Town comparison · Massachusetts

Clinton vs Lancaster

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 Lancaster 4 to 2. Median homes in Clinton run roughly $149k cheaper than in Lancaster, about 25% less. Schools tilt clearly toward Lancaster (80 vs. 65).

The two towns at a glance

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 →

Lancaster

Central MA · pop. 8,606

Lancaster is a quiet historic town with a handsome center green, access to the Nashua River Rail Trail, and the Sterling Airport as a local landmark. Atlantic Union College closed and the campus is being redeveloped, but the town retains strong colonial-era character.

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equal weights, 0–100

Full Lancaster profile →

Head-to-head: every metric

	Clinton	Lancaster
Headline
Livability index	50	51 ✦
Economics
Median home	$440k	$589k ✦
Household income	$92k	$135k ✦
Price ÷ income	4.8× ✦	4.4×
Tax burden	65 ✦	62
Schools & Safety
Schools	65	80 ✦
Safety	68	85 ✦
Getting around
Commute to Boston	60 min ✦	58 min
Walkability	38 ✦	15
Transit	8	12 ✦
Biking	32 ✦	28
Lifestyle
Dining	48 ✦	28
Nightlife	35 ✦	22
Arts & culture	28 ✦	22
Green space	25	48 ✦
Community
Diversity	42 ✦	28
Climate	70	71 ✦
5-yr trend	58	62 ✦

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 Clinton vs Lancaster 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.