Massachusetts Commuter Rail Towns

73 of the municipalities we cover have MBTA commuter rail. On 48 of them the train beats the peak drive outright — and on the rest it still buys you back the hour you would have spent steering. Train times are typical peak schedules plus station overhead (12 minutes for a park-and-ride), against a modeled peak drive.

Commuter rail towns, by train time

Sorted by typical peak time to a downtown terminal, including station overhead.

#	Town	Train	Peak drive	Schools	4BR house	Tax rate
1	Melrose	16 min	29 min	solid schools · Niche 57thT3	$950kT3	$11.47T2
2	Chelsea	18 min	24 min	mixed schoolsT4	$650kT2	$11.48T2
3	Winchester	20 min	31 min	top schools · Niche 8thT1	$1.85MT4	$11.08T2
4	Belmont	21 min	34 min	top schools · Niche 6thT1	$1.9MT4	$11.51T2
5	Wakefield	22 min	36 min	solid schools · Niche 104thT3	$875kT2	$11.74T2
6	Lynn	28 min	40 min	mixed schoolsT4	$650kT2	$10.30T2
7	Weymouth	28 min	47 min	solid schools · Niche 116thT3	$725kT2	$10.12T2
8	Dedham	29 min	36 min	solid schoolsT3	$850kT2	$12.30T2
9	Westwood	29 min	41 min	strong schools · Niche 14thT2	$1.4MT4	$12.50T3
10	Woburn	30 min	36 min	solid schoolsT3	$825kT2	$9.15T1
11	Canton	31 min	41 min	solid schools · Niche 52ndT3	$825kT2	$9.75T1
12	Swampscott	31 min	42 min	strong schools · Niche 77thT2	$1.05MT3	$11.50T2
13	Randolph	32 min	45 min	mixed schoolsT4	$650kT2	$11.58T2
14	Reading	32 min	41 min	strong schools · Niche 53rdT2	$975kT3	$10.96T2
15	Needham	34 min	38 min	top schools · Niche 12thT1	$1.85MT4	$10.83T2
16	Wilmington	35 min	44 min	solid schools · Niche 90thT3	$775kT2	$11.41T2
17	Sharon	35 min	49 min	strong schools · Niche 7thT2	$950kT3	$17.50T4
18	Weston	36 min	41 min	top schools · Niche 2ndT1	$2.9MT4	$11.50T2
19	Holbrook	36 min	42 min	mixed schools · Niche 133rdT4	$550kT1	$15.50T4
20	Brockton	38 min	50 min	mixed schoolsT4	$550kT1	$11.63T2
21	Salem	38 min	47 min	solid schoolsT3	$725kT2	$10.78T2
22	Norwood	38 min	42 min	solid schools · Niche 63rdT3	$800kT2	$9.82T1
23	Wellesley	38 min	39 min	top schools · Niche 15thT1	$2.25MT4	$10.17T2
24	Hingham	39 min	47 min	strong schools · Niche 29thT2	$1.65MT4	$10.47T2
25	Abington	39 min	49 min	solid schools · Niche 120thT3	$650kT2	$14.00T3
26	Beverly	42 min	55 min	solid schools · Niche 101stT3	$850kT2	$10.81T2
27	Billerica	42 min	49 min	solid schools · Niche 70thT3	$700kT2	$11.61T2
28	Lincoln	43 min	42 min	top schoolsT1	$2.5MT4	$12.50T3
29	Whitman	43 min	52 min	solid schoolsT3	$600kT2	$13.50T3
30	Waltham	44 min	36 min	solid schoolsT3	$1MT3	$10.32T2
31	Mansfield	44 min	60 min	solid schools · Niche 55thT3	$775kT2	$13.09T3
32	Andover	46 min	54 min	strong schools · Niche 24thT2	$1MT3	$12.31T2
33	Stoughton	46 min	47 min	solid schools · Niche 91stT3	$675kT2	$11.81T2
34	Lowell	47 min	58 min	mixed schoolsT4	$525kT1	$11.35T2
35	Cohasset	47 min	48 min	strong schools · Niche 47thT2	$1.6MT4	$12.00T2
36	Walpole	48 min	49 min	solid schools · Niche 68thT3	$875kT2	$12.45T2
37	Hanson	48 min	55 min	solid schoolsT3	$650kT2	$14.50T3
38	Natick	49 min	46 min	strong schools · Niche 22ndT2	$1MT3	$12.17T2
39	Concord	49 min	47 min	top schoolsT1	$2.2MT4	$13.00T3
40	Foxborough	51 min	55 min	solid schools · Niche 48thT3	$800kT2	$13.00T3
41	Hamilton	52 min	55 min	strong schools · Niche 62ndT2	$950kT3	$14.50T3
42	Bridgewater	53 min	63 min	solid schoolsT3	$625kT2	$12.03T2
43	Attleboro	54 min	70 min	solid schools · Niche 110thT3	$620kT2	$12.20T2
44	Scituate	54 min	55 min	strong schools · Niche 45thT2	$1.1MT3	$11.50T2
45	Halifax	54 min	62 min	solid schoolsT3	$625kT2	$14.50T3
46	Norfolk	55 min	55 min	strong schools · Niche 75thT2	$950kT3	$15.00T4
47	Ashland	56 min	55 min	solid schools · Niche 38thT3	$850kT2	$13.50T3
48	Framingham	57 min	52 min	solid schoolsT3	$800kT2	$11.83T2
49	Acton	58 min	54 min	top schools · Niche 17thT1	$1.1MT3	$16.23T4
50	Ipswich	58 min	60 min	solid schools · Niche 83rdT3	$900kT3	$11.50T2
51	Lawrence	59 min	58 min	mixed schoolsT4	$500kT1	$8.64T1
52	Manchester-by-the-Sea	59 min	58 min	strong schools · Niche 51stT2	$1.5MT4	$9.50T1
53	Southborough	60 min	58 min	top schoolsT1	$1.25MT3	$14.00T3
54	Franklin	62 min	62 min	strong schools · Niche 33rdT2	$850kT2	$11.42T2
55	Kingston	63 min	68 min	solid schoolsT3	$800kT2	$13.50T3
56	Middleborough	64 min	72 min	mixed schoolsT4	$525kT1	$13.12T3
57	Littleton	64 min	63 min	strong schools · Niche 36thT2	$900kT3	$14.50T3
58	Rowley	64 min	63 min	solid schoolsT3	$800kT2	$13.00T3
59	Haverhill	66 min	68 min	mixed schoolsT4	$625kT2	$10.61T2
60	Plymouth	66 min	81 min	solid schools · Niche 108thT3	$775kT2	$12.55T3
61	Gloucester	66 min	71 min	solid schoolsT3	$875kT2	$9.31T1
62	Lakeville	66 min	72 min	solid schoolsT3	$700kT2	$11.50T2
63	Newburyport	71 min	71 min	strong schools · Niche 67thT2	$1.1MT3	$10.50T2
64	Ayer	72 min	71 min	mixed schoolsT4	$550kT1	$12.50T3
65	Taunton	74 min	69 min	mixed schoolsT4	$575kT1	$11.14T2
66	Westborough	76 min	66 min	top schools · Niche 13thT1	$950kT3	$15.93T4
67	Grafton	76 min	72 min	solid schools · Niche 50thT3	$725kT2	$13.69T3
68	Worcester	84 min	77 min	mixed schoolsT4	$550kT1	$13.28T3
69	Leominster	84 min	76 min	mixed schools · Niche 112thT4	$500kT1	$13.66T3
70	Fitchburg	91 min	80 min	mixed schoolsT4	$420kT1	$13.29T3
71	New Bedford	94 min	86 min	mixed schoolsT4	$475kT1	$10.95T2
72	Freetown	96 min	78 min	solid schoolsT3	$625kT2	$12.00T2
73	Fall River	103 min	82 min	mixed schoolsT4	$450kT1	$11.48T2

Rapid transit towns

Towns on the subway rather than commuter rail — no schedule to catch.

#	Town	T	Peak drive	Schools	4BR house	Tax rate
1	Boston	here	10 min	mixed schools · Niche 125thT4	$1.15MT3	$12.40T2
2	Cambridge	6 min	22 min	strong schools · Niche 19thT2	$1.7MT4	$6.67T1
3	Somerville	6 min	23 min	solid schoolsT3	$1.25MT3	$8.97T1
4	Medford	8 min	28 min	solid schools · Niche 129thT3	$900kT3	$8.63T1
5	Malden	11 min	28 min	mixed schoolsT4	$700kT2	$11.40T2
6	Quincy	14 min	37 min	solid schools · Niche 54thT3	$875kT2	$11.78T2
7	Revere	17 min	32 min	mixed schoolsT4	$675kT2	$8.94T1
8	Brookline	21 min	24 min	top schools · Niche 1stT1	$2.05MT4	$10.24T2
9	Braintree	25 min	46 min	solid schools · Niche 66thT3	$875kT2	$10.06T2
10	Newton	26 min	31 min	top schools · Niche 10thT1	$1.9MT4	$9.69T1
11	Milton	26 min	37 min	strong schools · Niche 26thT2	$1.35MT3	$11.81T2

Prices are estimates calibrated to the Zillow Home Value Index and Redfin market pages; tax rates are FY2026 residential rates; commute times take the rail leg from the MBTA timetable and still model the drive. Tax bills apply each town’s rate to its median 4BR estimate, so they are an approximation, not an assessment. School tiers are editorial and shown alongside the state’s own figures on every town page. Data last reviewed July 18, 2026 — full detail in the methodology. These lists never use demographics as an input.

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