Bay State Atlas ← All 194 towns
Town comparison · Massachusetts

Boxford vs Haverhill

North Shore · North Shore
Even split (3–3) on headline livability metrics

On the six headline livability metrics, Boxford and Haverhill split the table evenly. This is a real tradeoff, not a ranking. Median homes in Haverhill run roughly $538k cheaper than in Boxford, about 50% less. Schools tilt clearly toward Boxford (88 vs. 60).

The two towns at a glance

Boxford

North Shore · pop. 8,240
Boxford is the least dense town in this dataset: large lots, conservation land on every border, the Masconomet school district, and a safety score among the highest in the state.
57
Default fit score
equal weights, 0–100
Full Boxford profile →

Haverhill

North Shore · pop. 68,618
Haverhill is an honest post-industrial city on the Merrimack: commuter rail to North Station, a reviving downtown, and among the most affordable prices for anything near Boston on the North Shore.
53
Default fit score
equal weights, 0–100
Full Haverhill profile →

Head-to-head: every metric

Boxford Haverhill
Headline
Livability index 52 50
Economics
Median home $1.07M $535k
Household income $193k $88k
Price ÷ income 5.6× 6.1×
Tax burden 55 44
Schools & Safety
Schools 88 60
Safety 96 58
Getting around
Commute to Boston 44 min 42 min
Walkability 12 58
Transit 8 35
Biking 15 30
Lifestyle
Dining 22 50
Nightlife 10 35
Arts & culture 20 30
Green space 65 30
Community
Diversity 12 45
Climate 70 72
5-yr trend 60 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 Boxford vs Haverhill in the interactive atlas to tune schools, walkability, affordability, commute, and seven more dimensions, and watch the verdict change.

Stuck between Boxford and Haverhill?

I'm Gary Fikes, a licensed real estate agent at MP Signature Realty and the curator of this site. I've walked both towns. Tell me what matters most and I'll give you a straight answer within 1 business day. No auto-dialer, no spam, no resale.

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.