CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

42.21° N · 71.00° W · GEOID 2507740

Braintree Town

Norfolk County, Massachusetts · part of the Boston, MA metro

MassachusettsBraintree Town, MABraintree TownBraintree Town

The short answer

Braintree Town is home to 38,899 people. Median household income is $122,214 a year and median rent is $2,024 a month, 19.9% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $656,800, about 5.4x annual median household income.

Braintree Town stands out for what is close at hand. 16 National Park Service sites lie within 60 miles, more than in 88% of places its size. It is the highest of 122 Massachusetts places we track. Also notable: Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 205 hours a year commuting, more than in 84% of places its size.

51OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Average

Braintree Town scores better than 51% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 67th of 121 in Massachusetts.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%37
Economy 20%77
Safety 20%39
Amenities 15%59
Education 10%76
Commute 10%13
Growth 5%34
Median gross rent
$2,024
48% above the median place
Median household income
$122,214
52% above the median place
Median home value
$656,800
106% above the median place
Unemployment
4.0%
18% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Braintree Town

  • AffordabilityAfter the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $97,900 a year, more than in 77% of the 907 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Braintree Town

Norfolk County loses about 3.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in34,589
Moved out36,963
Net−2,374

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Suffolk County, MA9,2725,512+3,760
Middlesex County, MA5,6435,010+633
Plymouth County, MA3,4405,078−1,638
Bristol County, MA1,9843,051−1,067
Worcester County, MA1,2881,681−393
Essex County, MA668748−80

Within Massachusetts, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MassachusettsOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$114K
Leavers$130K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Norfolk County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Norfolk County report $114,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $129,600, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$81,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,024 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,823 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $656,800.
Getting to work
33 minutes each way on average; 18.2% work from home; 8.7% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Pearl River, NY matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
1.0%
49% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
4.3%
26% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$129,637
84% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBraintree TownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.3%26% below
Moved from another state11.0%49% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-3.9below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$114,09862% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$129,63784% above
02

What it costs to live here

Half the homes were built before 1957, older housing than in 89% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Braintree Town19.9%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$80,960
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.9%
2% below the median place
Home price to income
5.4x
41% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
20%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$97,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Braintree Town, $2,024 a month, and local prices for everything else (100.0 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Braintree Town, but easier on the budget

Places that match Braintree Town on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Pearl River, NY9616.3% vs 19.9%$17,500Compare
Wethersfield, CT9313.0% vs 19.9%$11,200Compare
North Haven, CT8915.6% vs 19.9%$13,600Compare
Eastchester, NY8816.9% vs 19.9%$26,400Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Braintree Town.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Braintree Town? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median year built1
1957
1% below the median place
Median home value1
$656,800
106% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$2,823
51% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureBraintree TownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,02448% above
Rent to income119.9%2% below
Property tax rate10.8%9% below
Home price to income15.4x41% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure108.37% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$3,00886% above
Property tax paid (median)1$5,43667% above
Median home value1$656,800106% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure3.0%7% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure44.6%13% below
Homeownership177.6%17% above
Renters paying 30%+152.9%4% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,82351% above
Vacant homes14.8%32% below
Median year built119571% below
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 14.1 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 86% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

Commutes by transit1
8.7%
above the median place (median 0.8%)
Mean commute1
33 min
31% above the median place
Median household income1
$122,214
52% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$57,790 +44%
Poverty rate5.9% −45%
Works from home18.2% +46%
Unemployment4.0% −18%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBraintree TownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$122,21452% above
Income per person1$57,79044% above
Unemployment14.0%18% below
Average annual pay5County figure$87,02332% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.0%19% below
Jobs5County figure348,528131% above
Poverty rate15.9%45% below
Mean commute133 min31% above
Works from home118.2%46% above
Commutes by transit18.7%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 1.6%, 75% below the median place.

No health insurance1
1.6%
75% below the median place
Born abroad1
20.0%
126% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
95.4%
3% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher47.5% +48%
Median age41.3 +6%
Household size2.7 +6%
High school or higher92.9% +1%
All 9 people measures
MeasureBraintree TownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population138,8991153rd largest
Population change since 20206-0.5%below (median 1.1%)
Median age141.36% above
Bachelor's or higher147.5%48% above
High school or higher192.9%1% above
Household size12.76% above
Born abroad120.0%126% above
No health insurance11.6%75% below
Homes with broadband195.4%3% above
05

Life in Braintree Town

OpenStreetMap shows 0.5 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 95% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.

350 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 17 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents10.3 +1%
Playgrounds per 10k6.4 −32%
Grocery stores per 10k0.5 −76%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k11.3 +1%
Libraries per 10k1.3 +48%
Named paths and bike trails20 km 9.8×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi14.1 67.1×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Adams National Historical Park 4 miles
  • Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area 8 miles
  • Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site 11 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars23.2 +12%
Shops32.6 +8%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.8 +41%
Doctors' offices and clinics23.9 +18%
Child care centers4.4 +91%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
3.7
88% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k8
4.4
91% above the median place
Public schools13
189
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureBraintree TownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13County figure189above (median 9)
Public school students13County figure99,849above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher13County figure12.519% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure23.212% above
Shops per 10k8County figure32.68% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure5.841% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure23.918% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure4.491% above
Parks per 10k910.31% above
Playgrounds per 10k96.432% below
Grocery stores per 10k90.576% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k911.31% above
Libraries per 10k91.348% above
Named paths and bike trails919.7above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi914.1above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site103.788% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1016above (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure350above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 261, 36% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
261
36% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,429
18% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Good air days16
84.4%
23% above the median place
Median air quality index16
39
9% below the median place
Annual precipitation14
49.7 in
13% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureBraintree TownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure84°F4% below
January average low14County figure19°F25% below
Average temperature14County figure50°F8% below
Annual precipitation14County figure49.7 in13% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure92.00% below
Hurricane risk15County figure92.231% above
Tornado risk15County figure69.015% below
Wildfire risk15County figure49.819% below
Heat wave risk15County figure89.61% below
Median air quality index16County figure399% below
Good air days16County figure84.4%23% above
08

Braintree Town in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 20% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 20% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Braintree Town does better than 37% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 37%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,024/mo (2024)$2,610/mo$2,140 to $3,180/mo+4.3%
Median household income$122,214 (2024)$155,000$131,000 to $183,500+4.1%
Median home value$656,800 (2024)$934,000$678,000 to $1,287,000+6.0%
Population38,957 (2025)39,19037,590 to 40,850+0.1%

The median home would be worth 6.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.4 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Braintree Town

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Annandale, VA$1,933$116,263Compare
Ridgefield, NJ$2,095$118,059Compare
Roseville, CA$2,142$119,288Compare
Winthrop Town, MA$2,064$116,167Compare
Winthrop Town, MARoseville, CARidgefield, NJAnnandale, VABraintree Town, MABraintree TownAnnandaleRidgefieldRosevilleBraintree TownAnnandaleRidgefieldRoseville

Places built like Braintree Town

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Braintree Town performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Braintree Town, MA19.9%4.8%/yr-0.5%
Wethersfield, CT13.0%8.0%/yrn/aCompare
North Haven, CT15.6%6.6%/yrn/aCompare
Dedham, MA19.0%5.1%/yrn/aCompare
Saugus, MA26.5%2.7%/yrn/aCompare
Newington, CT17.8%4.7%/yrn/aCompare
Danvers, MA19.9%7.0%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Braintree Town a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 51 out of 100, better than 51% of the places we rate and 67th of 121 in Massachusetts. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $97,900 a year, more than in 77% of the 907 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 70 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Braintree Town expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.9% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $656,800.

What salary do you need to live in Braintree Town?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $80,960 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Braintree Town safe?

There were 261 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Braintree Town?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Annandale, VA, Ridgefield, NJ, Roseville, CA and Winthrop Town, MA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Braintree Town with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Braintree Town itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/braintree-town-massachusetts

Citytistics. “Braintree Town, Massachusetts.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/braintree-town-massachusetts/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.