What it's like to live in Attleboro
Attleboro is a small city in Massachusetts with household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Attleboro deals with home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Clean air
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 50" per year
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Attleboro compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Attleboro
Based on Attleboro's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,180
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $63,600 a year
- 44% of Attleboro renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$89,620
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $44,810
- Homes cost 4.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 13% above US
$1,590/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,590 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $448,100. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $448,100 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 22% below US
257 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 953/100k · Attleboro Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 17% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 30.5 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
34% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 34% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
12 public schools inside the boundary
There are 12 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (6 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Attleboro's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,590/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near Attleboro
All Massachusetts guides →Moving to North Attleborough Town →
3 mi away · pop. 30,984
Rent $1,509/mo · Income $112,665
Compare with Attleboro →Moving to Franklin Town →
12 mi away · pop. 33,154
Rent $1,899/mo · Income $145,773
Compare with Attleboro →Moving to Somerset →
14 mi away · pop. 18,298
Rent $1,271/mo · Income $112,677
Compare with Attleboro →Not sure Attleboro is the one?
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