The 19 Best Quiet, Affordable Small Towns to Retire in Massachusetts

Ranked on The Town Files lifestyle rankings among 181 towns of 2,500–10,000 people in Massachusetts, scoring every town on all of these at once. #1 is Princeton, MA.

1. 19West Newbury, Massachusetts

   Retirement: 84th percentile · Quiet: 74th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 54th percentile

   4,500 people · Essex County · median home $808,200 · income $179,500 · Jan low 17°F · 62 in snow

2. 18Boylston, Massachusetts

   Retirement: 70th percentile · Quiet: 74th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 70th percentile

   4,849 people · Worcester County · median home $578,600 · income $140,962 · Jan low 17°F · 62 in snow

3. 17Upton, Massachusetts

   Retirement: 63rd percentile · Quiet: 68th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 84th percentile

   8,000 people · Worcester County · median home $576,700 · income $155,508 · Jan low 17°F · 48 in snow

4. 16Harvard, Massachusetts

   Retirement: 75th percentile · Quiet: 64th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 78th percentile

   6,851 people · Worcester County · median home $833,600 · income $213,996 · Jan low 15°F · 59 in snow

5. 15Lancaster, Massachusetts

   Retirement: 77th percentile · Quiet: 65th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 81st percentile

   8,441 people · Worcester County · median home $519,100 · income $134,833 · Jan low 16°F · 68 in snow

6. 14Deerfield, Massachusetts

   Retirement: 76th percentile · Quiet: 72nd percentile · Home value ÷ income: 78th percentile

   5,090 people · Franklin County · median home $414,900 · income $106,136 · Jan low 15°F · 46 in snow

7. 13Westminster, Massachusetts

   Retirement: 69th percentile · Quiet: 85th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 74th percentile

   8,213 people · Worcester County · median home $422,000 · income $106,331 · Jan low 14°F · 75 in snow

8. 12Granby, Massachusetts

   Retirement: 51st percentile · Quiet: 84th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 98th percentile

   6,110 people · Hampshire County · median home $352,600 · income $119,297 · Jan low 15°F · 48 in snow

9. 11Sheffield, Massachusetts

   Retirement: 92nd percentile · Quiet: 84th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 57th percentile

   3,327 people · Berkshire County · median home $409,400 · income $92,120 · Jan low 14°F · 57 in snow

10. 10Northfield, Massachusetts

    Retirement: 70th percentile · Quiet: 80th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 88th percentile

    2,866 people · Franklin County · median home $375,800 · income $103,375 · Jan low 15°F · 55 in snow

11. 9Shirley, Massachusetts

    Retirement: 79th percentile · Quiet: 69th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 91st percentile

    7,431 people · Middlesex County · median home $427,600 · income $122,365 · Jan low 16°F · 67 in snow

12. 8Ashby, Massachusetts

    Retirement: 52nd percentile · Quiet: 94th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 93rd percentile

    3,193 people · Middlesex County · median home $390,500 · income $115,598 · Jan low 15°F · 75 in snow

13. 7Brimfield, Massachusetts

    Retirement: 73rd percentile · Quiet: 81st percentile · Home value ÷ income: 91st percentile

    3,694 people · Hampden County · median home $389,100 · income $111,250 · Jan low 16°F · 64 in snow

14. 6Cheshire, Massachusetts

    Retirement: 74th percentile · Quiet: 92nd percentile · Home value ÷ income: 81st percentile

    3,258 people · Berkshire County · median home $268,200 · income $69,803 · Jan low 14°F · 76 in snow

15. 5Sterling, Massachusetts

    Retirement: 80th percentile · Quiet: 89th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 78th percentile

    7,985 people · Worcester County · median home $498,800 · income $129,063 · Jan low 16°F · 67 in snow

16. 4Dalton, Massachusetts

    Retirement: 85th percentile · Quiet: 80th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 84th percentile

    6,330 people · Berkshire County · median home $295,700 · income $79,438 · Jan low 14°F · 77 in snow

17. 3West Brookfield, Massachusetts

    Retirement: 86th percentile · Quiet: 88th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 84th percentile

    3,833 people · Worcester County · median home $354,000 · income $95,613 · Jan low 15°F · 43 in snow

18. 2Williamsburg, Massachusetts

    Retirement: 91st percentile · Quiet: 95th percentile · Home value ÷ income: 81st percentile

    2,504 people · Hampshire County · median home $403,100 · income $104,792 · Jan low 14°F · 46 in snow

19. 1Princeton, Massachusetts

    Retirement: 83rd percentile · Quiet: 93rd percentile · Home value ÷ income: 94th percentile

    3,495 people · Worcester County · median home $520,500 · income $158,750 · Jan low 13°F · 60 in snow

Price vs ranking

More Massachusetts rankings

• The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Massachusetts
• The 25 Quietest Small Towns in Massachusetts
• The 25 Most Affordable Small Towns in Massachusetts
• The 25 Best Small Towns for Families in Massachusetts
• 25 Small Towns in Massachusetts With the Cheapest Homes
• 25 Small Towns in Massachusetts With the Mildest Winters
• The 25 Most Walkable Small Towns in Massachusetts
• 25 Small Towns in Massachusetts With the Fewest Tornadoes Since 1950
• The 25 Best Small Towns for First-Time Home Buyers in Massachusetts
• The 24 Best Affordable Small Towns for Remote Workers in Massachusetts

Same ranking, other places

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• The 25 Best Quiet, Affordable Small Towns to Retire in New York
• The 24 Best Quiet, Affordable Small Towns to Retire in Michigan
• The 25 Best Quiet, Affordable Small Towns to Retire in Texas
• The 25 Best Quiet, Affordable Small Towns to Retire in California
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• The 25 Best Quiet, Affordable Small Towns to Retire in Florida
• The 15 Best Quiet, Affordable Small Towns to Retire in Ohio
• The 16 Best Quiet, Affordable Small Towns to Retire in Illinois