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Moving to
Hudson.
Hudson is an unincorporated community in Middlesex County, MA. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Hudson
Hudson is an unincorporated community 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. Hudson deals with home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, cold, harsh winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 46" per year
How Hudson compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Hudson
Based on Hudson's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,794
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $55,880 a year
- 38% of Hudson renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$94,660
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $47,330
- Homes cost 5.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,397/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,397 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are steep, with a median around $473,300. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $473,300 · 38% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Middlesex County is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Middlesex County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 15% below US
280 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 485/100k · Hudson Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 16% above US
30 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 30.2 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; 18% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 21% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10:1, 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 Minute Man National Historical Park (14 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Hudson'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 ($1,397/mo) equals 19% 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 anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Hudson
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