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Town comparison · Massachusetts

Canton vs Stoughton

Greater Boston · South Shore
Even split (2–2) on headline livability metrics

On the six headline livability metrics, Canton and Stoughton split the table evenly. This is a real tradeoff, not a ranking. Median homes in Stoughton run roughly $187k cheaper than in Canton, about 26% less. Schools tilt clearly toward Canton (87 vs. 73).

The two towns at a glance

Canton

Greater Boston · pop. 24,370
Reservoir, Blue Hills trailhead access, a Providence Line rail stop, and corporate HQs that make the tax base work.
72
Default fit score
equal weights, 0–100
Full Canton profile →

Stoughton

South Shore · pop. 29,225
Commuter rail terminus, sub-$600k single-families, and strong open-space inventory.
63
Default fit score
equal weights, 0–100
Full Stoughton profile →

Head-to-head: every metric

Canton Stoughton
Headline
Livability index 73 62
Economics
Median home $711k $524k
Household income $143k $105k
Price ÷ income
Tax burden 50 66
Schools & Safety
Schools 87 73
Safety 80 62
Getting around
Commute to Boston 28 min 32 min
Walkability 45 45
Transit 38 31
Biking 36 37
Lifestyle
Dining 87 55
Nightlife 87 32
Arts & culture 93 65
Green space 65 68
Community
Diversity 90 90
Climate 73 72
5-yr trend 75 65

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

Stuck between Canton and Stoughton?

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.