Concord vs Sudbury
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.
On tax, look past the rate: Sudbury works out roughly $3,900 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR — despite having the higher rate of the two, because the bill follows the house.
Choose Concord if the commute matters most, or you want a train.
All Concord numbers →Choose Sudbury if you want the lower price.
All Sudbury 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.
SchoolsSudbury ahead on 2 of 9, 1 against
| Concord | Sudbury | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | top schoolsT1 | top schoolsT1 |
| MCAS achievement | 95th | 97th |
| Student growth | 52nd | 58th |
| Graduation rate | 96.8% | 98% |
| SchoolDigger rank | 21st of 361 | 24th of 361 |
| State accountability | Substantial progress toward targets | Meeting or exceeding targets |
| Spending per pupil | $30,708 | $28,504 |
| Schools in the district | 4 | 5 |
| Private schools within 12 mi | 27 | 36 |
What a home costsSudbury ahead on 4 of 6
| Concord | Sudbury | |
|---|---|---|
| 4BR house | $2.2MT4 | $1.7MT4 |
| 3BR townhouse | $1.4M | $1.15M |
| 2BR condo | $1.03M | $850k |
| 3BR rent | $3,613/mo | $3,473/mo |
| Income needed for the 4BR | $586k | $464k |
| 10-year price growth | 5.1% a year | 5.3% a year |
What you pay the townEven, 1 each of 4
| Concord | Sudbury | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax rate | $13.00T3 | $14.50T3 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$28,600 | ≈$24,700 |
| Town spending per resident | $7,437 | $6,494 |
| Share of budget on schools | 54% | 62% |
Getting to workConcord ahead on 2 of 3
| Concord | Sudbury | |
|---|---|---|
| Commute to Boston | 47 minT3 | 50 minT3 |
| MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~49 min to terminal | No MBTA rail |
| Miles from downtown | 17 mi | 19 mi |
Before kindergartenSudbury ahead on 3 of 4
| Concord | Sudbury | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed child care programs | 13 | 26 |
| Child care places | 758 | 1,932 |
| Centers vs family programs | 12 centers | 21 centers |
| Infant places in centers | 88 | 387 |
What the place is likeDescribes the two, does not rank them
| Concord | Sudbury | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,491 | 18,934 |
| Energy | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Compact center | 6/10 | 3/10 |
| Family amenities | 8/10 | 5/10 |
| Culture | 10/10 | 6/10 |
| Gathering places | 9/10 | 7/10 |
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 FY2026 Small Area FMRs · reviewed · methodology. Never uses demographics as an input.
