Best Suburbs Near Boston for Families
Greater Boston is home to some of the strongest school districts in the country — but the best suburb for your family depends on more than test scores. Commute to downtown, affordability relative to your budget, walkability, and neighborhood character all matter. We ranked the top towns across every dimension.
Top-rated schools
The MA suburbs with the strongest school districts
Wellesley
suburban · $2.0M · 48 min to Boston
10/10
Schools
Lexington
suburban · $1.5M · 43 min to Boston
10/10
Schools
Belmont
suburban · $1.4M · 35 min to Boston
10/10
Schools
Duxbury
suburban · $1.1M · 66 min to Boston
10/10
Schools
Wellesley
suburban · $2.0M · 48 min to Boston
10/10
Schools
Weston
suburban · $2.2M · 46 min to Boston
10/10
Schools
Concord
suburban · $1.4M · 50 min to Boston
10/10
Schools
Newton
urban · $1.5M · 32 min to Boston
9/10
Schools
Shortest commute
Closest suburbs to Boston by transit or car
Boston – South End
urban · $895K · 10 min to Boston
10 min
Commute
Boston – East Boston
urban · $520K · 15 min to Boston
15 min
Commute
Cambridge
urban · $1.0M · 20 min to Boston
20 min
Commute
Chelsea
urban · $516K · 21 min to Boston
21 min
Commute
Somerville
urban · $915K · 22 min to Boston
22 min
Commute
Brookline
urban · $1.1M · 27 min to Boston
27 min
Commute
Medford
urban · $816K · 28 min to Boston
28 min
Commute
Everett
urban · $625K · 28 min to Boston
28 min
Commute
Most affordable
Best value for families watching their budget
Gardner, MA
suburban · $250K · 88 min to Boston
$250K
Median home
Woonsocket, RI
suburban · $255K · 81 min to Boston
$255K
Median home
Fitchburg, MA
suburban · $275K · 84 min to Boston
$275K
Median home
Leominster, MA
suburban · $330K · 80 min to Boston
$330K
Median home
Blackstone, MA
suburban · $360K · 80 min to Boston
$360K
Median home
Lincoln, RI
suburban · $370K · 75 min to Boston
$370K
Median home
Millbury, MA
suburban · $380K · 68 min to Boston
$380K
Median home
Cumberland, RI
suburban · $390K · 76 min to Boston
$390K
Median home
Best walkability
Towns where you can walk to Main Street, the school, or the park
Boston – South End
urban · $895K · 10 min to Boston
98
Walk score
Boston – Jamaica Plain
urban · $680K · 29 min to Boston
93
Walk score
Cambridge
urban · $1.0M · 20 min to Boston
90
Walk score
Brookline
urban · $1.1M · 27 min to Boston
88
Walk score
Somerville
urban · $915K · 22 min to Boston
88
Walk score
Boston – East Boston
urban · $520K · 15 min to Boston
88
Walk score
Arlington
urban · $1.0M · 39 min to Boston
82
Walk score
Boston – Roslindale
urban · $570K · 40 min to Boston
81
Walk score
Rankings only go so far
The best suburb for your family depends on your commute, your budget, and what you care about most. Burbia asks the right questions and scores every town for you — live.
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