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Town comparison · Massachusetts

Lynn vs Nahant

North Shore · North Shore
Nahant leads 3–2 on headline livability metrics

Across the six headline livability metrics (schools, safety, walkability, biking, affordability, and commute), Nahant edges Lynn 3 to 2 with 1 tie. Median homes in Lynn run roughly $443k cheaper than in Nahant, about 46% less. Schools tilt clearly toward Nahant (72 vs. 56).

The two towns at a glance

Lynn

North Shore · pop. 101,709
Commuter rail, an arts district renaissance, and the most affordable urban housing inside 128.
60
Default fit score
equal weights, 0–100
Full Lynn profile →

Nahant

North Shore · pop. 3,325
Nahant is an island town, literally accessed by a single causeway off Lynn, with zero commercial development, rocky coastline, and a strong sense of enclave quiet.
56
Default fit score
equal weights, 0–100
Full Nahant profile →

Head-to-head: every metric

Lynn Nahant
Headline
Livability index 62 51
Economics
Median home $510k $953k
Household income $75k $118k
Price ÷ income 6.8× 8.1×
Tax burden 74 52
Schools & Safety
Schools 56 72
Safety 50 90
Getting around
Commute to Boston 28 min 28 min
Walkability 74 45
Transit 56 22
Biking 53 30
Lifestyle
Dining 65 28
Nightlife 60 15
Arts & culture 58 30
Green space 50 40
Community
Diversity 96 18
Climate 70 62
5-yr trend 64 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 Lynn vs Nahant in the interactive atlas to tune schools, walkability, affordability, commute, and seven more dimensions, and watch the verdict change.

Stuck between Lynn and Nahant?

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.