Town comparison · Massachusetts

Holden vs West Boylston

Central MA · Central MA

Holden leads 3–1 on headline livability metrics

Across the six headline livability metrics (schools, safety, walkability, biking, affordability, and commute), Holden edges West Boylston 3 to 1 with 2 ties. Median home prices are close, within $53k of each other.

The two towns at a glance

Holden

Central MA · pop. 19,905

Holden is the most affluent and fastest-growing suburb directly northwest of Worcester, with Wachusett Public Schools (B+), Wachusett Reservoir access, and home prices that remain well below comparable eastern Massachusetts suburbs. Route 122A commerce keeps local services active.

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Full Holden 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.

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Full West Boylston profile →

Head-to-head: every metric

	Holden	West Boylston
Headline
Livability index	53 ✦	51
Economics
Median home	$543k ✦	$490k
Household income	$143k ✦	$100k
Price ÷ income	3.8×	4.9× ✦
Tax burden	63	64 ✦
Schools & Safety
Schools	80	80
Safety	85 ✦	80
Getting around
Commute to Boston	62 min	62 min
Walkability	22 ✦	18
Transit	8	8
Biking	28 ✦	26
Lifestyle
Dining	45 ✦	35
Nightlife	28 ✦	22
Arts & culture	28 ✦	22
Green space	38	42 ✦
Community
Diversity	25	25
Climate	70	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 Holden vs West Boylston 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.