Millbury vs Sutton

4BR house$100k apart
Millbury$550k
Sutton$650k
Both among the cheapest third of Massachusetts towns
Tax billOn each town’s own median 4BRLevel
Millbury$7,100
Sutton$7,500
Both among the lowest third of Massachusetts towns
To BostonLevel
Millbury77 min
Sutton77 min
Both among the furthest third of Massachusetts towns
SchoolsMCAS percentile, statewide6 percentile points apart
Millbury43rd pct
Sutton49th pct
Both mid-range for Massachusetts districts

marks the Massachusetts median on each scale. The better of the two is picked out where the gap is big enough to call; where neither is, they are level.

You are paying about $100k more for a 4BR in Sutton, and in exchange you get the stronger schools. That is the trade in plain terms: $100k for 6 MCAS percentile points inside the same tier.

Millbury

Choose Millbury if you want the lower price, or the commute matters most.

All Millbury numbers →
Sutton

Choose Sutton if you want the stronger schools of the two.

All Sutton numbers →

Side by side

Some rows have no better. Town character describes a place rather than ranking it, and per-pupil spending tracks need rather than results, so neither is picked out.

SchoolsSutton ahead on 2 of 8
MillburySutton
School tiersolid schoolsT3solid schoolsT3
MCAS achievementState percentile, all grades43rd49th
Student growthHow far the district moves children, not who enrolled46th53rd
Graduation rate93.8%94.2%
State accountabilityDESE’s own summaryModerate progress toward targetsSubstantial progress toward targets
Spending per pupilHigher is not better — it tracks need, not results$20,917$19,680
Schools in the districtElementary and middle buildings the rating averages23
Private schools within 12 miAccredited, the fallback if the district does not fit66
What a home costsMillbury ahead on 6 of 8
MillburySutton
4BR house$550kT1$650kT2
3BR townhouse$425k$500k
2BR condo$315k$370k
3BR homeZillow’s observed median, houses and condos together — measured, not modeled like the rows above$508k$632k
5+ BR homeZillow’s top bedroom bucket — five OR MORE, so it carries the largest houses in the town. Measured, not modeled like the rows above$647k$870k
3BR rent$2,510/mo$2,497/mo
Income needed for the 4BRHousehold income at our standard assumptions$152k$175k
10-year price growthCompound, 2016–20266.7% a year6.7% a year
What you pay the townSutton ahead on 1 of 4
MillburySutton
Tax ratePer $1,000 of value — not what you pay$12.87T3$11.55T2
Est. tax bill on that 4BRRate times the town’s own median 4BR≈$7,100≈$7,500
Town spending per residentFY2025 general fund, per head$4,050$4,338
Share of budget on schools49%55%
Getting to workLevel across all 3
MillburySutton
Commute to BostonDoor to door at peak77 minT477 minT4
MBTA railNo MBTA railNo MBTA rail
Miles from downtown39 mi39 mi
Before kindergartenMillbury ahead on 3 of 4
MillburySutton
Licensed child care programsBefore kindergarten106
Child care placesLicensed capacity, not vacancies303203
Centers vs family programsThe rest are programs in a provider’s home3 centers4 centers
Infant places in centersFamily programs report no age split9234
What the place is likeDescribes the two, does not rank them
MillburySutton
Population13,8319,357
Energy5/104/10
Compact center6/104/10
Family amenities3/102/10
Culture5/104/10
Gathering places6/106/10

The tax bill is each town’s own rate on its own median 4BR, so a lower rate does not always mean a lower bill. School tiers are editorial, shown beside the state’s own MCAS figures rather than derived from them.

Prices calibrated to Zillow ZHVI and Redfin · FY2026 residential tax rates · rail leg from the MBTA timetable, drive modeled · rents are HUD FY2027 Small Area FMRs · reviewed · methodology. Never uses demographics as an input.

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