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 2026
/10
Population: 89,044
Median Income: $190,304
Average Home Price: $1,528,893
More on Newton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Newton is located 9 miles west of Boston.
/10
Population: 29,650
Median Income: $133,953
Average Home Price: $908,130
More on Melrose: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Melrose is located 8 miles north of Boston.
/10
Population: 64,902
Median Income: $120,216
Average Home Price: $826,437
More on Waltham: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Waltham is located 11 miles west of Boston.
/10
Population: 42,665
Median Income: $106,044
Average Home Price: $755,766
More on Beverly: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Beverly is located 17 miles north of Boston.
/10
Population: 81,036
Median Income: $132,572
Average Home Price: $940,239
More on Somerville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Somerville is located 5 miles west of Boston.
/10
Population: 118,796
Median Income: $130,748
Average Home Price: $1,041,569
More on Cambridge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Cambridge is located 5 miles west of Boston.
/10
Population: 59,354
Median Income: $129,540
Average Home Price: $842,297
More on Medford: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Medford is located 7 miles north of Boston.
/10
Population: 41,939
Median Income: $111,185
Average Home Price: $758,602
More on Woburn: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Woburn is located 12 miles north of Boston.
/10
Population: 54,695
Median Income: $96,657
Average Home Price: $694,094
More on Peabody: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Peabody is located 14 miles north of Boston.
/10
Population: 30,075
Median Income: $83,883
Average Home Price: $760,558
More on Gloucester: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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 Brockton 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, Somerville, Cambridge, Medford, Woburn, Peabody, and Gloucester.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Massachusetts according to the data:
- Brockton
- Chelsea
- Lowell
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 | 89,044 | $190,304 | $1,528,893 |
| 2 | Melrose | 29,650 | $133,953 | $908,130 |
| 3 | Waltham | 64,902 | $120,216 | $826,437 |
| 4 | Beverly | 42,665 | $106,044 | $755,766 |
| 5 | Somerville | 81,036 | $132,572 | $940,239 |
| 6 | Cambridge | 118,796 | $130,748 | $1,041,569 |
| 7 | Medford | 59,354 | $129,540 | $842,297 |
| 8 | Woburn | 41,939 | $111,185 | $758,602 |
| 9 | Peabody | 54,695 | $96,657 | $694,094 |
| 10 | Gloucester | 30,075 | $83,883 | $760,558 |
| 11 | Salem | 44,795 | $85,153 | $606,558 |
| 12 | Malden | 65,906 | $100,606 | $684,055 |
| 13 | Leominster | 43,909 | $83,816 | $463,493 |
| 14 | Marlborough | 41,647 | $91,968 | $578,933 |
| 15 | Quincy | 102,114 | $98,882 | $675,958 |
| 16 | Taunton | 60,433 | $79,283 | $513,321 |
| 17 | Lynn | 101,709 | $75,043 | $580,315 |
| 18 | Everett | 50,045 | $85,218 | $639,069 |
| 19 | Revere | 60,012 | $86,969 | $612,970 |
| 20 | Gardner | 21,148 | $67,518 | $369,177 |
| 21 | Lawrence | 88,736 | $60,433 | $504,150 |
| 22 | Fitchburg | 41,798 | $73,040 | $396,820 |
| 23 | Lowell | 118,368 | $78,658 | $480,318 |
| 24 | Chelsea | 39,908 | $72,179 | $526,190 |
| 25 | Brockton | 105,386 | $80,115 | $503,832 |