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Town
Boston

Newton

#3 in Best Places to Live in Massachusetts
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • Town in Massachusetts
  • 41 reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A+
  2. Crime & Safety
    B+
  3. Housing
    B-
  4. Nightlife
    A
  5. Good for Families
    A+
  6. Diversity
    A-
  7. Jobs
    B+
  8. Weather
    C
  9. Cost of Living
    C-
  10. Health & Fitness
    A+
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A
  12. Commute
    A-
View Full Report Card
Newton is a town in Massachusetts with a population of 88,317. Newton is in Middlesex County and is one of the best places to live in Massachusetts. Living in Newton offers residents a suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Newton there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals live in Newton and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in Newton are highly rated.
About Newton...
Population
88,317

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$788,500
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$1,733
National
$949
Area Feel
Suburban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    29%
  • Own
    71%
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Newton Rankings

Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
B+
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    43
    283
  • Murder
    0
    6
  • Rape
    6
    41
  • Robbery
    6
    136
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    97
    500
  • Theft
    525
    2,043
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    20
    284
Home Security Options for Newton
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  • 24/7 Whole home protection with no contract
  • CNET Editor’s choice winner 2018

Residents

Diversity
A-
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Median Household Income
$127,402
National
$55,322
Children
18%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    48%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    29%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    11%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    9%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3%
    13%
  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Colleges
Places like Newton
  • A+
    Belmont
    • Suburb of Boston, MA
    • 30 reviews
  • A+
    Waban
    • Neighborhood in Newton, MA
    • 2 reviews
  • A+
    West Newton
    • Neighborhood in Newton, MA
    • 20 reviews
  • A+
    Lexington
    • Suburb of Boston, MA
    • 57 reviews
More

Newton Reviews

41 reviews
All Categories
The Newton Public School System is really awesome. One of the best parts, in my opinion, is the Career Tech Ed opportunities at Newton North High. Aside from the education aspect, Newton is also a city that feels incredibly safe. There are not many crimes or threats in the city at all. There are a lot of things going on in the city at all times, there are many good restaurants, shops, and activities. The different areas in Newton are very different from each other: Newton Highlands, Newton Corner, Newton Centre, Nonantum, Chestnuthill, etc. They all have different things to offer!
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Newton, Massachusetts is a safe, family-oriented city just 5 miles outside of Boston. Due to it's safety, and it's stellar public schools, it is incredibly expensive to live here. The median cost for a home in Newton is over 1 million dollars!
I work as a teacher's aide here and although it's an outstanding public school system, there's practically no diversity when it comes to the educators. I still love working here; I just wish there were more people of color on staff.
Overall Newton, Massachusetts is a great place to work, live and go to school, and I'm fortunate for the opportunity to work here.
We've lived in Newton the past 10 years and have found it to be safe and family oriented with excellent public schools. Looking at some of the other towns listed here that are 15-20 miles outside Boston like Lexington, Sudbury, etc., it's really hard to compare them to Newton because they have small populations and are mostly rural rather than suburban. Newton is a true city with over 85,000 residents and borders Boston/Brookline with public transportation directly into downtown Boston. Many people, who lived in Boston, Cambridge, or Brookline, move to Newton once they have kids because the schools are way better and housing is relatively cheaper (yes, $1 million is expensive, but you'll at least get a 3 bedroom house with land versus a one bedroom condo with no parking spot in Boston). While there are many nice restaurants, nightlife is pretty dead after 9 or 10pm. Residents are generally well educated, come from diverse backgrounds, and are friendly.