Lincoln vs Waltham
You are paying about $1.5M more for a 4BR in Lincoln, and in exchange you get the stronger schools. That is the trade in plain terms: $1.5M for two tiers of schooling.
Waltham is about 6 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: Waltham works out roughly $21,000 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR.
Choose Lincoln if you want the stronger schools of the two.
All Lincoln numbers →Choose Waltham if you want the lower price, or the commute matters most.
All Waltham 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.
| Lincoln | Waltham | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | top schoolsT1 | solid schoolsT3 |
| MCAS percentile | 78th | 45th |
| Niche district rank | — | — |
| 4BR house | $2.5MT4 | $1MT3 |
| 2BR condo | $1.11M | $585k |
| Commute to Boston | 42 minT2 | 36 minT2 |
| MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~43 min to terminal | Commuter rail · ~44 min to terminal |
| Tax rate | $12.50T3 | $10.32T2 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$31,300 | ≈$10,300 |
| 3BR rent | $4,337/mo | $3,910/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.
