Bay State Atlas
Massachusetts Living Index

Stow

Central MA · pop. 7,215

Stow sits between Bolton and Acton at the heart of the Nashoba Valley wine and apple country, with high incomes, low density, and Assabet River trail access. The Nashoba district schools serve the town and attract families who want rural character with Route 117 proximity.

Rural RetreatTrail Town
Livability Index
54
/ 100
Ranks #135 of 194 MA towns

The numbers

Median home
$804k
4.5× household income
Household income
$178k
ACS median
Commute to Boston
52 min
peak driving
Population
7,215
5-yr trend 72/100

How Stow scores

Schools
85
Safety
92
Walkability
12
Transit
8
Biking
30
Dining
28
Nightlife
20
Arts & Culture
25
Green Space
55
Diversity
25
Climate
71

Who lives in Stow

U.S. Census ACS 2018–2022 estimates. Rounded.

Median age
41
Foreign-born
9.3%
Bachelor's or higher
74.3%
Population
7,111
White83%
Hispanic / Latino1.7%
Asian5.6%
Black3%
Other / multi6.7%

Schools in Stow

Nashoba School District. Massachusetts DESE FY2024 (FY2025 graduation rates).

Overall vs MA
Above average
73/100
ELA · 3-8
p75
55.7%
Math · 3-8
p72
58%
ELA · 10
p79
76.1%
Math · 10
p82
74%
Grad rate
95.6%
Above average
Spend / pupil
$21.7k
Below average
Teachers / 100
8.1
Below average
Enrollment
3,031

Source: Massachusetts DESE Education-to-Career Research and Data Hub. Percentile ranks against 194 MA towns in our index.

The honest read

Best for
Affluent families who want rural privacy, Nashoba district schools, and quick access to Acton commuter rail.
The tradeoff
Home prices well over $800k for rural land without commuter rail in town; the Acton station is 10-15 minutes by car.

You've now seen the honest read. Here's what most sites don't give you.

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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 Stow lands for you.

Nearby towns

Bordering and adjacent Massachusetts towns near Stow.

Stow appears in

Rankings where Stow qualifies on the data. See where it lands vs the other 14 picks.

Popular comparisons

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

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