Salem vs Swampscott
You are paying about $325k more for a 4BR in Swampscott, and in exchange you get the stronger schools. That is the trade in plain terms: $325k for one tier of schooling.
Swampscott 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: Salem works out roughly $4,300 a year cheaper on its own median 4BR.
Choose Salem if you want the lower price.
All Salem numbers →Choose Swampscott if you want the stronger schools of the two, or the commute matters most.
All Swampscott 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.
| Salem | Swampscott | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | solid schoolsT3 | strong schoolsT2 |
| MCAS percentile | 21st | 57th |
| Niche district rank | — | 77th of 236 |
| 4BR house | $725kT2 | $1.05MT3 |
| 2BR condo | $425k | $575k |
| Commute to Boston | 47 minT3 | 42 minT2 |
| MBTA rail | Commuter rail · ~38 min to terminal | Commuter rail · ~31 min to terminal |
| Tax rate | $10.78T2 | $11.50T2 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$7,800 | ≈$12,100 |
| 3BR rent | $3,287/mo | $3,287/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.
