adams Farm Preserve | 1.8 mi | 123 |
| 3. Francis William Bird Park | 1.6 mi | 87 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Walpole.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Walpole has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 18° and about 56 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median rent in Walpole is $2,205 a month. The typical Walpole home is worth about $774,000, up 2.7% in a year, 18% above the Massachusetts typical home. 84% of Walpole households own their home.
| Walpole | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,205 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 84% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Massachusetts has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Walpole sits closer to the middle.
| Walpole | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.9 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
28.2% of workers work from home, against 18.6% across Massachusetts.
Most working residents leave Walpole for work: only 9% work in town. The top destinations are Boston (27%), Norwood (5%) and Cambridge (3%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
| Walpole | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 28% | 18% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.6% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
22 within 15 miles of the center of Walpole
About 5 of every 100 Walpole residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
3 places in Walpole on the National Register of Historic Places.
18 notable people were born in Walpole.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Walpole is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Walpole Town, as the Census refers to it, is located approximately 18 miles (29 km) south of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, and 30 miles (48 km) north of Providence, Rhode Island. The population of Walpole was 26,383 at the 2020 census. Walpole was first settled in 1659 and was considered a part of Dedham until officially incorporated in 1724. The town was named after Sir Robert Walpole, de facto first prime minister of Great Britain. It also encompasses the entirely distinct entity of Walpole (CDP), with its much smaller area of 2.9 square miles.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Walpole.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Walpole grades A overall, better than 88% of U.S. towns and #71 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A+ for health, B for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes, by national standards. Massachusetts has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Walpole sits nearer the middle.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
18 notable people were born here, including Charles Farrell and Ruth Graves Wakefield.
