Best Massachusetts Towns for a Boston Commute
49 of our 223 municipalities sit within 45 minutes of downtown Boston at peak, door to door. 33 of them have MBTA rail, which is what makes the difference between a commute you can read on and one you drive. Times are modeled from distance with corridor adjustments for the harbour tunnels, the peninsulas and the Southeast Expressway — not measured by a routing API, so treat them as comparable rather than exact.
Under 30 minutes
Tier 1 commute: 30 minutes or less door-to-door at peak.
| # | Town | Commute | Rail | Schools | 4BR house | Tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | 8 minT1 | Downtown | mixed schools · Niche 125thT4 | $1.15MT3 | $12.40T2 |
| 2 | Cambridge | 14 minT1 | T · 6 min | strong schools · Niche 19thT2 | $1.7MT4 | $6.67T1 |
| 3 | Somerville | 14 minT1 | T · 6 min | solid schoolsT3 | $1.25MT3 | $8.97T1 |
| 4 | Medford | 16 minT1 | T · 8 min | solid schools · Niche 129thT3 | $900kT3 | $8.63T1 |
| 5 | Malden | 19 minT1 | T · 11 min | mixed schoolsT4 | $700kT2 | $11.40T2 |
| 6 | Quincy | 22 minT1 | T · 14 min | solid schools · Niche 54thT3 | $875kT2 | $11.78T2 |
| 7 | Brookline | 24 minT1 | T · 21 min | top schools · Niche 1stT1 | $2.05MT4 | $10.24T2 |
| 8 | Everett | 24 minT1 | None | mixed schoolsT4 | $700kT2 | $12.62T3 |
| 9 | Chelsea | 24 minT1 | Rail · 18 min | mixed schoolsT4 | $650kT2 | $11.48T2 |
| 10 | Revere | 25 minT1 | T · 17 min | mixed schoolsT4 | $675kT2 | $8.94T1 |
| 11 | Melrose | 28 minT1 | Rail · 16 min | solid schools · Niche 57thT3 | $950kT3 | $11.47T2 |
31 to 45 minutes
Tier 2 commute — where most of the good-schools-and-a-train towns actually are.
| # | Town | Commute | Rail | Schools | 4BR house | Tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newton | 31 minT2 | T · 26 min | top schools · Niche 10thT1 | $1.9MT4 | $9.69T1 |
| 2 | Watertown | 31 minT2 | None | solid schools · Niche 113thT3 | $950kT3 | $12.20T2 |
| 3 | Stoneham | 31 minT2 | None | solid schools · Niche 80thT3 | $825kT2 | $10.06T2 |
| 4 | Winchester | 31 minT2 | Rail · 20 min | top schools · Niche 8thT1 | $1.85MT4 | $11.08T2 |
| 5 | Braintree | 33 minT2 | T · 25 min | solid schools · Niche 66thT3 | $875kT2 | $10.06T2 |
| 6 | Belmont | 33 minT2 | Rail · 21 min | top schools · Niche 6thT1 | $1.9MT4 | $11.51T2 |
| 7 | Arlington | 34 minT2 | None | strong schools · Niche 28thT2 | $1.25MT3 | $10.67T2 |
| 8 | Milton | 34 minT2 | T · 26 min | strong schools · Niche 26thT2 | $1.35MT3 | $11.81T2 |
| 9 | Wakefield | 34 minT2 | Rail · 22 min | solid schools · Niche 104thT3 | $875kT2 | $11.74T2 |
| 10 | Winthrop | 34 minT2 | None | solid schools · Niche 117thT3 | $850kT2 | $11.14T2 |
| 11 | Saugus | 35 minT2 | None | solid schoolsT3 | $725kT2 | $10.42T2 |
| 12 | Waltham | 36 minT2 | Rail · 44 min | solid schoolsT3 | $1MT3 | $10.32T2 |
| 13 | Woburn | 36 minT2 | Rail · 30 min | solid schoolsT3 | $825kT2 | $9.15T1 |
| 14 | Dedham | 36 minT2 | Rail · 29 min | solid schoolsT3 | $850kT2 | $12.30T2 |
| 15 | Lexington | 38 minT2 | None | top schools · Niche 3rdT1 | $2.05MT4 | $12.31T2 |
| 16 | Needham | 38 minT2 | Rail · 34 min | top schools · Niche 12thT1 | $1.85MT4 | $10.83T2 |
| 17 | Wellesley | 39 minT2 | Rail · 38 min | top schools · Niche 15thT1 | $2.25MT4 | $10.17T2 |
| 18 | Lynnfield | 39 minT2 | None | strong schools · Niche 25thT2 | $1.2MT3 | $11.50T2 |
| 19 | Lynn | 40 minT2 | Rail · 28 min | mixed schoolsT4 | $650kT2 | $10.30T2 |
| 20 | Weymouth | 40 minT2 | Rail · 28 min | solid schools · Niche 116thT3 | $725kT2 | $10.12T2 |
| 21 | Burlington | 41 minT2 | None | solid schools · Niche 41stT3 | $900kT3 | $8.69T1 |
| 22 | Reading | 41 minT2 | Rail · 32 min | strong schools · Niche 53rdT2 | $975kT3 | $10.96T2 |
| 23 | Canton | 41 minT2 | Rail · 31 min | solid schools · Niche 52ndT3 | $825kT2 | $9.75T1 |
| 24 | Weston | 41 minT2 | Rail · 36 min | top schools · Niche 2ndT1 | $2.9MT4 | $11.50T2 |
| 25 | Westwood | 41 minT2 | Rail · 29 min | strong schools · Niche 14thT2 | $1.4MT4 | $12.50T3 |
| 26 | Norwood | 42 minT2 | Rail · 38 min | solid schools · Niche 63rdT3 | $800kT2 | $9.82T1 |
| 27 | Lincoln | 42 minT2 | Rail · 43 min | top schoolsT1 | $2.5MT4 | $12.50T3 |
| 28 | Bedford | 42 minT2 | None | strong schools · Niche 18thT2 | $1.15MT3 | $12.00T2 |
| 29 | Swampscott | 42 minT2 | Rail · 31 min | strong schools · Niche 77thT2 | $1.05MT3 | $11.50T2 |
| 30 | Holbrook | 42 minT2 | Rail · 36 min | mixed schools · Niche 133rdT4 | $550kT1 | $15.50T4 |
| 31 | Randolph | 44 minT2 | Rail · 32 min | mixed schoolsT4 | $650kT2 | $11.58T2 |
| 32 | Wilmington | 44 minT2 | Rail · 35 min | solid schools · Niche 90thT3 | $775kT2 | $11.41T2 |
| 33 | North Reading | 44 minT2 | None | strong schools · Niche 27thT2 | $950kT3 | $13.50T3 |
| 34 | Hull | 44 minT2 | None | solid schoolsT3 | $750kT2 | $11.00T2 |
| 35 | Dover | 44 minT2 | None | top schools · Niche 5thT1 | $2MT4 | $12.00T2 |
| 36 | Nahant | 44 minT2 | None | solid schoolsT3 | $900kT3 | $9.50T1 |
| 37 | Avon | 44 minT2 | None | mixed schoolsT4 | $550kT1 | $16.50T4 |
| 38 | Peabody | 45 minT2 | None | solid schoolsT3 | $735kT2 | $9.47T1 |
Prices are estimates calibrated to the Zillow Home Value Index and Redfin market pages; tax rates are FY2026 residential rates; commute times take the rail leg from the MBTA timetable and still model the drive. Tax bills apply each town’s rate to its median 4BR estimate, so they are an approximation, not an assessment. School tiers are editorial and shown alongside the state’s own figures on every town page. Data last reviewed — full detail in the methodology. These lists never use demographics as an input.
