What it's like to live in Taunton
Taunton is a smaller city in Massachusetts with air quality that stays clean most of the year, a growing population, 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. Taunton deals with home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, hospital ratings below the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Clean air
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Below-average hospital ratings
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Taunton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Taunton
Based on Taunton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,648
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,960 a year
- 53% of Taunton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$84,560
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $42,280
- Homes cost 5.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,324/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,324 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $422,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $422,800 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 19% above US
5.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.1%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 17% above US
386 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 1057/100k · Taunton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 13% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 1.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
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
14 public schools inside the boundary
There are 14 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 (15 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Taunton's strongest points are air quality that stays clean most of the year and a growing population; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,324/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
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