Acushnet vs Freetown
marks the Massachusetts median on each scale. The better of the two is picked out where the gap is big enough to call; where neither is, they are level.
On schools these two are genuinely close — same tier and within five MCAS percentiles of each other — so the schools should not decide it. Price and commute should.
Freetown is about 5 minutes closer to downtown Boston at peak, and it has MBTA rail while Acushnet does not. Over a decade of commuting that gap is worth more than most people price it at.
Choose Acushnet if you want the lower price.
All Acushnet numbers →Choose Freetown if the commute matters most, or you want a train.
All Freetown numbers →Side by side
Some rows have no better. Town character describes a place rather than ranking it, and per-pupil spending tracks need rather than results, so neither is picked out.
SchoolsEven, 1 each of 7
| Acushnet | Freetown | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | solid schoolsT3 | solid schoolsT3 |
| MCAS achievement | 63rd | 60th |
| Student growth | 41st | 47th |
| State accountability | Limited or no progress toward targets | Moderate progress toward targets |
| Spending per pupil | $16,082 | $17,291 |
| Schools in the district | 2 | 4 |
| Private schools within 12 mi | 4 | 2 |
What a home costsAcushnet ahead on 6 of 7
| Acushnet | Freetown | |
|---|---|---|
| 4BR house | $550kT1 | $625kT2 |
| 3BR townhouse | $425k | $480k |
| 2BR condo | $315k | $355k |
| 3BR home | $552k | $608k |
| 3BR rent | $2,170/mo | $2,730/mo |
| Income needed for the 4BR | $147k | $165k |
| 10-year price growth | 6.4% a year | 6.8% a year |
What you pay the townLevel across all 4
| Acushnet | Freetown | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax rate | $10.45T2 | $9.78T1 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$5,700 | ≈$6,100 |
| Town spending per resident | $3,338 | $3,443 |
| Share of budget on schools | 55% | 46% |
Getting to workFreetown ahead on 3 of 3
| Acushnet | Freetown | |
|---|---|---|
| Commute to Boston | 83 minT4 | 78 minT4 |
| MBTA rail | No MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~96 min to terminal |
| Miles from downtown | 45 mi | 40 mi |
Before kindergartenFreetown ahead on 2 of 4, 1 against
| Acushnet | Freetown | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed child care programs | 7 | 4 |
| Child care places | 170 | 222 |
| Centers vs family programs | 4 centers | 2 centers |
| Infant places in centers | 34 | 56 |
What the place is likeDescribes the two, does not rank them
| Acushnet | Freetown | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,559 | 9,206 |
| Energy | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Compact center | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Family amenities | 2/10 | 2/10 |
| Culture | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Gathering places | 7/10 | 6/10 |
The tax bill is each town’s own rate on its own median 4BR, so a lower rate does not always mean a lower bill. School tiers are editorial, shown beside the state’s own MCAS figures rather than derived from them.
Prices calibrated to Zillow ZHVI and Redfin · FY2026 residential tax rates · rail leg from the MBTA timetable, drive modeled · rents are HUD FY2027 Small Area FMRs · reviewed · methodology. Never uses demographics as an input.
