Grafton vs Millbury
You are paying about $175k more for a 4BR in Grafton, and in exchange you get the stronger schools. That is the trade in plain terms: $175k for 31 MCAS percentile points inside the same tier.
Grafton is about 6 minutes closer to downtown Boston at peak, and it has MBTA rail while Millbury does not. Over a decade of commuting that gap is worth more than most people price it at.
On tax, look past the rate: Millbury works out roughly $2,700 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR.
Choose Grafton if you want the stronger schools of the two, or the commute matters most, or you want a train.
All Grafton numbers →Choose Millbury if you want the lower price.
All Millbury 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.
| Grafton | Millbury | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | solid schoolsT3 | solid schoolsT3 |
| MCAS percentile | 74th | 43rd |
| Niche district rank | 50th of 236 | — |
| 4BR house | $725kT2 | $550kT1 |
| 2BR condo | $415k | $315k |
| Commute to Boston | 72 minT4 | 78 minT4 |
| MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~76 min to terminal | No MBTA rail |
| Tax rate | $13.69T3 | $13.00T3 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$9,900 | ≈$7,200 |
| 3BR rent | $2,850/mo | $2,450/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.
