Rehoboth vs Swansea
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.
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.
Rehoboth is about 5 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: Swansea works out roughly $1,100 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR — despite having the higher rate of the two, because the bill follows the house.
Choose Rehoboth if the commute matters most.
All Rehoboth numbers →Choose Swansea if you want the lower price.
All Swansea 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.
SchoolsLevel across all 8
| Rehoboth | Swansea | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | solid schoolsT3 | solid schoolsT3 |
| MCAS achievement | 49th | 50th |
| Student growth | 51st | 50th |
| Graduation rate | 91.9% | 93% |
| State accountability | Moderate progress toward targets | Moderate progress toward targets |
| Spending per pupil | $18,720 | $17,966 |
| Schools in the district | 5 | 5 |
| Private schools within 12 mi | 0 | 0 |
What a home costsSwansea ahead on 8 of 8
| Rehoboth | Swansea | |
|---|---|---|
| 4BR house | $700kT2 | $575kT1 |
| 3BR townhouse | $540k | $445k |
| 2BR condo | $400k | $330k |
| 3BR home | $652k | $542k |
| 5+ BR home | $912k | $668k |
| 3BR rent | $2,613/mo | $2,280/mo |
| Income needed for the 4BR | $186k | $155k |
| 10-year price growth | 6.1% a year | 6.7% a year |
What you pay the townSwansea ahead on 1 of 4
| Rehoboth | Swansea | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax rate | $10.85T2 | $11.36T2 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$7,600 | ≈$6,500 |
| Town spending per resident | $3,043 | $3,327 |
| Share of budget on schools | 64% | 51% |
Getting to workRehoboth ahead on 2 of 3
| Rehoboth | Swansea | |
|---|---|---|
| Commute to Boston | 75 minT4 | 80 minT4 |
| MBTA rail | No MBTA rail | No MBTA rail |
| Miles from downtown | 37 mi | 42 mi |
Before kindergartenSwansea ahead on 3 of 4
| Rehoboth | Swansea | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed child care programs | 6 | 16 |
| Child care places | 145 | 463 |
| Centers vs family programs | 2 centers | 9 centers |
| Infant places in centers | 12 | 85 |
What the place is likeDescribes the two, does not rank them
| Rehoboth | Swansea | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,502 | 17,144 |
| Energy | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Compact center | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Family amenities | 2/10 | 2/10 |
| Culture | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Gathering places | 6/10 | 6/10 |
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.
