Lexington vs Winchester
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.
Winchester is about 7 minutes closer to downtown Boston at peak, and it has MBTA rail while Lexington does not. Over a decade of commuting that gap is worth more than most people price it at.
On tax, look past the rate: Winchester works out roughly $4,700 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR.
Choose Lexington if you prefer the town itself — the numbers do not separate them.
All Lexington numbers →Choose Winchester if you want the lower price, or the commute matters most, or you want a train.
All Winchester 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.
| Lexington | Winchester | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | top schoolsT1 | top schoolsT1 |
| MCAS percentile | 99th | 97th |
| Niche district rank | 3rd of 236 | 8th of 236 |
| 4BR house | $2.05MT4 | $1.85MT4 |
| 2BR condo | $1M | $925k |
| Commute to Boston | 38 minT2 | 31 minT2 |
| MBTA rail | No MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~20 min to terminal |
| Tax rate | $12.31T2 | $11.08T2 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$25,200 | ≈$20,500 |
| 3BR rent | $4,903/mo | $3,743/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.
