The Town FilesNorton Center, Massachusetts
Community in Bristol County · population 2,677 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $543,500
- Household income
- $119,949
- Jan low / Jul high
- 18° / 83°
- Snow a year
- 50 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 14
- Median age
- 21.4
Norton Center is a community of 2,677 people in Bristol County, Massachusetts. The median home is worth $543,500, above the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). It ranks more of a college town than 100% of Massachusetts towns, better for young professionals than 98% of Massachusetts towns, better transit than 87% of Massachusetts towns.
How Norton Center ranks
Percentile among Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Massachusetts towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Norton Center is worth $543,500, above the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). Homes cost about 4.5 times the median household income of $119,949, which is more affordable than 54% of Massachusetts towns. 87.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Norton Center | Typical Massachusetts town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $543,500 | $510,150 |
| Median rent | — | $1,561 |
| Median household income | $119,949 | $108,622 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.5× | 4.5× |
| Homeownership | 87.6% | 80.7% |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1968 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Norton Center
| People | Norton Center | Typical Massachusetts town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.4 | 44.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 6.9% | 20.7% |
| Under 18 | 8.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49.2% | 45.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 15.6% | 6.3% |
| Veterans | 1.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 6.8% | — |
| Work from home | 16.0% | 17.7% |
| Average commute | 18.3 min | 30.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 98.4% | 93.9% |
Weather in Norton Center
July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 18.3°F. About 52.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 49.5 inches of snow (typical Massachusetts town: 49.5 in). Expect about 12 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 147 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Norton Center since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Massachusetts town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 9, 1953 about 5.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 26, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 14 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 18, 2012.
Severe weather in Bristol County since 1996
Bristol County has been included in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2024 | Flood | DR-4780: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| September 15, 2023 | Hurricane | EM-3599: Hurricane Lee |
| April 18, 2022 | Snowstorm | DR-4651: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| March 27, 2020 | Biological | DR-4496: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3438: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Bristol County
Bristol County had 227,971 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $64,669 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Norton Center itself the ACS puts it at 2.3%.
Towns near Norton Center
- Norton, MA0.7 mi · 19,202 people · home $501,400
- Mansfield, MA3.3 mi · 23,860 people · home $603,500
- Mansfield Center, MA3.6 mi · 7,830 people · home $480,000
- Easton, MA6.1 mi · 25,058 people · home $581,200
- Attleboro, MA6.2 mi · 46,461 people · home $448,100
- Foxborough, MA6.7 mi · 18,618 people · home $606,300
- Taunton, MA6.9 mi · 59,408 people · home $422,800
- Foxborough, MA6.9 mi · 6,227 people · home $538,500
Norton Center questions
Is Norton Center, Massachusetts a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Norton Center scores better for retirees than 64% of Massachusetts towns and quieter than 15%. 6.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 21.4).
How much does a house cost in Norton Center?
The median owner-occupied home in Norton Center is valued at $543,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $119,949, so homes cost about 4.5 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Norton Center?
July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 18.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 52.3 inches of precipitation a year and 49.5 inches of snow.
Does Norton Center get tornadoes?
14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Norton Center since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 9, 1953. The typical Massachusetts town has had 8.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)