2023 Best Suburbs to Buy a House in the Boston Area

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4.26 out of 5  19 reviews

Current Resident: I believe the school system is great! I have had very few teachers I did not like which is amazing for a public school. Although, the ratings have gone down and Wayland Public Schools is now not ranked top 10 in the state, when it was previously top 5 I believe. It is a predominantly white town although there is around 30% asians and 5% black students in my high school. Very easy access to 95 and 90 which makes the commute to activities easy. It is expensive but at the cost of good schools. Additionally, as a student there are always places looking for staff and also interns.... Read 19 reviews

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• Population 13,859

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4.11 out of 5  37 reviews

Current Resident: Hopkinton is a very resident based town. It doesn't have many big franchise stores but rather family owned shops that the town adores such as The Spoon and Hop-Yo. All of the schools from elementary to high school are amazingly diverse and ranked highly in Massachusetts Public Schools. One thing that I think could benefit from in traffic during the week days. Around 7:20-8:00 am, the main street of Hopkinton is normally slow because construction or the rush of getting to school or work. Overall, Hopkinton is a lovely town that feels like home. As a girl who moved to the town during the 6th grade, it was very easy to connect with my peers and make friends in this community. Hopkinton also has fun amenities like Whitehall Lake, Sandy Beach, and Hopkinton State Park which are great for rope swinging, swimming, and having picnics, respectively. Hopkinton provides that comforting feel that I crave which is why I love this town and everything it has to offer.... Read 37 reviews

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• Population 18,501

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4.4 out of 5  5 reviews

Current Resident: Overall a very nice farming community, it is a bit far out there and is closer to Nashua, NH. The town is pretty small but has great public schools and is very friendly to new people.... Read 5 reviews

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• Population 3,369

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4 out of 5  19 reviews

Current Resident: Has been a wonderful place to raise our kids. Pro's are Schools are excellent, always in the top 10 in the state for MCAS scores. High School is The Bromfield School. Kids are getting a private school education at a public school price. Really beautiful town with lots of conversation land and town beach. Nice town center with brand new Elementary School and Library. Multiple apple orchards and horse properties. Lots of town spirit, Halloween held in town center for the children is a great tradition. Con's are very high taxes and little affordable and senior housing. Very limited town services. Sports are not covered in property taxes and often run $300/child. Small population, approx. 6,500. No grocery store, hardware store, retail etc, have to drive to neighboring towns for everything. Ft. Devens is nearby and active training includes munitions fire. Overall a lovely place to live and for kids to grow up.... Read 19 reviews

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• Population 6,829

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 3.91 out of 5  45 reviews

Current Resident: Medway is a great place to live! Friendly people, great schools with a small town feel. Having bi-racial family members, I found Medway to be inclusive. The people of the community have treated my family with dignity and respect. Neighbors were so welcoming when we first moved to the community, finally felt like this was the "home" I had always been looking for. A fantastic place to raise a family, no matter your race, religious beliefs or orientation. Good, good people here!... Read 45 reviews

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• Population 13,105

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 3.91 out of 5  11 reviews

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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• Population 2,776

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 3.85 out of 5  48 reviews

Current Resident: Great and safe area for children 👶 it’s great to raise kids in a safe environment. Very nice people, warm welcoming people. I was impressed, when my kids went out for candy hunting on Halloween, without me and they came home safe. The farm kind of environment is even better! Fresh foods for the community. A meaningful environment!... Read 48 reviews

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• Population 11,254

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4.08 out of 5  25 reviews

Current Resident: Suburban meets rural in this quiet, safe, down-to-earth and friendly town filled with green spaces and nature. Lacks a proper town center and public transportation, so a car is essential to get around. Ethnic and cultural diversity has been growing and is increasingly reflected in the town’s excellent schools. If you’re a nature lover, it’s hard to beat Sudbury - biking, hiking, birding, canoeing and many more activities abound right in town. Most homes have spacious lots with nice yards. Friendly and down-to-earth neighbors. Downside for folks who like access to nightlife or cultural activities and events is that there’s very little of those. Same with diversity of stores and restaurants, though this has improved a bit. Overall, a quiet, beautiful, safe and green oasis west of Boston.... Read 25 reviews

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• Population 18,912

• Suburb in New Hampshire

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  Rating 3.49 out of 5  80 reviews

Current Resident: Windham is a safe, family-friendly town. This is the type of town you want to raise a family in. Living in Windham provides a secure base for your family you do not need to worry about being unsettled. Property taxes are high and need to be adjusted. It is making it difficult for families to maintain staying within the town. Due to property taxes, many current families are looking to move elsewhere in order to maintain their families. This is unfortunate since so much has been invested in years of residing in the town.... Read 80 reviews

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• Population 15,587

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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• Population 6,966

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 3.94 out of 5  88 reviews

Current Resident: Westford is a great town to live in. It is a safe, friendly, charming, and quiet town but not too far from major highways and the greater Boston metro. There are many parades and local farmer markets during spring and summer. There are many lakes throughout the town for standup paddleboarding, kayaking, fishing, canoeing, or winter ice skating. The school system rated #6 best school districts in Massachusetts by Niche. It has a lot to offer in the schools from AP courses, sports clubs, robotics clubs, environmental clubs, DECA, HOSA, Mock Trial, and much more. I would like to have winter and summer folk festivals to bring more flavors to the town!... Read 88 reviews

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• Population 24,535

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 3.32 out of 5  34 reviews

Current Resident: I love living in Sherborn Massachusetts, it was an awesome place to grow up! The small town makes for a tight-knit, inclusive community. The cute New England Town only has a few places, but that is all Sherborn needs to continue to prosper. The town pond, Farm Pond, is perfect for the summer. You can do swim lessons or sailing lessons and it is a great place to cool off! The Dover-Sherborn school system is one of the best in Massachusetts and it is a great place for kids to prosper!... Read 34 reviews

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• Population 4,406

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 3.96 out of 5  52 reviews

Current Resident: Sharon is a great town! It's quiet, small, and has a very homey feel to it. It's a predominantly white Jewish town, but there are a multitude of different races that reside here as well. However, growing up here you would here a lot of kids say that there's nothing to do in Sharon because of the lack of popular businesses (ex. Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, etc) and also the lack of entertainment industries such as shopping mall, outlets, or stores, movie theatre, etc. I guess it just depends on how quiet you like the town you live in to be.... Read 52 reviews

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• Population 18,477

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4.31 out of 5  32 reviews

Current Resident: Norfolk is a very small town and a very tight knit community. As a teenager preparing to depart for college, I can confidently say that Norfolk was a great place to grow up. The public school system here is phenomenal and has allowed me to cultivate some great memories and benefits. The entire town is very supportive of the children as can be seen at the town sporting events. There has never been any real crime in my time here other than minor incidents. Being a small town there is very little to know night life, meaning that it is a very family friendly environment. There is not much diversity in the town, with a majority of Caucasian families living here. There are not many businesses in the town also other than some small, usually independently owned businesses. In conclusion, I highly recommend the town of Norfolk to any families looking for a wonderful environment for their children.... Read 32 reviews

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• Population 11,531

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4.07 out of 5  29 reviews

Current Resident: Carlisle is fantastic. Everyone knows everyone even if you don’t know their name. Several neighbors came over to introduce themselves and welcome us when we moved. One of last Massachusetts towns safe from developers coming in with endless buildings and McMansions. 2 acre minimum per property and the building department doesn’t mess around. Generally business are not allowed (only a handful in town), which I love because there is never traffic and it’s generally residents driving through the town. Lots and lots of trees. Due to very little new construction the school system and town resources are not overrun and overwhelmed. When I go the park there aren’t a ton of people and my kids usually don’t have to wait to use equipment at the playground or hurry off because someone is waiting. No noise. No crime. High property taxes though. Tick endemic area. Get chickens for ticks. Residents have money but aren’t showy or boastful. Very low key and modest. Which I love.... Read 29 reviews

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• Population 5,215

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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• Population 2,071

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4.08 out of 5  48 reviews

Current Resident: Medfield is a small, suburban town, thirty minutes outside of Boston (on a good day with low traffic). The major selling point of the town is the amazing school system. There are many sports, clubs, and extra-curricular your kids can enjoy outside of school also. Most children can be seen "walking uptown" on half-days. The town has a few popular restaurants where the kids collect during those days, and where many families will dine at night.... Read 48 reviews

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• Population 12,775

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4.19 out of 5  16 reviews

Current Resident: Southborough is one of the best place to live in Metrowest area near Boston. School system is truly best and highly rated. Very convenient to commute since it’s close to Route 9, Mass Pike, 495 and most importantly it’s only 10-12 mins drive from Natick Mall. The boarder town such as Framingham is a resourceful place. This is a best town to raise children, the town is very safe and calm, neighbors are very friendly. Some of the roads may need immediate improvement for safety purpose. An additional thing, if your child has any special need and looking for a great school system, Southborough is a best solution.... Read 16 reviews

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• Population 10,380

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4.83 out of 5  6 reviews

Current Resident: Bolton is a rural town about 45 minutes outside of Boston. It has a great regional school district and is close enough to Boston to commute but far enough away were it's more affordable! I really like Bolton as they're many trails and nature preserves around the town!... Read 6 reviews

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• Population 5,606

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4.25 out of 5  4 reviews

Current Resident: Beautiful suburban town. Very small and caring community with great schools and incredibly low crime rate. It's a bit far from Boston, but if you don't mind the commute, this is a great place to live.... Read 4 reviews

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• Population 5,471

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 3.8 out of 5  15 reviews

Former Resident: Dover is what it is, an affluent bedroom community within easy commute of Boston. It is the perfect compliment to hectic executive work life. If you want privacy, bucolic setting and a small village feel, this is it. It is not for those interested in diversity, crime and nightlife.... Read 15 reviews

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• Population 5,894

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 3.93 out of 5  29 reviews

Current Resident: I brought now 13 year old daughter to live here in 2009 & we’ve been very happy. She never wants to move! The town is nice, friendly & quiet. We live close to 495 but it’s surprisingly quiet! It’s so convenient to many places, Boston is less than an hour away, NH, 20 minutes by back roads. Really pretty in the autumn especially. Such great history too. I came from a very small(900 or so people) town in NJ so I love the ambience. The schools & faculties are really good. Guess I’m with my daughter, I don’t want to move either!... Read 29 reviews

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• Population 10,063

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4.09 out of 5  22 reviews

Former Resident: I lived in Norwell from the age of 4 until I left college. It was a wonderful town to grow up in. The schools were excellent and you had the feel of an almost rural town while being minutes from the highway and only a half hour from Boston. The primary downside is the affordability. While I would like nothing more than to raise my family there, financially I am not in a position to purchase a home there.... Read 22 reviews

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• Population 11,258

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 3.4 out of 5  5 reviews

Niche User: Littleton has been rated one of the safest towns in Massachusetts. We have a very responsive police force and a very low crime rate. I personally feel very privileged to live in a such a clean area. But if there is one thing that often irks me is that, honestly, you do not need 2+ police vehicles to pull over a car. Unless there's some kind of bust going on, which would seem odd in the area, you do not need two officers at a scene where a grandmother with two children in her back seat might have forgotten to turn on her directional. I'm not trying to criticize our police department but coming from an environment where there actually exists a high crime rate I find it a bit ridiculous.... Read 5 reviews

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• Population 3,036

• Suburb of Boston, MA

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  Rating 4.03 out of 5  35 reviews

Current Resident: We had visited Holliston for years - to ride bikes on their beautiful rail trail, and we kind of fell in love with the town. In 2020, we bought a house here and it's even better than we could have expected. First off - the people are SO welcoming. More so than anywhere else we've lived. We're nearing retirement so having a sense of community is becoming even more important. Within 3 short months (and during a pandemic!) so many people made a point of welcoming us to the town. The other great thing about Holliston is that they really seem to value nature and recreation. The rail trail is fantastic. Swimming and hiking opportunities are readily available. It is a gem!... Read 35 reviews

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• Population 14,891