What it's like to live in Franklin
Franklin is a small city in Massachusetts with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Franklin 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
- Low crime rates
- 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 — 48" per year
- Above-average rainfall
How Franklin compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Franklin
Based on Franklin's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,798
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $75,960 a year
- 45% of Franklin renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$122,340
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $61,170
- Homes cost 4.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 34% above US
$1,899/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,899 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $611,700. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $611,700 · 45% 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▼ 79% below US
71 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 203/100k · Franklin Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 25% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.5 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. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 22% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 61% above US
58% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
12 public schools inside the boundary
There are 12 public schools inside the boundary. 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 Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (14 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Franklin's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,899/mo) equals 16% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (22% 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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