Town comparison · Massachusetts

Bolton vs Clinton

Central MA · Central MA

Clinton leads 4–2 on headline livability metrics

Across the six headline livability metrics (schools, safety, walkability, biking, affordability, and commute), Clinton edges Bolton 4 to 2. Median homes in Clinton run roughly $418k cheaper than in Bolton, about 49% less. Bolton is about 5 minutes closer to Boston by car at peak. Schools tilt clearly toward Bolton (90 vs. 65).

The two towns at a glance

Bolton

Central MA · pop. 5,665

Bolton is one of the wealthiest small towns in Massachusetts with median household incomes approaching $200k and home prices over $850k. Acre-plus lots, conservation trails through the Nashoba Valley, and excellent Nashoba district schools make this a premium rural retreat.

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Full Bolton profile →

Clinton

Central MA · pop. 15,563

Clinton is a genuine mill town on the South Branch Nashua River with the lowest home prices in this dataset and a dense downtown that retains more commercial activity than comparable working-class towns. The Wachusett Reservoir borders the town and provides striking views.

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Full Clinton profile →

Head-to-head: every metric

	Bolton	Clinton
Headline
Livability index	54 ✦	50
Economics
Median home	$858k ✦	$440k
Household income	$198k ✦	$92k
Price ÷ income	4.3×	4.8× ✦
Tax burden	60	65 ✦
Schools & Safety
Schools	90 ✦	65
Safety	92 ✦	68
Getting around
Commute to Boston	55 min	60 min ✦
Walkability	10	38 ✦
Transit	8	8
Biking	25	32 ✦
Lifestyle
Dining	25	48 ✦
Nightlife	20	35 ✦
Arts & culture	22	28 ✦
Green space	58 ✦	25
Community
Diversity	22	42 ✦
Climate	71 ✦	70
5-yr trend	72 ✦	58

Clay = wins this metric. Direction matters: lower median home and shorter commute are better; everything else, higher is better.

Compare on your terms

These winners are based on a neutral, equal weighting of every metric. Your priorities are not neutral. Open Bolton vs Clinton in the interactive atlas to tune schools, walkability, affordability, commute, and seven more dimensions, and watch the verdict change.

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About this comparison

Bay State Atlas ranks 194 Massachusetts towns using public data (Census ACS, MA DESE schools, Walk Score, MA Department of Revenue tax data, and the FBI UCR safety index) normalized to 0–100. Every weight is editable. This page is a static, indexable snapshot. The live tool is faster and lets you customize what counts.