Chelsea vs Everett
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.
On tax, look past the rate: Chelsea works out roughly $1,300 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR.
Choose Chelsea if you want the lower price, or the commute matters most, or you want a train.
All Chelsea numbers →Choose Everett if you prefer the town itself — the numbers do not separate them.
All Everett 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.
| Chelsea | Everett | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | mixed schoolsT4 | mixed schoolsT4 |
| MCAS percentile | 5th | 7th |
| Niche district rank | — | — |
| 4BR house | $650kT2 | $700kT2 |
| 2BR condo | $390k | $415k |
| Commute to Boston | 24 minT1 | 24 minT1 |
| MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~18 min to terminal | No MBTA rail |
| Tax rate | $11.48T2 | $12.62T3 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$7,500 | ≈$8,800 |
| 3BR rent | $3,760/mo | $3,363/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.
