So which ten towns and cities ranked above Boston? A real estate report from U.S. News highlighted the 19 Best Places to Live in Massachusetts in 2026-2027. Boston, naturally, made the list, and while many Bostonians think it’s not only the No. 1 city to live in Massachusetts, but perhaps in the nation — or the world — U.S. News says otherwise, with 10 neighboring towns and cities outperforming Boston.
Best places to live in Massachusetts in 2026-2027
U.S. News shared the top places to live in the Bay State. Boston ranked number 11; here are the towns and cities that outperformed it:
- Newton
- Brookline
- Somerville
- Waltham
- Cambridge
- Pittsfield
- Worcester
- Malden
- Framingham
- Quincy
- Boston
- Haverhill
- Lynn
- Fall River
- Lowell
- New Bedford
- Springfield
- Brockton
- Lawrence
View the complete list of the best places to live in Massachusetts with detailed ranking factors on U.S. News.
Methodology
Each of the cities and towns in Massachusetts received an overall score based on various livability factors. Factors included common livability markers such as commute time, rent and income, education, job market, weather, and more. U.S. News editors looked at all of the factors for cities statewide to determine the list of the top 19, and ranked them according to their final scores.
While we didn’t rank number one on this list, we’ve made it quite big on others.
