Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Few places in the country grade higher. Westford earns an A+, ranked 37th of 282 in Massachusetts. It is among the healthiest towns in the country on CDC estimates, its public schools beat 93% of Massachusetts towns on state tests and graduation, and it reports less crime per resident than 92% of U.S. towns. The exception is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $827K, 7.1 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 14 places on the National Register. 74% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Westford, above both Massachusetts’ towns (47%) and U.S. towns (29%). Its National Register listings include John Proctor House and Henry Fletcher House. Westford's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Where Westford beats most towns.
John Proctor House| Widest gap | Westford | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.4% | 5.2% |
Census counts: 1,229 in 1790, 24,643 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1702 and 8 maps from 1886 on.
14 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Westford is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Westford. Close and well known come first.
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
11 mi LakeWalden Pond
Big draw24 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
25 mi AttractionFreedom Trail
22 mi Stadium & arenaHarvard StadiumFenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Harvard Stadium: Nick Allen, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Westford, 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 Westford.
Westford trades workers with Boston and other neighbors, has less no health insurance than most of Massachusetts and pairs an A for schools with high home prices.
Westford’s trail density is 4.5 miles per square mile. Stony Brook Conservation Land, at 387 acres with 8.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Westford’s conserved land covers 23% of the town.
| Westford | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 4.5 miles per square mile | 1.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 23% | 19% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Richard Emmet Conservation Land | 9.6 mi | 355 |
| 2. Stony Brook Conservation Land | 8.7 mi | 387 |
| 3. Greystone Conservation Land | 6.7 mi | 366 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its A for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $827K.
Its public schools are run by the Westford school district. Three of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stony Brook SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 546 | A |
| Westford AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,504 | A+ |
| Abbot ElementaryTop results in townGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 371 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Massachusetts is no health insurance: 2.4% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 5.2% statewide.
Westford beats the Massachusetts average on 21 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 22% of adults have obesity in Westford.
| Westford | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 28% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.3% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Westford | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.4% | 5.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.7% | 11.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Violent crime is rare: 8 reported in 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in Westford is 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Westford | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 82% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Westford.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The median property tax bill is $9,695, against $5,992 across Massachusetts, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
86% of Westford households own their home. The typical Westford home is worth about $827,000, about the same as a year ago, 26% above the Massachusetts typical home.
| Westford | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,436 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 86% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Westford has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 16° and about 59 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Westford has about as many jobs (11,137) as working residents, but only 1,290 people both live and work here. 27% of workers work from home, against 18.6% across Massachusetts.
Most working residents leave Westford for work: only 11% work in town. Jobs based in Westford grew to 11,137 in 2023, 816 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Boston (11%), Lowell (5%) and Burlington (4%).
| Westford | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $187,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 27% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
6 within 15 miles of the center of Westford
About 5 of every 100 Westford residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
23% of the town is conserved land, across 70 parks and preserves.
14 places in Westford on the National Register of Historic Places.
9 notable people were born in Westford.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Westford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was at 24,643 at the time of the 2020 Census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Westford.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westford | #37 | A+ | D | A | A | A+ |
| Chelmsford | #98 | A− | D | B | B+ | A+ |
| Littleton | #43 | A+ | C− | A | A− | A+ |
| Groton | #7 | A+ | C+ | A | A | A+ |
| Carlisle | #2 | A+ | B | A | A+ | A+ |
| Tyngsborough | #220 | C+ | D | — | C+ | A |
| Acton | #20 | A+ | D | A | A | A+ |
Tyngsborough reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Westford with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Westford grades A+ overall, better than 97% of U.S. towns and #37 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A+ for health, A for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
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.
9 notable people were born here, including Aaron Stanford and Pat Bradley.
