2017 Best Places to Raise a Family in MassachusettsAbout this List

Lexington

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 46

Current Resident: The amazing town of Lexington is the birthplace of the American Revolutionary War. The Lexington school district is among the top ranked in the state of MA and nationally. It is a friendly, family oriented, environmentally conscious and affluent community. Lexington is also very charitable and provides many opportunities for community service. The real estate market is very expensive and highly sought after. Great place to live.
Read 46 Reviews

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• 32,700 Population

Sudbury

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 11

Niche User: Sudbury is one of the prettiest areas in greater Boston with immense history, lush open green spaces, and many conveniences for daily living. Sudbury has been ranked as the safest town in MA! The populous is well educated, friendly, and involved in the community. The schools are outstanding. The majority of kids and parents are very much down to earth. We are very fortunate to call Sudbury home.
Read 11 Reviews

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• 18,397 Population

Sharon

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 32

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• 17,995 Population

Cordaville

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 11

Niche User: Living in Southborough Massachusetts over the years has been extremely amazing. It is a small town so it is not over run with large businesses and there are more "mom and pop" ran businesses. Everyone pretty much knows each other so the atmosphere is very friendly. The education is great, schools hire teachers that care about the students and push them everyday to do their best. I moved to this town when I was around eight years old, and if I were able to do it all again from an earlier age if I could. For the past decades Southborough has been a small quiet town and it look like it will stay like this for many more decades to come.
Read 11 Reviews

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• 2,594 Population

Weston

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 11

Niche User: My area is very safe and immensely wealthy. However, this is a town where people do not talk to many people in their neighborhood.
Read 11 Reviews

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• 11,850 Population

Hopkinton

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 14

Niche User: This is a good area in which to live. It has good schools and nice people. People generally have good jobs. It is close to a major city but is still a suburb. There is not much crime and people know each other. I would live here again. It is not very diverse in terms of cultures, but this is starting to change.
Read 14 Reviews

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• 15,925 Population

Wellesley

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 18

Former Resident: I lived here for four years in college. Great Boston suburb! It's very expensive to live in this area but if you can swing it, you will have very high quality of life.
Read 18 Reviews

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• 28,832 Population

Wayland

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 3

Current Resident: Great town to grow up in, good schools, safe,close to boston, its cultural life and many young people/students, visitors, multi cultural activities
Read 3 Reviews

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• 13,432 Population

Cochituate

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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• 6,893 Population

Boxborough

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 1

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• 5,137 Population

Southborough

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 6

Niche User: Amazing atmosphere, but class oriented.
Read 6 Reviews

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• 9,909 Population

Belmont

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 23

Former Resident: Belmont is a very small and cute town. Most have lived there for their entire lives and and thrive on the traditions of the town. Everything is in walking distance, which is great excersize after going to the the family run diners and ice cream parlors. After moving in to the town, I soon experienced the close knit unity between the people. Once you get involved with town events and the people, Belmont can be a great place to live!
Read 23 Reviews

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• 25,337 Population

Carlisle

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 22

Niche User: We have basically no crime in our area. Whenever we need to call the police for anything they are fast and responsive and they seem well prepared for any situation.
Read 22 Reviews

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• 5,074 Population

Newton

• Town in Massachusetts
• 19

Works Here: 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.
Read 19 Reviews

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• 87,675 Population

Lincoln

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 1

Current Resident: I enjoy living in Lincoln because of the surrounding woods. There are trails everywhere and the scenery is beautiful. My town is so small that our town center consists of only a grocery store, coffee shop, and gift shop. Everyone knows of each other and the people who live here are very down-to-earth and friendly. There are also farms in my town that many people like to visit to see the animals or buy fresh produce.
Read 1 Reviews

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• 7,270 Population

Winchester

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 31

Current Resident: A great town for families. The school system is one of the best. The high school is currently being renovated and the elementary schools are one of the top rated elementary schools in the state. Houses are costly and the downtown area is closed early, excluding restaurants. It is 20-30 minute commute to Boston with no traffic.
Read 31 Reviews

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• 22,075 Population

Medfield

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 34

Current Resident: Medfield is a lovely town with beautiful and happy people. The education system is fabulous and the students that leave Medfield public schools are extremely prepared to face the real world. Medfield has recently updated the food scene with a new organic grocery store Brother's and a new restaurant Avenue. If you are looking to settle down and start a family, Medfield is a great town to look into. The only negative aspect about Medfield that I have noticed is the lack of diversity. The town is 98% Caucasian, a disappointing statistic that does not leave the children as well rounded or culturally aware citizens. On the positive side, Medfield is a great family town with a great education system.
Read 34 Reviews

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• 12,368 Population

Dover

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 10

Niche User: The police report published in the town newspaper consists only of residents with lost pets or someone notifying the police of a car crash. It is very rare for an actual crime to occur in Dover.
Read 10 Reviews

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• 5,814 Population

Needham

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 34

Current Resident: Overall my experience with Needham has been very good! I moved here four years ago, and have gone through al grades in the Needham High School. The high school is very prestigious and the teachers are great.
Read 34 Reviews

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• 29,853 Population

Acton

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 39

Current Resident: A nice, quiet town with almost no crime at all. Many people only come for the school, though, because there is very little to this town beyond the high school. A lot of good restaurants, but nothing in the realm of entertainment; not even a movie theatre. I often find myself with nothing to do on the weekends and end up not leaving my house.
However, there is a lot of historical stuff here. It is where Captain Isaac Davis, the first officer killed in the Revolution, is from. There are many more resources in the library and town hall. Acton is also a great place to check out, support, or start up a small business. Nearly every store or restaurant is unique and independently owned, so a young entrepreneur would find themselves at home.
Read 39 Reviews

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• 22,925 Population

Westford

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 49

Current Resident: The education systems are simply the best! All the teachers, parents and students strive for the students to graduate and take on any future that interests the students. The town is a very nice and classy place to live. The people are mostly nice. One thing that needs improvement is the attitudes of the people in Westford towards minorities. Both children and adults can act in a negative way towards anyone who is not white.
Read 49 Reviews

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• 23,232 Population

Longmeadow

• Town in Massachusetts
• 49

Current Resident: Longmeadow has been a great town to grow up in. The school systems are fantastic, committed teachers and definitely a great music program. Really safe neighborhoods
Read 49 Reviews

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• 15,877 Population

Groton

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 32

Niche User: There is a very low crime rate, almost non-existent crime. Police are visible and patrol all areas frequently by car, motorcycle and bicycle in remote areas such as wooded bike paths and back streets.
Read 32 Reviews

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• 11,120 Population

Natick

• Suburb of Boston, MA
• 33

Current Resident: Natick is a small, lovely town that is open to diversity and cultures alike. There are an abundance of small mom-and-pop shops like the local bakery and ice cream stores - my personal favorites. There is a lovely small park on the common that is beautiful during the fall season and it is safe for children. The tight knit town unites the neighbors and local schools. It is also close to a performing arts high school that puts up wondrous shows annually, the town favorite being the Nutcracker.
Read 33 Reviews

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• 34,892 Population

Shrewsbury

• Town in Massachusetts
• 31

Current Resident: I grew up and live in Shrewsbury. It is centrally located to all routes and interstates. Schools are top notch. It is a good choice for growing families who need access to industry but like a town like- feeling as well. It has parks, a new library, middle school and high school. I would be hard pressed to move, as my family is very settled there and it is convenient to work for both my husband and I .
Read 31 Reviews

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• 36,352 Population