Melrose vs Reading
The prices are within about $25k of each other, so schools break the tie: Reading is ahead — 89th percentile on MCAS against 85th.
Melrose is about 13 minutes closer to downtown Boston at peak. Over a decade of commuting that gap is worth more than most people price it at.
Choose Melrose if you want the lower price, or the commute matters most.
All Melrose numbers →Choose Reading if you want the stronger schools of the two.
All Reading 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.
| Melrose | Reading | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | solid schoolsT3 | strong schoolsT2 |
| MCAS percentile | 85th | 89th |
| Niche district rank | 57th of 236 | 53rd of 236 |
| 4BR house | $950kT3 | $975kT3 |
| 2BR condo | $555k | $555k |
| Commute to Boston | 28 minT1 | 41 minT2 |
| MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~16 min to terminal | Commuter rail · ~32 min to terminal |
| Tax rate | $11.47T2 | $10.96T2 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$10,900 | ≈$10,700 |
| 3BR rent | $3,403/mo | $3,350/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.
