Essex vs Gloucester
The prices are within about $25k of each other, so schools break the tie: Essex is ahead — 82nd percentile on MCAS against 28th.
Essex is about 9 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: Gloucester works out roughly $4,100 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR.
Choose Essex if you want the stronger schools of the two, or the commute matters most.
All Essex numbers →Choose Gloucester if you want the lower price, or you want a train.
All Gloucester 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.
| Essex | Gloucester | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | strong schoolsT2 | solid schoolsT3 |
| MCAS percentile | 82nd | 28th |
| Niche district rank | 51st of 236 | — |
| 4BR house | $900kT3 | $875kT2 |
| 2BR condo | $510k | $480k |
| Commute to Boston | 62 minT4 | 71 minT4 |
| MBTA rail | No MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~66 min to terminal |
| Tax rate | $13.50T3 | $9.31T1 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$12,200 | ≈$8,100 |
| 3BR rent | $3,117/mo | $3,080/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.
