What it's like to live in Braintree
Braintree is a small city in Massachusetts with household incomes running above the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Braintree deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 51" per year
- Above-average rainfall
How Braintree compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Braintree
Based on Braintree's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,048
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $80,960 a year
- 49% of Braintree renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$131,360
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $65,680
- Homes cost 5.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 43% above US
$2,024/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,024 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $656,800. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $656,800 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 20% below US
264 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1432/100k · Braintree Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 26% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.7 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. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% take public transit; 18% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 32% above US
48% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 48% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below 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 Adams National Historical Park (4 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Braintree'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 rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,024/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.
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