Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Wilmington grades A− overall, 108th of 282 graded towns in Massachusetts. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 94% of the country. The median household earns $168K. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $776K for a typical one and 6.7 times the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. Wilmington’s median household income is $168,000, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at $120,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Its National Register listings include Ephraim Buck House and Butters-Avery House. Wilmington is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 79% of U.S. towns.
Where Wilmington beats most towns.
Census counts: 710 in 1790, 23,349 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1704 and 8 maps from 1886 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Wilmington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wilmington. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw16 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
13 mi LakeWalden Pond
15 mi AttractionFreedom Trail
14 mi Stadium & arenaHarvard StadiumFenway 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 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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 Wilmington, 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 Wilmington.
Wilmington draws workers from Lawrence and beyond, has less no health insurance than most of Massachusetts and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
Its widest gap with Massachusetts is no health insurance: 3.2% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 5.2% statewide. Against the 1,748 U.S. towns with household incomes like Wilmington’s, it is healthier than 57%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
25% of Wilmington adults have obesity. Wilmington beats the Massachusetts average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 11% of Wilmington adults report frequent physical distress.
| Wilmington | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 28% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 12% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Wilmington | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.2% | 5.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.3% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Wilmington school district. Three of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 782 | B |
| Wilmington HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 619 | A+ |
| Shawsheen ElementaryTop results in townGrades 1–3 | Grades 1–3 | 304 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
21,772 jobs are based in Wilmington, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Most working residents leave Wilmington for work: only 11% work in town. Jobs based in Wilmington grew to 21,772 in 2023, 3,627 more than in 2013. 3.8% of residents live below the poverty line in Wilmington.
| Wilmington | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 20% | 18% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.8% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 9.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 26 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wilmington.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
17 miles of trail in 23 parks and preserves. The trail density in Wilmington is 1.0 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Wilmington Town Forest, 157 acres with 2.2 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wilmington Town Forest | 2.2 mi | 157 |
| 2. Town Park | 1.4 mi | 48 |
| 3. Hathaway Estates | 1 mi | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Wilmington has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 17° and about 64 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Wilmington’s median rent is $2,394 a month. The typical Wilmington home is worth about $776,000, up 2.4% in a year, 18% above the Massachusetts typical home.
| Wilmington | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,394 a month | $1,682 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 88% | 79% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 61% | 52% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The median household earns $168,152, against $103,960 across Massachusetts, one input to its A for jobs and income.
Adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 45% of residents (39% statewide). 50% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 47% across Massachusetts.
| Wilmington | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 50% | 47% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 42.3 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.1 points. Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Wilmington | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.6% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.5% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.4% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.3% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.9% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.3% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.5% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.1% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.6% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.9% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.1% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 31.4% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.9% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Reported crimes fell from 243 to 167 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Massachusetts has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Wilmington sits closer to the middle.
| Wilmington | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.7 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
22 within 15 miles of the center of Wilmington
About 4 of every 100 Wilmington residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Where Wilmington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
10 places in Wilmington on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Wilmington.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Wilmington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Its population was 23,349 at the 2020 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Wilmington.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | #108 | A− | D | B | B | A |
| Billerica | #89 | A− | D | A− | B− | A |
| Andover | #45 | A+ | D | A− | A | A+ |
| Burlington | #131 | B+ | D | C+ | B+ | A+ |
| North Reading | #51 | A | D− | A− | A | A+ |
| Tewksbury | #157 | B | D | B− | B | A |
| Reading | #19 | A+ | D | A | A− | A+ |
| Woburn | #177 | B | D | B | C+ | A |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Wilmington grades A− overall, better than 76% of U.S. towns and #108 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 Wilmington 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.
5 notable people were born here, including Ezra Otis Kendall and Harriet Thayer Durgin.
