Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Massachusetts? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Boston, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Massachusetts suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Bay State
Newton is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Massachusetts.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Massachusetts, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Massachusetts and the best places to raise a family in Massachusetts.
Best Suburbs In Massachusetts For 2024
/10
Population: 88,453
Median Income: $176,373
Average Home Price: $1,367,720
More on Newton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Newton is located 9 miles west of Boston.
/10
Population: 29,477
Median Income: $126,305
Average Home Price: $819,404
More on Melrose: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Melrose is located 8 miles north of Boston.
/10
Population: 64,711
Median Income: $113,443
Average Home Price: $747,940
More on Waltham: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Waltham is located 11 miles west of Boston.
/10
Population: 42,414
Median Income: $99,525
Average Home Price: $671,453
More on Beverly: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Beverly is located 17 miles north of Boston.
/10
Population: 117,962
Median Income: $121,539
Average Home Price: $946,296
More on Cambridge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cambridge is located 5 miles west of Boston.
/10
Population: 80,464
Median Income: $120,778
Average Home Price: $878,789
More on Somerville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Somerville is located 5 miles west of Boston.
/10
Population: 40,992
Median Income: $104,780
Average Home Price: $670,017
More on Woburn: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Woburn is located 12 miles north of Boston.
/10
Population: 61,748
Median Income: $114,863
Average Home Price: $753,975
More on Medford: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Medford is located 7 miles north of Boston.
/10
Population: 54,204
Median Income: $91,125
Average Home Price: $628,178
More on Peabody: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Peabody is located 14 miles north of Boston.
/10
Population: 29,830
Median Income: $84,465
Average Home Price: $684,078
More on Gloucester: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Gloucester is located 26 miles east of Boston.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Bay State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Massachusetts. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Massachusetts, we looked at every town with at least 21,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Massachusetts across these criteria from one to 25, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Massachusetts.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Massachusetts.
Read on to see why Newton is the ‘burb with the most, while Chelsea is probably not the best place to live in Massachusetts.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Massachusetts
If you’re measuring the locations in Massachusetts where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Massachusetts are Newton, Melrose, Waltham, Beverly, Cambridge, Somerville, Woburn, Medford, Peabody, and Gloucester.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Massachusetts according to the data:
- Chelsea
- Brockton
- Lawrence
For more Massachusetts reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Massachusetts
- Cheapest Places To Live In Massachusetts
- Most Dangerous Cities In Massachusetts
- Richest Cities In Massachusetts
- Safest Places In Massachusetts
- Worst Places To Live In Massachusetts
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Massachusetts
The Best Suburbs In Massachusetts
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newton | 88,453 | $176,373 | $1,367,720 |
| 2 | Melrose | 29,477 | $126,305 | $819,404 |
| 3 | Waltham | 64,711 | $113,443 | $747,940 |
| 4 | Beverly | 42,414 | $99,525 | $671,453 |
| 5 | Cambridge | 117,962 | $121,539 | $946,296 |
| 6 | Somerville | 80,464 | $120,778 | $878,789 |
| 7 | Woburn | 40,992 | $104,780 | $670,017 |
| 8 | Medford | 61,748 | $114,863 | $753,975 |
| 9 | Peabody | 54,204 | $91,125 | $628,178 |
| 10 | Gloucester | 29,830 | $84,465 | $684,078 |
| 11 | Salem | 44,541 | $79,196 | $556,514 |
| 12 | Marlborough | 41,391 | $94,199 | $521,510 |
| 13 | Quincy | 100,981 | $90,668 | $617,826 |
| 14 | Malden | 65,463 | $90,295 | $609,995 |
| 15 | Taunton | 59,436 | $72,782 | $455,672 |
| 16 | Leominster | 43,620 | $75,620 | $413,118 |
| 17 | Revere | 60,577 | $78,968 | $558,745 |
| 18 | Fitchburg | 41,621 | $65,963 | $357,162 |
| 19 | Lowell | 114,737 | $73,008 | $435,128 |
| 20 | Lynn | 100,653 | $70,046 | $511,699 |
| 21 | Everett | 48,685 | $77,796 | $567,525 |
| 22 | Gardner | 21,090 | $56,974 | $331,761 |
| 23 | Lawrence | 88,067 | $53,977 | $436,042 |
| 24 | Brockton | 104,713 | $74,016 | $455,030 |
| 25 | Chelsea | 39,890 | $71,051 | $483,659 |