Braintree vs Quincy
The prices are essentially identical, so schools break the tie: Braintree is ahead — 76th percentile on MCAS against 53rd.
Quincy is about 11 minutes closer to downtown Boston at peak. Over a decade of commuting that gap is worth more than most people price it at.
On tax, look past the rate: Braintree works out roughly $1,500 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR.
Choose Braintree if you want the stronger schools of the two.
All Braintree numbers →Choose Quincy if you want the lower price, or the commute matters most.
All Quincy 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.
| Braintree | Quincy | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | solid schoolsT3 | solid schoolsT3 |
| MCAS percentile | 76th | 53rd |
| Niche district rank | 66th of 236 | 54th of 236 |
| 4BR house | $875kT2 | $875kT2 |
| 2BR condo | $520k | $520k |
| Commute to Boston | 33 minT2 | 22 minT1 |
| MBTA rail | Rapid transit (T) · ~25 min to downtown | Rapid transit (T) · ~14 min to downtown |
| Tax rate | $10.06T2 | $11.78T2 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$8,800 | ≈$10,300 |
| 3BR rent | $3,363/mo | $3,413/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.
