The Most Affordable Top Towns in Greater Boston Right Now
A million-dollar lifestyle without the million-dollar price tag? Meet the suburban unicorns.
Swampscott, a seaside town 15 miles up the coast from Boston, remains a deal. / Getty Images
Finding your way to Greater Boston’s Top Places to Live has never been cheap. But in this year’s ranking from our March issue, the top five most desirable cities and towns all carry median single-family home prices north of $1.9 million—which, even by our skyrocketing local housing standards, is expensive. But strong schools, reasonable commutes, and a great quality of life don’t have to come with an impossible price tag.
From the 141 communities our researchers evaluated across safety, mobility, education, entertainment, housing, and more, five stood out for earning strong marks in nearly every category while still coming in under the million-dollar single-family median mark. You could say they’re the places that haven’t been fully “discovered” yet—which, if you’re in the market, might actually be the ideal.
Courtesy of LandVest | Christie’s International Real Estate
1. North Andover
Overall Score 6.30
You can go newer Colonial in the North Andover Estates area or midcentury charmer in the Library District—either way, this town, 24 miles north of Boston, will likely run you less than fancier neighbor Andover (median price: $1,075,000). “North Andover feels like the kind of town buyers keep circling back to, with classic Merrimack Valley charm and forward-looking investment,” says Matt Witte of William Raveis’s Lucci Witte Team. The schools are strong, there’s plenty of green space, and the commute is manageable—but Witte says the real draw lately is the town’s focus on quality-of-life upgrades. Case in point: a downtown improvement project in the works that could bring new lighting, pocket parks, and better crosswalks to an already lively center.
A house in Sharon. / Kerry Howell Photography
2. Sharon
Overall Score 6.44
A 2,000-plus-square-foot single-family home for $750,000—in this economy? It’s possible in this tight-knit town of nearly 19,000. But the relatively reasonable entry price is far from Sharon’s only draw. “I’ve described it as a global community with a hometown feel,” says Dianne Needle of the Needle Group at REAL Broker, a Realtor and 20-year Sharon resident. She ticks off the green space, diversity, top schools, and proximity to Boston (less than 30 minutes on the commuter rail) as the main attractions. Lately, buyers are also buzzing about Sharon Gallery, a new development that brought an enormous Costco to town last year and will include a luxury condo community. There’s also a new public library, a new high school, and—perhaps most critical—a coffee, breakfast, and lunch spot, Angel’s Café, where “everybody knows your name,” as Needle says.
Acton. / Photo by Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock
3. Acton
Overall Score 6.26
The towns along Route 2 moving northwest from Cambridge—Arlington, Belmont, Lexington, Lincoln, Concord—are pricey. Then comes something close to a miracle: a community with many of the same qualities, but relatively cheaper real estate prices. “By the time you hit Acton, you will get more bang for your buck,” says Acton-based Realtor Jennifer Jones, of Barrett Sotheby’s International Realty. “You’ll get more land, you’ll get access to the commuter rail, and you’re going to get great schools.” Residents also love the green spaces and the indie shops and restaurants of West Acton Village. Most significantly, they appreciate the opportunity to snag a four-bed, two-bath home for under $900,000. “It’s a nice entry point for a lot of families,” Jones says. In fact, prices dipped nearly 5 percent since last year, giving buyers even more reasons to start their house hunt here.
Swampscott, a 3.5-square-mile town just south of Salem. / Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock
4. Swampscott
Overall Score 6.20
Beach-town energy, minus the beach-town markup. “In the summertime, it’s like living in vacationland, but you’re in such close proximity to the city,” says Melissa Weinand of the Proper Nest Real Estate. She’s talking about cycling on Lynn Shore Drive, boogie boarding at Phillips Beach, and sailing camps at Fisherman’s Beach. But this 3.5-square-mile town just south of Salem has year-round appeal, too: a brand-new elementary school, a growing restaurant scene, and an ongoing overhaul of Vinnin Square that’ll add green space and refreshed retail. The real sweetener? Prices are softening. Listings with price reductions jumped 30 percent last year, and condo prices per square foot dropped 17 percent, according to Weinand. For buyers who’ve been priced out of the North Shore’s splashier towns, that’s an opening.
Walpole has a central commuter rail stop. / Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock
5. Walpole
Overall Score 5.89
You get a lot for your real estate dollar in Walpole—easy access to Boston via commuter rail, a cute downtown with locally owned restaurants, and stellar public schools (including a new middle school and a high school currently undergoing renovations that jumped seven spots in Boston magazine’s Top Schools ranking last year). And according to Brad Brooks, a fourth-generation Walpole resident and broker at Brad Brooks Real Estate Brokerage, the year ahead looks even more exciting. “The outlook for 2026 is positive, as more sellers are amenable to downsize, retire, or move out of state,” he says. North Walpole, in particular, is a favorite among buyers looking for newer, larger homes, with the added bonus of 700 acres of recreation and conservation land.
First published in the print edition of the March 2026 issue, as part of our Top Places To Live 2026 cover package, with the headline, “Bang-for-Your-Buck Towns.”
