Bay State Atlas ← All 194 towns
Town comparison · Massachusetts

Boylston vs West Boylston

Central MA · Central MA
West Boylston leads 3–2 on headline livability metrics

Across the six headline livability metrics (schools, safety, walkability, biking, affordability, and commute), West Boylston edges Boylston 3 to 2 with 1 tie. Median homes in West Boylston run roughly $122k cheaper than in Boylston, about 20% less.

The two towns at a glance

Boylston

Central MA · pop. 4,972
Boylston wraps around the Wachusett Reservoir with some of the most dramatic conservation land in central Massachusetts. The Berlin-Boylston school district rates B+ and the town is genuinely low-density with strong household incomes.
53
Default fit score
equal weights, 0–100
Full Boylston profile →

West Boylston

Central MA · pop. 7,834
West Boylston hugs the northern tip of Wachusett Reservoir and has a quiet, woods-and-water character that belies its proximity to Worcester. The West Boylston Public Schools rate B+ and the town offers affordable entry into central Massachusetts suburban living.
50
Default fit score
equal weights, 0–100
Full West Boylston profile →

Head-to-head: every metric

Boylston West Boylston
Headline
Livability index 52 ✦ 51
Economics
Median home $611k ✦ $490k
Household income $138k ✦ $100k
Price ÷ income 4.4× 4.9× ✦
Tax burden 62 64 ✦
Schools & Safety
Schools 80 80
Safety 90 ✦ 80
Getting around
Commute to Boston 58 min 62 min ✦
Walkability 15 18 ✦
Transit 8 8
Biking 28 ✦ 26
Lifestyle
Dining 28 35 ✦
Nightlife 20 22 ✦
Arts & culture 22 22
Green space 52 ✦ 42
Community
Diversity 22 25 ✦
Climate 71 ✦ 70
5-yr trend 65 ✦ 60

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 Boylston vs West Boylston in the interactive atlas to tune schools, walkability, affordability, commute, and seven more dimensions, and watch the verdict change.

Re-weight Boylston vs West Boylston About Gary Browse all 194 towns

Stuck between Boylston and West Boylston?

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.

Ask Gary which one fits you More about Gary

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.