Commuting to Kendall Square by MBTA
Biotech, pharma and tech employers cluster here, and almost nobody who works in Kendall commutes to downtown Boston — which is what every other commute table in Massachusetts measures.
Timetable-based, not distance-modeled. Scheduled MBTA journey time from each town’s best station to Kendall Square, including transfers, for services arriving between 07:00 and 09:30. It is computed from the MBTA’s published timetable, not modeled from distance. It does not include getting to your origin station or the walk at the far end, and it does not cover driving. Only towns with a station appear: 81 of our 223 — and Cambridge contains Kendall Square rather than commuting to it, which is why 80 are ranked below.
How far the network actually gets you
| Journey you will accept | Towns | …with Tier 1–2 schools | …under $900k | Cheapest of them |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Within 30 minutes | 9 | 1 | 4 | Chelsea, $650k |
| Within 45 minutes | 26 | 9 | 12 | Chelsea, $650k |
| Within 60 minutes | 45 | 16 | 24 | Brockton, $550k |
| Within 75 minutes | 63 | 22 | 36 | Lawrence, $500k |
26 towns put you in Kendall Square within 45 minutes on a scheduled service, and 9 of those have a Tier 1–2 school district. Push to an hour and it is 45 towns and 16 strong districts. Only 9 manage it in half an hour.
Strong schools within 45 minutes
The list families usually want, and it is short. These are the Tier 1–2 districts with a scheduled journey of 45 minutes or less.
- Brookline — 23 min from Saint Mary's Street · $2.05M · Tier 1 · tax ≈$21,000
- Westwood — 33 min from Route 128 · $1.4M · Tier 2 · tax ≈$17,500
- Newton — 33 min from Newtonville · $1.9M · Tier 1 · tax ≈$18,400
- Milton — 35 min from Milton · $1.35M · Tier 2 · tax ≈$15,900
- Winchester — 35 min from Wedgemere · $1.85M · Tier 1 · tax ≈$20,500
- Sharon — 42 min from Sharon · $950k · Tier 2 · tax ≈$16,600
- Swampscott — 42 min from Swampscott · $1.05M · Tier 2 · tax ≈$12,100
- Needham — 42 min from Hersey · $1.85M · Tier 1 · tax ≈$20,000
- Reading — 44 min from Reading · $975k · Tier 2 · tax ≈$10,700
The cheapest towns within 45 minutes
Sorted by price rather than speed, because at some point the budget is the binding constraint.
| # | Town | Typical | Fastest | Station | 4BR | Schools | Est. tax bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 26 min | 20 min | Box District | $650k | Tier 4 | ≈$7,500 |
| 2 | Lynn | 40 min | 35 min | Lynn Interim | $650k | Tier 4 | ≈$6,700 |
| 3 | Randolph | 40 min | 39 min | Holbrook/Randolph | $650k | Tier 4 | ≈$7,500 |
| 4 | Revere | 25 min | 21 min | Beachmont | $675k | Tier 4 | ≈$6,000 |
| 5 | Malden | 24 min | 21 min | Oak Grove | $700k | Tier 4 | ≈$8,000 |
| 6 | Weymouth | 38 min | 37 min | Weymouth Landing/East Braintree | $725k | Tier 3 | ≈$7,300 |
| 7 | Canton | 38 min | 35 min | Canton Junction | $825k | Tier 3 | ≈$8,000 |
| 8 | Woburn | 43 min | 37 min | Anderson/Woburn | $825k | Tier 3 | ≈$7,500 |
Every town with an MBTA route to Kendall Square
All 71 towns with regular service, fastest first. “Typical” is the median scheduled journey across peak departures; “fastest” is the quickest single service.
| # | Town | Typical | Fastest | Station | 4BR | Schools | Est. tax bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | 2 min | 2 min | Charles/MGH | $1.15M | Tier 4 | ≈$14,300 |
| 2 | Somerville | 11 min | 11 min | Davis | $1.25M | Tier 3 | ≈$11,200 |
| 3 | Medford | 21 min | 18 min | Wellington | $900k | Tier 3 | ≈$7,800 |
| 4 | Quincy | 22 min | 22 min | North Quincy | $875k | Tier 3 | ≈$10,300 |
| 5 | Brookline | 23 min | 21 min | Saint Mary's Street | $2.05M | Tier 1 | ≈$21,000 |
| 6 | Malden | 24 min | 21 min | Oak Grove | $700k | Tier 4 | ≈$8,000 |
| 7 | Revere | 25 min | 21 min | Beachmont | $675k | Tier 4 | ≈$6,000 |
| 8 | Chelsea | 26 min | 20 min | Box District | $650k | Tier 4 | ≈$7,500 |
| 9 | Melrose | 29 min | 28 min | Wyoming Hill | $950k | Tier 3 | ≈$10,900 |
| 10 | Braintree | 33 min | 31 min | Braintree | $875k | Tier 3 | ≈$8,800 |
| 11 | Westwood | 33 min | 30 min | Route 128 | $1.4M | Tier 2 | ≈$17,500 |
| 12 | Newton | 33 min | 32 min | Newtonville | $1.9M | Tier 1 | ≈$18,400 |
| 13 | Wakefield | 35 min | 34 min | Greenwood | $875k | Tier 3 | ≈$10,300 |
| 14 | Milton | 35 min | 28 min | Milton | $1.35M | Tier 2 | ≈$15,900 |
| 15 | Winchester | 35 min | 28 min | Wedgemere | $1.85M | Tier 1 | ≈$20,500 |
| 16 | Weymouth | 38 min | 37 min | Weymouth Landing/East Braintree | $725k | Tier 3 | ≈$7,300 |
| 17 | Canton | 38 min | 35 min | Canton Junction | $825k | Tier 3 | ≈$8,000 |
| 18 | Dedham | 39 min | 34 min | Endicott | $850k | Tier 3 | ≈$10,500 |
| 19 | Lynn | 40 min | 35 min | Lynn Interim | $650k | Tier 4 | ≈$6,700 |
| 20 | Randolph | 40 min | 39 min | Holbrook/Randolph | $650k | Tier 4 | ≈$7,500 |
| 21 | Waltham | 41 min | 24 min | Waltham | $1M | Tier 3 | ≈$10,300 |
| 22 | Sharon | 42 min | 37 min | Sharon | $950k | Tier 2 | ≈$16,600 |
| 23 | Swampscott | 42 min | 38 min | Swampscott | $1.05M | Tier 2 | ≈$12,100 |
| 24 | Needham | 42 min | 41 min | Hersey | $1.85M | Tier 1 | ≈$20,000 |
| 25 | Woburn | 43 min | 37 min | Anderson/Woburn | $825k | Tier 3 | ≈$7,500 |
| 26 | Reading | 44 min | 43 min | Reading | $975k | Tier 2 | ≈$10,700 |
| 27 | Brockton | 46 min | 45 min | Montello | $550k | Tier 4 | ≈$6,400 |
| 28 | Abington | 46 min | 44 min | Abington | $650k | Tier 3 | ≈$9,100 |
| 29 | Wellesley | 46 min | 43 min | Wellesley Farms | $2.25M | Tier 1 | ≈$22,900 |
| 30 | Stoughton | 47 min | 45 min | Stoughton | $675k | Tier 3 | ≈$8,000 |
| 31 | Norwood | 47 min | 43 min | Norwood Depot | $800k | Tier 3 | ≈$7,900 |
| 32 | Wilmington | 48 min | 41 min | Wilmington | $775k | Tier 3 | ≈$8,800 |
| 33 | Hingham | 49 min | 47 min | West Hingham | $1.65M | Tier 2 | ≈$17,300 |
| 34 | Whitman | 50 min | 48 min | Whitman | $600k | Tier 3 | ≈$8,100 |
| 35 | Salem | 50 min | 45 min | Salem | $725k | Tier 3 | ≈$7,800 |
| 36 | Mansfield | 51 min | 46 min | Mansfield | $775k | Tier 3 | ≈$10,100 |
| 37 | Acton | 53 min | 37 min | South Acton | $1.1M | Tier 1 | ≈$17,900 |
| 38 | Beverly | 54 min | 49 min | Beverly | $850k | Tier 3 | ≈$9,200 |
| 39 | Walpole | 54 min | 54 min | Walpole | $875k | Tier 3 | ≈$10,900 |
| 40 | Concord | 54 min | 44 min | Concord | $2.2M | Tier 1 | ≈$28,600 |
| 41 | Hanson | 55 min | 53 min | Hanson | $650k | Tier 3 | ≈$9,400 |
| 42 | Billerica | 56 min | 49 min | North Billerica | $700k | Tier 3 | ≈$8,100 |
| 43 | Natick | 57 min | 53 min | Natick Center | $1M | Tier 2 | ≈$12,200 |
| 44 | Cohasset | 57 min | 55 min | Cohasset | $1.6M | Tier 2 | ≈$19,200 |
| 45 | Littleton | 59 min | 43 min | Littleton/Route 495 | $900k | Tier 2 | ≈$13,100 |
| 46 | Attleboro | 61 min | 56 min | Attleboro | $620k | Tier 3 | ≈$7,600 |
| 47 | Bridgewater | 61 min | 60 min | Bridgewater | $625k | Tier 3 | ≈$7,500 |
| 48 | Halifax | 61 min | 58 min | Halifax | $625k | Tier 3 | ≈$9,100 |
| 49 | Lowell | 62 min | 57 min | Lowell | $525k | Tier 4 | ≈$6,000 |
| 50 | Hamilton | 62 min | 59 min | Hamilton/Wenham | $950k | Tier 2 | ≈$13,800 |
| 51 | Norfolk | 62 min | 61 min | Norfolk | $950k | Tier 2 | ≈$14,300 |
| 52 | Ashland | 64 min | 60 min | Ashland | $850k | Tier 3 | ≈$11,500 |
| 53 | Scituate | 64 min | 62 min | North Scituate | $1.1M | Tier 2 | ≈$12,700 |
| 54 | Ayer | 67 min | 51 min | Ayer | $550k | Tier 4 | ≈$6,900 |
| 55 | Framingham | 67 min | 49 min | Framingham | $800k | Tier 3 | ≈$9,500 |
| 56 | Ipswich | 68 min | 65 min | Ipswich | $900k | Tier 3 | ≈$10,400 |
| 57 | Southborough | 68 min | 65 min | Southborough | $1.25M | Tier 1 | ≈$17,500 |
| 58 | Franklin | 69 min | 68 min | Franklin | $850k | Tier 2 | ≈$9,700 |
| 59 | Kingston | 70 min | 67 min | Kingston | $800k | Tier 3 | ≈$10,800 |
| 60 | Manchester-by-the-Sea | 71 min | 70 min | Manchester | $1.5M | Tier 2 | ≈$14,300 |
| 61 | Lawrence | 72 min | 65 min | Lawrence | $500k | Tier 4 | ≈$4,300 |
| 62 | Middleborough | 72 min | 71 min | Middleborough | $525k | Tier 4 | ≈$6,900 |
| 63 | Rowley | 74 min | 71 min | Rowley | $800k | Tier 3 | ≈$10,400 |
| 64 | Newburyport | 81 min | 78 min | Newburyport | $1.1M | Tier 2 | ≈$11,600 |
| 65 | Taunton | 82 min | 82 min | East Taunton | $575k | Tier 4 | ≈$6,400 |
| 66 | Grafton | 84 min | 80 min | Grafton | $725k | Tier 3 | ≈$9,900 |
| 67 | Westborough | 84 min | 74 min | Westborough | $950k | Tier 1 | ≈$15,100 |
| 68 | Worcester | 92 min | 78 min | Worcester | $550k | Tier 4 | ≈$7,300 |
| 69 | New Bedford | 102 min | 100 min | Church Street | $475k | Tier 4 | ≈$5,200 |
| 70 | Freetown | 104 min | 94 min | Freetown | $625k | Tier 3 | ≈$7,500 |
| 71 | Fall River | 111 min | 101 min | Fall River Depot | $450k | Tier 4 | ≈$5,200 |
Towns where service barely runs
These 9 towns have a station and a scheduled journey, but fewer than three peak departures — flag stops and end-of-line halts. The time is real; treating it as a commute is not, because missing one service can mean an hour.
| Town | Typical | Station | Peak departures | 4BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 16 min | Belmont | 2 | $1.9M |
| Weston | 32 min | Kendal Green | 2 | $2.9M |
| Lincoln | 38 min | Lincoln | 2 | $2.5M |
| Andover | 56 min | Ballardvale | 2 | $1M |
| Foxborough | 69 min | Foxboro | 2 | $800k |
| Leominster | 72 min | North Leominster | 2 | $500k |
| Haverhill | 76 min | Bradford | 2 | $625k |
| Gloucester | 77 min | West Gloucester | 2 | $875k |
| Fitchburg | 79 min | Fitchburg | 2 | $420k |
What this page cannot tell you
- It is a timetable, not a journey. Add your walk, drive or bus to the station at one end and the walk to your desk at the other. For a park-and-ride town that can be fifteen minutes before you board.
- Scheduled is not actual. These are the times the MBTA publishes. They are not adjusted for how reliably each line keeps them, and reliability varies a lot by line.
- Driving is not here at all. Traffic-aware routing needs a data source we do not have, and we would rather leave the column out than model it. If you will drive, treat this page as silent on your commute.
- 142 of our 223 towns have no station and so cannot appear, however good a place they might be to live.
Transit times computed from the MBTA GTFS feed for 2026-08-05, a weekday with normal service. Prices, tax bills and school tiers are ours — see the methodology. Data last reviewed .
