Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The National Register of Historic Places lists 2 places here.
Westwood does the important things well, at a cost. Health is where it shines (A+): CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 98% of the country. The trade-off is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.2 million, 10.6 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. Put together, the subjects come to an A overall, ranking 58th of 282 in Massachusetts. Nationally, it does better than 92% of U.S. towns. 72% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more locally, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 47% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 12 of Massachusetts’ 325 towns score higher on hazard risk. This Massachusetts town is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 84% of U.S. towns.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index.
Where Westwood beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,112 in 1900, 16,266 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 8 maps from 1886 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Westwood is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Westwood. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw9 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw10 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Big draw34 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
10 mi MuseumMuseum of Fine Arts Boston477K visitors a year
13 mi AttractionFreedom TrailFenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Martin~jawiki at Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Westwood, 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 Westwood.
Westwood has schools in the top 5% of Massachusetts and draws workers from Boston and beyond, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
At 10.6 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income, the typical home (about $1.23M) costs more against local pay than in 93% of Massachusetts towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
Westwood’s median rent stands at $2,553 a month. Zillow values the typical Westwood home at about $1,232,000, up 3.7% in a year, 88% above the Massachusetts typical home. Among households locally, 87% live in a home they own.
| Westwood | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,553 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 87% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #11 of the 283 Massachusetts towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.23M.
Of its 9 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason. The largest public high school is Westwood High, with 837 students. Its public schools are run by the Westwood school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| E W Thurston MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 664 | A− |
| Westwood HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 837 | A+ |
| William E SheehanTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 278 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Massachusetts is food insecurity: 6.6% of its 12,252 adults worry about having enough food, against 12.4% statewide. Against the 675 U.S. towns with household incomes like Westwood’s, it is healthier than 63%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
13% of adults in Westwood report frequent mental distress; 7.7% smoke cigarettes. Of 32 CDC measures, Westwood beats the Massachusetts average on 18 and trails it on 1. Westwood: 22% of adults have obesity.
| Westwood | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 28% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.7% | 11% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 25% |
| What stands out | Westwood | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.6% | 12.4% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.8% | 5.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The trail network density for Westwood comes to 2.6 miles per square mile. 28 miles of trail in 36 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Hale Education, at 531 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hale Reservation | 10.7 mi | 502 |
| 2. Lowell Woods | 4.6 mi | 248 |
| 3. Sen Ki | 1.2 mi | 29 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
13,119 jobs are based in Westwood, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 9,799 in 2013 to 13,119.
The top destinations are Boston (32%), Cambridge (4%) and Newton (3%). For most workers, Westwood is a place to come home to: only 7% work in town. Employers in Westwood added 3,320 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 13,119. The town’s typical household income is $223,000.
| Westwood | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $223,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 25% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 4.6% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The FEMA risk score in Westwood is 8 of 100. FEMA puts 70% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 14% to hurricanes. Flood insurance has paid out on 27 claims locally since 1978.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A winter brings about 56 inches of snow, with January nights at 19° and July afternoons at 84°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes rose from 223 to 329 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 4 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
Massachusetts has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Westwood sits closer to the middle. For Westwood, the property crime rate is 19.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Westwood | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 19.6 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
52 within 15 miles of the center of Westwood
About 5 of every 100 Westwood residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
14,618 counted in 2010 and 16,266 in 2020; an estimated 16,426 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
2 places in Westwood on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Westwood.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Westwood is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,266 at the 2020 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Westwood.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Westwood grades A overall, better than 92% of U.S. towns and #58 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A+ for health, B for safety and A+ 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 Westwood 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.
4 notable people were born here, including Kenny Florian and Paul LaCamera.
