CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

42.08° N · 71.41° W · GEOID 2525172

Franklin Town

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

MassachusettsFranklin Town, MAFranklin TownFranklin Town

The short answer

Franklin Town is home to 33,154 people. Median household income is $145,773 a year and median rent is $1,899 a month, 15.6% 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 $611,700, about 4.2x annual median household income.

Franklin Town stands out on how people work. Unemployment is 5.2%, against 3.2% in its closest peers. Also notable: After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $122,900 a year, more than in 92% of places its size.

81OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Franklin Town scores better than 81% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 22nd of 121 in Massachusetts.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%63
Economy 20%68
Safety 20%90
Amenities 15%42
Education 10%87
Commute 10%13
Growth 5%35
Median gross rent
$1,899
39% above the median place
Median household income
$145,773
82% above the median place
Median home value
$611,700
92% above the median place
Unemployment
5.2%
6% above 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 Franklin Town

  • AffordabilityThe median rent takes 15.6% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 91% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
  • HousingOwning with a mortgage costs about $1,005 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 87% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Franklin 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
4.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.6% 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
$76,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,899 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,904 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $611,700.
Getting to work
33 minutes each way on average; 22.1% work from home; 3.0% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Libertyville, IL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
4.2%
27% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.6%
17% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$129,637
84% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureFranklin TownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.2%27% below
Moved from another state11.6%17% 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

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 92 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

Franklin Town15.6%
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
$75,960
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
15.6%
24% below the median place
Home price to income
4.2x
11% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$123,200
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Franklin Town, $1,899 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 Franklin Town, but easier on the budget

Places that match Franklin 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
Libertyville, IL9011.9% vs 15.6%$20,400Compare
Clive, IA909.7% vs 15.6%$5,100Compare
Zionsville, IN8712.5% vs 15.6%$32,100Compare
Severna Park, MD8712.0% vs 15.6%$24,200Compare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Franklin Town? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$7,044
116% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$2,904
55% above the median place
Median home value1
$611,700
92% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureFranklin TownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,89939% above
Rent to income115.6%24% below
Property tax rate11.1%26% above
Home price to income14.2x11% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure108.37% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$3,00886% above
Property tax paid (median)1$7,044116% above
Median home value1$611,70092% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure3.0%7% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure44.6%13% below
Homeownership178.2%18% above
Renters paying 30%+148.0%5% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,90455% above
Vacant homes14.9%30% below
Median year built119850% above
03

Work and pay

Median household income is $145,773, 82% above the median place.

Median household income1
$145,773
82% above the median place
Income per person1
$65,125
63% above the median place
Mean commute1
33 min
31% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home22.1% +77%
Poverty rate5.9% −45%
Commutes by transit3.0% 3.6×
Unemployment5.2% +6%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureFranklin TownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$145,77382% above
Income per person1$65,12563% above
Unemployment15.2%6% above
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 home122.1%77% above
Commutes by transit13.0%256% above
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 1.4%, 78% below the median place.

No health insurance1
1.4%
78% below the median place
High school or higher1
97.6%
6% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
96.7%
5% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher58.1% +81%
Median age41.3 +6%
Household size2.6 +3%
Born abroad10.3% +17%
All 9 people measures
MeasureFranklin TownAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population133,1541379th largest
Population change since 202062.0%78% above
Median age141.36% above
Bachelor's or higher158.1%81% above
High school or higher197.6%6% above
Household size12.63% above
Born abroad110.3%17% above
No health insurance11.4%78% below
Homes with broadband196.7%5% above
05

Life in Franklin Town

The nearest National Park Service site is Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, about 15 miles away.

Founded or incorporated in 1660. 350 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 17 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents6.3 −38%
Playgrounds per 10k10.6 +12%
Grocery stores per 10k1.5 −29%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k8.4 −24%
Libraries per 10k0.6 −31%
Named paths and bike trails3 km +45%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.7 3.2×

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

  • Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park 15 miles
  • Roger Williams National Memorial 18 miles
  • Taunton Wild and Scenic River 21 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
14.5
53% 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
MeasureFranklin 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 10k96.338% below
Playgrounds per 10k910.612% above
Grocery stores per 10k91.529% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k98.424% below
Libraries per 10k90.631% below
Named paths and bike trails92.945% above
Transit stops per sq mi90.7224% above
Nearest National Park Service site1014.553% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1015above (median 2)
National Register listings11County figure350above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 71, 63% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
71
63% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
200
84% below 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
MeasureFranklin 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

Franklin Town in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 16% 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, Franklin Town does better than 62% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 38%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,899/mo (2024)$2,460/mo$2,020 to $2,990/mo+4.4%
Median household income$145,773 (2024)$184,000$155,500 to $218,000+4.0%
Median home value$611,700 (2024)$870,000$632,000 to $1,199,000+6.0%
Population33,955 (2025)34,96033,530 to 36,440+0.6%

The median home would be worth 4.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.2 now.

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

09

Places like Franklin Town

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

PlaceRentIncome
Midland Park, NJ$1,853$146,841Compare
Rutherford, NJ$1,966$143,153Compare
Fruit Heights, UT$1,932$140,679Compare
Preakness, NJ$1,918$133,205Compare
Preakness, NJFruit Heights, UTRutherford, NJMidland Park, NJFranklin Town, MAFranklin TownMidland ParkRutherfordFruit HeightsFranklin TownMidland ParkRutherfordFruit Heights

Places built like Franklin 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 Franklin Town performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Franklin Town, MA15.6%3.5%/yr2.0%
Burlington, MA22.3%4.3%/yrn/aCompare
Wilmington, MA17.1%6.0%/yrn/aCompare
Batavia, IL13.5%5.1%/yr0.3%Compare
North Attleborough Town, MA16.1%5.2%/yr2.2%Compare
Winter Springs, FL24.2%5.2%/yr3.2%Compare
Saco, ME16.2%5.5%/yr3.8%Compare

Common questions

Is Franklin Town a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 81 out of 100, better than 81% of the places we rate and 22nd of 121 in Massachusetts. The median rent takes 15.6% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 91% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. Owning with a mortgage costs about $1,005 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 87% of the 987 places of 25,000 to 50,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 85 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Franklin Town expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 15.6% 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 $611,700.

What salary do you need to live in Franklin Town?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $75,960 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Franklin Town safe?

There were 71 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Franklin Town?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Midland Park, NJ, Rutherford, NJ, Fruit Heights, UT and Preakness, NJ.

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

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

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