Best towns near Boston: how to choose
We do not rank towns. We sort them by what matters to your search: price, commute and taxes.
The best town near Boston is the one that fits your budget, commute and home type. Start with price: the 12-month single-family median in the towns we track runs from about $525,000 to over $2.5 million. Then filter by how you will get to work, and compare tax bills.
Step 1: price
Towns grouped by 12-month single-family median, from The Context Report No. 5.
Under $700,000 (27 towns)
Abington, Amesbury, Carver, Dracut, Everett, Halifax, Hanson, Haverhill, Holbrook, Hudson, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Marlborough, Maynard, Merrimac, Methuen, Pembroke, Plympton, Randolph, Revere, Rockland, Salisbury, Saugus, Stoughton, Weymouth, Whitman
$700,000 to $999,999 (63 towns)
Acton, Ashland, Beverly, Billerica, Bolton, Boston, Burlington, Canton, Chelmsford, Chelsea, Danvers, Dedham, Essex, Foxboro, Framingham, Franklin, Georgetown, Gloucester, Groveland, Hamilton, Hanover, Holliston, Hull, Ipswich, Kingston, Littleton, Malden, Mansfield, Marshfield, Medford, Medway, Melrose, Middleton, Millis, Newbury, North Andover, North Reading, Northborough, Norwood, Peabody, Plymouth, Quincy, Reading, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Sharon, Southborough, Stoneham, Stow, Swampscott, Tewksbury, Topsfield, Wakefield, Walpole, Waltham, West Newbury, Westborough, Westford, Wilmington, Winthrop, Woburn, Wrentham
$1,000,000 to $1,499,999 (23 towns)
Andover, Arlington, Bedford, Boxborough, Boxford, Duxbury, Hingham, Hopkinton, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Medfield, Milton, Natick, Newburyport, Norwell, Scituate, Sherborn, Somerville, Sudbury, Watertown, Wayland, Wenham, Westwood
$1,500,000 and up (13 towns)
Belmont, Brookline, Cambridge, Cohasset, Concord, Dover, Lexington, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Needham, Newton, Wellesley, Weston, Winchester
Step 2: commute
Cities and towns in our coverage area with MBTA rapid transit:
| City or town | Rapid transit | 12-mo median |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | Red Line, Green Line | $2,475,000 |
| Brookline | Green Line C and D branches | $2,570,000 |
| Somerville | Green Line, Orange Line, Red Line | $1,305,000 |
| Medford | Green Line, Orange Line, commuter rail | $905,000 |
| Malden | Orange Line, commuter rail | $710,000 |
| Quincy | Red Line, commuter rail | $755,000 |
| Revere | Blue Line | $668,000 |
| Newton | Green Line D branch, commuter rail | $1,825,000 |
| Milton | Mattapan trolley | $1,106,700 |
| Chelsea | Silver Line, commuter rail | $711,000 |
Most other towns on this list have commuter rail to North Station or South Station. Back Bay station serves the Providence/Stoughton, Framingham/Worcester, Needham and Franklin lines. Check the MBTA commuter rail schedules for your line, and test any drive at rush hour.
Step 3: taxes
The ten lowest FY2026 residential tax rates in our coverage area:
| City or town | FY2026 rate | 12-mo median |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | $6.67 | $2,475,000 |
| Newbury | $7.51 | $940,000 |
| Rockport | $8.46 | $950,000 |
| Marblehead | $8.56 | $1,132,500 |
| Medford | $8.63 | $905,000 |
| Lawrence | $8.64 | $525,000 |
| Burlington | $8.69 | $865,500 |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea | $8.70 | $1,565,500 |
| Revere | $8.94 | $668,000 |
| Nahant | $8.99 |
All 129 rates are on our property tax rates by town page.
Step 4: look at the public data yourself
For schools, crime, water quality and flood risk, our town pages link to the official sources: DESE school profiles, state crime statistics, water quality reports and FEMA flood maps. We do not rate towns on these.
Sources
- The Context Report No. 5 (October 2026), 12-month single-family medians
- Massachusetts DOR FY2026 tax rates
- MBTA subway and commuter rail maps
Questions this page answers
What are the best towns to live in near Boston?
There is no single answer, and we do not rank towns. The right town depends on your budget, your commute and what kind of home you want. This page groups the 129 cities and towns we track by price, transit and property tax so you can narrow the list.
Which towns near Boston have the T?
Cambridge, Brookline, Somerville, Medford, Malden, Quincy, Revere, Newton, Milton and Chelsea all have MBTA rapid transit stops. Many more have commuter rail.
Which towns near Boston have the lowest property taxes?
By FY2026 residential rate: Cambridge ($6.67), Newbury ($7.51), Rockport ($8.46), Marblehead ($8.56), Medford ($8.63). A low rate does not always mean a low bill, because home values differ.
Which towns are safe or have good schools?
We do not label towns. Every town page links to the state's public school profiles and crime data so you can see the numbers yourself.