Massachusetts Living Index

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.

Historic VillageTrail Town

Livability Index

/ 100

Ranks #166 of 194 MA towns

The numbers

Median home

$589k

4.4× household income

Household income

$135k

ACS median

Commute to Boston

58 min

peak driving

Population

8,606

5-yr trend 62/100

How Lancaster scores

Schools

Safety

Walkability

Transit

Biking

Dining

Nightlife

Arts & Culture

Green Space

Diversity

Climate

The honest read

Best for

History buffs and families who want a genuine New England town center, trail access, and prices below the Route 495 premium.

The tradeoff

Limited local economy and modest school scores; the Montachusett Vocational district shares students here in ways that can affect public school composition.

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 Lancaster lands for you.

Open Lancaster in the atlas About Gary Browse all 194 towns

Nearby towns

Bordering and adjacent Massachusetts towns near Lancaster.

Popular comparisons

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

LancastervsLeominster

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