What it's like to live in Gardner
Gardner is a small city in Massachusetts with rent below 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. Gardner deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and cold, harsh winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Clean air
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Above-average commute times
- Cold, harsh winters
- Heavy snowfall — 75" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Gardner compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Gardner
Based on Gardner's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,218
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,360 a year
- 47% of Gardner renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$60,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $30,160
- 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▼ 22% below US
$1,109/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,109 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $301,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $301,600 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 30% above US
5.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.6%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 11% above US
365 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 758/100k · Gardner 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; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 77°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 16°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 34% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Lowell National Historical Park (34 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Gardner's strongest points are rent below the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,109/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Gardner
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