Billerica vs Burlington
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.
You are paying about $200k more for a 4BR in Burlington, and in exchange you get the stronger schools. That is the trade in plain terms: $200k for 16 MCAS percentile points inside the same tier.
Burlington is about 8 minutes closer to downtown Boston at peak. Over a decade of commuting that gap is worth more than most people price it at.
Choose Billerica if you want the lower price, or you want a train.
All Billerica numbers →Choose Burlington if you want the stronger schools of the two, or the commute matters most.
All Burlington 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.
SchoolsBurlington ahead on 4 of 10, 1 against
| Billerica | Burlington | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | solid schoolsT3 | solid schoolsT3 |
| MCAS achievement | 56th | 72nd |
| Student growth | 48th | 51st |
| Graduation rate | 96.2% | 93.5% |
| Niche district rank | 70th of 236 | 41st of 236 |
| SchoolDigger rank | 170th of 361 | 109th of 361 |
| State accountability | Moderate progress toward targets | Moderate progress toward targets |
| Spending per pupil | $21,177 | $27,731 |
| Schools in the district | 8 | 6 |
| Private schools within 12 mi | 22 | 41 |
What a home costsBillerica ahead on 8 of 8
| Billerica | Burlington | |
|---|---|---|
| 4BR house | $700kT2 | $900kT3 |
| 3BR townhouse | $560k | $690k |
| 2BR condo | $415k | $510k |
| 3BR home | $708k | $835k |
| 5+ BR home | $876k | $1.11M |
| 3BR rent | $3,493/mo | $4,260/mo |
| Income needed for the 4BR | $188k | $230k |
| 10-year price growth | 6% a year | 5.4% a year |
What you pay the townBurlington ahead on 1 of 4
| Billerica | Burlington | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax rate | $11.61T2 | $8.69T1 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$8,100 | ≈$7,800 |
| Town spending per resident | $4,691 | $7,145 |
| Share of budget on schools | 47% | 44% |
Getting to workBurlington ahead on 2 of 3, 1 against
| Billerica | Burlington | |
|---|---|---|
| Commute to Boston | 49 minT3 | 41 minT2 |
| MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~42 min to terminal | No MBTA rail |
| Miles from downtown | 18 mi | 13 mi |
Before kindergartenEven, 1 each of 4
| Billerica | Burlington | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed child care programs | 44 | 28 |
| Child care places | 1,462 | 1,491 |
| Centers vs family programs | 18 centers | 16 centers |
| Infant places in centers | 206 | 399 |
What the place is likeDescribes the two, does not rank them
| Billerica | Burlington | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 42,119 | 26,377 |
| Energy | 4/10 | 8/10 |
| Compact center | 4/10 | 7/10 |
| Family amenities | 3/10 | 8/10 |
| Culture | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Gathering places | 6/10 | 8/10 |
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.
