Acton vs Boxborough
Acton and Boxborough are not two school districts that happen to look alike — they are one. Both are Acton-Boxborough, down to the same elementary buildings, so every school figure on this page is identical for the two. Schools cannot decide this one, which makes everything below the whole of it.
Acton is about 6 minutes closer to downtown Boston at peak, and it has MBTA rail while Boxborough does not. Over a decade of commuting that gap is worth more than most people price it at.
On tax, look past the rate: Boxborough works out roughly $3,200 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR.
Choose Acton if the commute matters most, or you want a train.
All Acton numbers →Choose Boxborough if you want the lower price.
All Boxborough numbers →Side by side
The better of the two is highlighted on each row. Where a row is not highlighted, the two are close enough that calling a winner would be false precision.
| Acton | Boxborough | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | top schoolsT1 | top schoolsT1 |
| MCAS percentile | 92nd | 92nd |
| Niche district rank | 17th of 236 | 17th of 236 |
| 4BR house | $1.1MT3 | $950kT3 |
| 2BR condo | $590k | $535k |
| Commute to Boston | 54 minT3 | 60 minT3 |
| MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~58 min to terminal | No MBTA rail |
| Tax rate | $16.23T4 | $15.50T4 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$17,900 | ≈$14,700 |
| 3BR rent | $3,493/mo | $3,080/mo |
Prices are estimates calibrated to the Zillow Home Value Index and Redfin; tax rates are FY2026 residential rates and the bill applies that rate to the town’s own median 4BR estimate; commutes take the rail leg from the MBTA timetable and still model the drive; rents are HUD FY2026 Small Area Fair Market Rents. School tiers are editorial and shown next to the state’s own MCAS figures. Data last reviewed — see the methodology. This comparison never uses demographics as an input.
