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Moving to
Milton.
Milton is an unincorporated community in Norfolk 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 Milton
Milton is an unincorporated community 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. Milton deals with home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, cold winters, and heavy snowfall.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 70" per year
- Above-average rainfall
How Milton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Milton
Based on Milton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,948
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $58,960 a year
- 42% of Milton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$186,640
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $93,320
- Homes cost 4.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,474/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,474 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 $933,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $933,200 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Norfolk 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.
Norfolk County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 79% below US
70 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 556/100k · Milton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 20% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.3 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. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% take public transit; 30% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°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
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 100% above US
72% 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
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 5 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 (3 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Milton's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,474/mo) equals 9% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (30% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Milton
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