You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Massachusetts. Best suburbs in Massachusetts. Best counties in Massachusetts.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Bay State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Massachusetts based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Massachusetts ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$191,146 median income · 1.6% unemployment
$201,094 median income · 3.8% unemployment
$77,665 median income · 1.2% unemployment
$212,734 median income · 4.0% unemployment
$126,694 median income · 3.4% unemployment
$165,375 median income · 4.8% unemployment
$158,125 median income · 6.7% unemployment
$104,102 median income · 0.6% unemployment
$117,321 median income · 2.9% unemployment
$108,315 median income · 3.2% unemployment
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Massachusetts’s statewide median.
Massachusetts statewide median: $103,960
Massachusetts statewide median: $656,690
Massachusetts statewide median: 5.2%
On the map
Where Massachusetts’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Massachusetts
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Massachusetts possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 97 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 97, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Massachusetts. Top of that list — Topsfield.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Massachusetts.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Massachusetts
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Topsfield | 2,624 | $191,146 | $964,376 | 1.6% |
| 2 | Hopkinton | 3,426 | $201,094 | $961,411 | 3.8% |
| 3 | Vineyard Haven | 2,469 | $77,665 | $990,001 | 1.2% |
| 4 | South Duxbury | 3,252 | $212,734 | $1,147,251 | 4.0% |
| 5 | Duxbury | 1,994 | $126,694 | $1,095,537 | 3.4% |
| 6 | Cordaville | 2,989 | $165,375 | $894,786 | 4.8% |
| 7 | Provincetown | 3,452 | $158,125 | $1,060,322 | 6.7% |
| 8 | Ipswich | 4,924 | $104,102 | $842,373 | 0.6% |
| 9 | Sandwich | 2,890 | $117,321 | $681,450 | 2.9% |
| 10 | Sagamore | 4,072 | $108,315 | $672,579 | 3.2% |
| 11 | Rowley | 1,708 | $109,622 | $794,857 | 0.0% |
| 12 | Boxford | 2,284 | $188,482 | $1,063,822 | 3.4% |
| 13 | Nahant | 3,325 | $112,762 | $952,662 | 5.9% |
| 14 | Brewster | 1,994 | $113,214 | $778,117 | 8.8% |
| 15 | North Falmouth | 2,838 | $121,509 | $835,671 | 6.4% |
| 16 | Orleans | 1,480 | $78,359 | $1,060,721 | 0.0% |
| 17 | Hatfield | 1,449 | $110,972 | $487,235 | 0.0% |
| 18 | Essex | 1,688 | $161,250 | $894,195 | 2.2% |
| 19 | Dover | 2,308 | $250,001 | $1,760,580 | 12.2% |
| 20 | Mattapoisett Center | 2,669 | $105,500 | $761,602 | 3.1% |
| 21 | Norton Center | 2,663 | $119,949 | $634,960 | 2.3% |
| 22 | Harwich Center | 1,774 | $85,057 | $743,961 | 2.4% |
| 23 | Marshfield Hills | 1,978 | $216,250 | $995,024 | 0.0% |
| 24 | Lunenburg | 2,057 | $109,662 | $543,071 | 1.3% |
| 25 | West Dennis | 2,556 | $95,758 | $753,307 | 0.7% |
| 26 | Dennis | 2,424 | $109,882 | $663,221 | 3.2% |
| 27 | Falmouth | 3,954 | $68,227 | $836,606 | 2.7% |
| 28 | East Sandwich | 3,864 | $115,000 | $838,067 | 2.7% |
| 29 | Millis-Clicquot | 4,437 | $146,853 | $637,414 | 3.0% |
| 30 | Westborough | 4,699 | $106,200 | $735,837 | 2.5% |
| 31 | Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock | 4,540 | $119,310 | $647,227 | 4.1% |
| 32 | Sturbridge | 2,443 | $131,568 | $507,734 | 0.0% |
| 33 | East Douglas | 2,987 | $138,309 | $507,735 | 1.9% |
| 34 | Rockport | 4,704 | $86,250 | $858,672 | 8.8% |
| 35 | South Lancaster | 2,177 | $109,173 | $492,313 | 8.9% |
| 36 | Littleton Common | 3,289 | $135,074 | $652,134 | 7.6% |
| 37 | North Pembroke | 3,393 | $194,309 | $626,198 | 1.3% |
| 38 | South Dennis | 3,135 | $88,411 | $579,117 | 3.8% |
| 39 | Lenox | 1,866 | $61,335 | $588,719 | 0.0% |
| 40 | Marion Center | 1,335 | $150,700 | $827,844 | 0.0% |
| 41 | North Seekonk | 2,974 | $114,712 | $510,188 | 6.6% |
| 42 | Bourne | 1,806 | $97,847 | $652,434 | 17.1% |
| 43 | Shirley | 1,146 | $108,494 | $552,970 | 6.0% |
| 44 | Hopedale | 4,360 | $107,909 | $531,391 | 2.3% |
| 45 | Ocean Grove | 3,453 | $118,696 | $423,151 | 7.0% |
| 46 | Monument Beach | 3,277 | $77,167 | $654,120 | 8.5% |
| 47 | North Lakeville | 3,624 | $106,713 | $634,727 | 1.7% |
| 48 | Pocasset | 2,247 | $84,583 | $829,362 | 4.8% |
| 49 | Teaticket | 1,759 | $84,837 | $625,965 | 1.6% |
| 50 | East Dennis | 3,062 | $103,654 | $810,787 | 3.4% |
| 51 | South Ashburnham | 1,500 | $126,071 | $432,614 | 0.0% |
| 52 | Groton | 1,232 | $135,714 | $776,501 | 7.2% |
| 53 | White Island Shores | 1,620 | $106,667 | $476,542 | 1.3% |
| 54 | Granby | 1,152 | $135,750 | $397,140 | 2.4% |
| 55 | Great Barrington | 2,331 | $64,506 | $587,628 | 3.3% |
| 56 | Hanscom AFB | 2,110 | $104,688 | $0 | 0.7% |
| 57 | West Falmouth | 1,325 | $77,292 | $961,728 | 10.2% |
| 58 | Onset | 1,380 | $137,997 | $477,009 | 12.2% |
| 59 | Forestdale | 3,801 | $108,158 | $643,604 | 3.1% |
| 60 | Raynham Center | 4,841 | $132,382 | $639,867 | 3.5% |
| 61 | Chatham | 1,600 | $83,750 | $1,290,306 | 7.7% |
| 62 | Harwich Port | 2,238 | $70,761 | $1,056,860 | 9.5% |
| 63 | Northwest Harwich | 3,932 | $107,730 | $777,023 | 7.4% |
| 64 | Lee | 1,511 | $70,724 | $412,951 | 4.0% |
| 65 | Upton | 3,234 | $110,900 | $704,547 | 6.0% |
| 66 | Hanson | 1,927 | $119,211 | $605,148 | 9.1% |
| 67 | Wareham Center | 3,635 | $91,936 | $497,337 | 0.8% |
| 68 | Rutland | 2,019 | $95,724 | $528,115 | 8.4% |
| 69 | South Deerfield | 1,882 | $103,056 | $449,500 | 3.7% |
| 70 | Fiskdale | 2,311 | $112,400 | $478,177 | 5.9% |
| 71 | Buzzards Bay | 2,909 | $94,388 | $530,983 | 2.8% |
| 72 | Ayer | 3,098 | $74,878 | $561,720 | 4.1% |
| 73 | North Eastham | 2,085 | $77,442 | $805,296 | 9.6% |
| 74 | Weweantic | 1,452 | $62,481 | $491,612 | 11.1% |
| 75 | Acushnet Center | 2,810 | $71,864 | $442,661 | 7.9% |
| 76 | East Pepperell | 1,949 | $96,198 | $502,828 | 5.1% |
| 77 | Belchertown | 2,355 | $77,428 | $468,712 | 1.9% |
| 78 | Turners Falls | 4,124 | $54,772 | $323,490 | 5.0% |
| 79 | Wilbraham | 3,679 | $92,188 | $474,096 | 4.8% |
| 80 | East Brookfield | 1,445 | $69,837 | $426,075 | 2.4% |
| 81 | North Plymouth | 4,337 | $80,745 | $577,715 | 16.1% |
| 82 | Winchendon | 4,331 | $55,809 | $398,630 | 4.0% |
| 83 | Smith Mills | 4,612 | $64,818 | $491,145 | 6.2% |
| 84 | Pepperell | 1,971 | $76,726 | $599,747 | 5.9% |
| 85 | Northfield | 1,070 | $68,333 | $363,955 | 5.1% |
| 86 | Devens | 1,723 | $189,250 | $552,207 | 5.3% |
| 87 | Millers Falls | 1,054 | $68,750 | $311,554 | 2.9% |
| 88 | Dennis Port | 3,691 | $70,094 | $612,062 | 9.6% |
| 89 | Holland | 1,301 | $86,615 | $370,176 | 2.8% |
| 90 | Shelburne Falls | 1,845 | $76,536 | $367,424 | 4.6% |
| 91 | North Brookfield | 2,659 | $77,740 | $383,281 | 4.7% |
| 92 | West Brookfield | 1,563 | $76,625 | $408,273 | 7.8% |
| 93 | Baldwinville | 2,528 | $51,917 | $360,147 | 21.1% |
| 94 | Warren | 1,426 | $40,365 | $354,629 | 8.8% |
| 95 | Orange | 3,737 | $48,115 | $317,977 | 13.2% |
| 96 | Monson Center | 1,613 | $64,563 | $337,867 | 9.2% |
| 97 | West Wareham | 2,257 | $58,560 | $269,639 | 12.1% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 97 Massachusetts towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Massachusetts are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Massachusetts are Topsfield, Hopkinton, Vineyard Haven, South Duxbury, Duxbury, Cordaville, Provincetown, Ipswich, Sandwich, and Sagamore. Not sold on Massachusetts? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Small Towns In Massachusetts FAQs
What is the best small town to live in Massachusetts?
Topsfield is the best small town in Massachusetts for 2026. The median household income there is $191,146 and the median home costs $964,376. Hopkinton and Vineyard Haven round out the top three.
What are the best small towns in Massachusetts?
The best small towns in Massachusetts are Topsfield, Hopkinton, Vineyard Haven, South Duxbury, Duxbury, Cordaville, Provincetown, Ipswich, Sandwich, and Sagamore. We ranked all 97 Massachusetts towns with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
What counts as a small town?
For this ranking, a small town is any Massachusetts place with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents. 97 towns fit that window this year.
How do you rank the best small towns in Massachusetts?
Each town is scored on density, unemployment, housing costs, income, education, insurance coverage, and commute times, using Census American Community Survey data. The town with the best average across all of it, Topsfield, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Topsfield?
The median home in Topsfield runs $964,376, against $656,690 across Massachusetts as a whole. Pair that with a $191,146 median household income, and you can see why it ranks so well.
