Bay State Atlas ← All 194 towns
Massachusetts Living Index

Ayer

MetroWest · pop. 8,645

Ayer is a small railroad town repurposing its mill-era bones, Fitchburg Line stop, walkable center, and prices well under $600K for a market 65 minutes from North Station.

Commuter ValueHistoric Village
Livability Index
49
/ 100
Ranks #183 of 194 MA towns

The numbers

Median home
$550k
5.2× household income
Household income
$105k
ACS median
Commute to Boston
65 min
peak driving
Population
8,645
5-yr trend 60/100

How Ayer scores

Schools
68
Safety
72
Walkability
42
Transit
28
Biking
25
Dining
38
Nightlife
28
Arts & Culture
18
Green Space
38
Diversity
30
Climate
72

The honest read

Best for
Remote workers or occasional commuters who want real New England character and walkability at low cost.
The tradeoff
Schools are below average; limited dining and retail; and the train to Boston takes over an hour.

Compare on your terms

These scores reflect a neutral weighting. Your priorities are not neutral. Open the full atlas to tune schools, walkability, affordability, commute, and seven more dimensions, and see where Ayer lands for you.

Open Ayer in the atlas About Gary Browse all 194 towns

Nearby towns

Bordering and adjacent Massachusetts towns near Ayer.

Harvard
55/100 · $916k
Central MA
Groton
53/100 · $765k
MetroWest
Littleton
52/100 · $748k
MetroWest
Boxborough
56/100 · $781k
Central MA

Popular comparisons

Common head‑to‑heads people search when looking at Ayer.

AyervsHarvard
49 · 55livability
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AyervsGroton
49 · 53livability
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