The 10 Worst Small Towns In Massachusetts For 2024

Most Americans have never been to small town Massachusetts. However, as the Bay Stater who live there know, small town Massachusetts is an awesome place to call home.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Massachusetts has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Bay State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.

After analyzing more than 100 of Massachusetts’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Massachusetts where you’d never want to live:

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Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

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These are the worst small towns in Massachusetts for 2024:

1. Monson Center
2. West Brookfield
3. West Wareham
4. Orange
5. Onset
6. Shelburne Falls
7. Townsend
8. Winchendon
9. Baldwinville
10. Dennis Port

So what is the worst small town to call home in Massachusetts for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Monson Center is the worst small town to live in Massachusetts.

While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Monson Center home. Everyone

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Massachusetts or the worst places to live in Massachusetts.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In Massachusetts For 2024

1. Monson Center

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,673
Median Home Value: $318,067
Median Income: $51,902
Unemployment Rate: 16.6%

2. West Brookfield

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,532
Median Home Value: $392,910
Median Income: $53,849
Unemployment Rate: 13.7%

3. West Wareham

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,605
Median Home Value: $264,244
Median Income: $52,771
Unemployment Rate: 5.6%

4. Orange

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,731
Median Home Value: $278,603
Median Income: $55,558
Unemployment Rate: 13.0%

5. Onset

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,326
Median Home Value: $427,053
Median Income: $72,017
Unemployment Rate: 28.6%

6. Shelburne Falls

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,699
Median Home Value: $353,746
Median Income: $54,250
Unemployment Rate: 7.1%

7. Townsend

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,131
Median Home Value: $448,177
Median Income: $61,546
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%

8. Winchendon

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 4,461
Median Home Value: $347,012
Median Income: $56,042
Unemployment Rate: 6.8%

9. Baldwinville

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,286
Median Home Value: $327,887
Median Income: $1,000
Unemployment Rate: 21.1%

10. Dennis Port

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,300
Median Home Value: $517,773
Median Income: $54,071
Unemployment Rate: 11.6%

Next 10 Towns

Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Massachusetts is lousy or not?

To rank the worst small towns to live in Massachusetts, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.

We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.

Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

• Population Density (The lower, the worse)
• Highest Unemployment Rates
• Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
• Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
• Education (Number of high school dropouts)
• High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 100 to be exact.

We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Massachusetts.

There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Massachusetts

If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Bay State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

The worst small towns in Massachusetts are Monson Center, West Brookfield, West Wareham, Orange, Onset, Shelburne Falls, Townsend, Winchendon, Baldwinville, and Dennis Port.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Massachusetts, according to science:

1. Hopkinton (Pop. 3,298)
2. Rowley (Pop. 1,642)
3. Cordaville (Pop. 2,884)

For more Massachusetts reading, check out:

Worst Small Towns In Massachusetts

Rank	Town	Population	Unemployment Rate	Home Value	Median Income
1	Monson Center	1,673	16.6%	$318,067	$51,902
2	West Brookfield	1,532	13.7%	$392,910	$53,849
3	West Wareham	2,605	5.6%	$264,244	$52,771
4	Orange	3,731	13.0%	$278,603	$55,558
5	Onset	1,326	28.6%	$427,053	$72,017
6	Shelburne Falls	1,699	7.1%	$353,746	$54,250
7	Townsend	1,131	3.3%	$448,177	$61,546
8	Winchendon	4,461	6.8%	$347,012	$56,042
9	Baldwinville	2,286	21.1%	$327,887	$1,000
10	Dennis Port	3,300	11.6%	$517,773	$54,071
11	North Plymouth	4,418	18.1%	$496,097	$59,696
12	Millers Falls	1,061	4.3%	$272,783	$60,455
13	Holland	1,452	3.1%	$347,199	$78,462
14	North Eastham	1,971	10.5%	$738,545	$81,544
15	Acushnet Center	3,164	7.8%	$347,171	$67,333
16	Northwest Harwich	4,076	12.8%	$676,319	$81,268
17	Ocean Grove	2,691	7.4%	$360,809	$75,208
18	Wilbraham	3,839	3.8%	$417,239	$97,891
19	North Westport	4,660	1.7%	$434,116	$82,408
20	Wareham Center	2,654	4.9%	$486,599	$69,286
21	Smith Mills	4,556	2.4%	$413,293	$73,393
22	South Lancaster	1,642	19.0%	$413,414	$101,250
23	Turners Falls	3,838	2.9%	$292,631	$53,306
24	South Ashburnham	1,049	0.0%	$343,761	$100,455
25	Fiskdale	2,827	8.6%	$434,603	$83,546
26	North Lakeville	3,635	3.2%	$568,673	$85,123
27	Falmouth	3,883	3.9%	$1,004,179	$57,333
28	Norton Center	2,580	4.1%	$480,998	$109,356
29	Pepperell	2,205	6.6%	$526,932	$91,406
30	Belchertown	2,648	0.9%	$419,116	$75,284
31	North Brookfield	2,437	2.0%	$353,765	$73,904
32	Granby	1,176	4.3%	$357,557	$94,663
33	Weweantic	1,593	12.5%	$451,164	$1,000
34	Marshfield	4,868	4.8%	$703,570	$93,491
35	Dennis	1,898	5.5%	$616,236	$113,526
36	Great Barrington	1,890	3.4%	$565,708	$44,583
37	Groton	1,472	3.4%	$713,192	$121,484
38	South Deerfield	1,953	5.8%	$404,382	$81,577
39	Lenox	1,999	0.0%	$574,399	$57,460
40	Devens	1,763	1.0%	$546,771	$106,875
41	Harwich Port	2,252	4.3%	$1,023,268	$58,854
42	Bellingham	4,636	10.4%	$474,198	$76,729
43	Lee	1,507	5.8%	$384,333	$78,021
44	Harwich Center	1,419	7.1%	$648,190	$71,806
45	South Dennis	3,101	3.0%	$503,647	$81,607
46	Hopedale	4,137	5.4%	$479,179	$117,135
47	East Dennis	3,711	4.9%	$788,836	$85,321
48	Provincetown	3,433	8.3%	$936,176	$91,711
49	Ayer	2,969	0.9%	$498,358	$76,094
50	Buzzards Bay	2,993	2.4%	$509,858	$88,791
51	West Dennis	2,732	1.7%	$595,341	$82,955
52	Brewster	1,739	7.1%	$741,695	$62,695
53	Littleton Common	2,870	9.1%	$577,441	$122,854
54	East Brookfield	1,345	1.3%	$391,520	$76,406
55	Vineyard Haven	2,367	3.7%	$893,682	$65,313
56	Hanscom Afb	1,784	1.0%	$0	$71,250
57	Chatham	1,637	8.6%	$1,164,923	$84,554
58	Hatfield	1,331	1.5%	$441,149	$99,500
59	Lunenburg	2,149	2.4%	$488,146	$114,500
60	East Douglas	2,562	1.3%	$480,998	$74,417
61	East Pepperell	1,999	4.5%	$478,928	$109,265
62	West Chatham	1,633	6.2%	$865,796	$130,213
63	Rockport	4,943	7.6%	$804,140	$89,574
64	Marshfield Hills	2,458	0.0%	$863,726	$164,571
65	Upton	2,596	6.4%	$659,276	$104,913
66	Sandwich	2,948	4.4%	$634,967	$99,333
67	Rutland	1,690	2.1%	$477,479	$84,063
68	Shirley	1,359	6.9%	$487,915	$85,119
69	Westborough	4,381	2.3%	$690,039	$87,411
70	Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock	4,637	6.3%	$569,282	$106,528
71	West Falmouth	1,793	8.7%	$812,460	$167,083
72	Mattapoisett Center	2,645	3.9%	$732,821	$95,986
73	Forestdale	3,912	2.2%	$589,616	$118,382
74	East Sandwich	3,787	3.4%	$783,953	$123,571
75	Ipswich	4,872	2.8%	$748,408	$95,342
76	Pocasset	2,627	0.9%	$695,803	$86,150
77	Sturbridge	2,222	0.0%	$461,996	$123,375
78	Millis-Clicquot	4,718	1.8%	$563,315	$111,192
79	Hanson	2,087	5.8%	$553,398	$110,096
80	Topsfield	2,799	6.1%	$883,385	$156,250
81	Orleans	1,665	0.0%	$1,012,474	$72,422
82	North Seekonk	2,726	6.4%	$488,182	$105,459
83	Bourne	1,782	0.0%	$595,227	$76,103
84	White Island Shores	2,223	5.4%	$417,676	$103,372
85	Williamstown	4,498	0.7%	$466,513	$110,855
86	Boxford	2,714	5.6%	$970,105	$247,557
87	Mashpee Neck	1,270	2.6%	$631,507	$135,536
88	Duxbury	1,761	5.6%	$983,149	$128,000
89	Dover	2,512	13.9%	$1,560,270	$250,001
90	Monument Beach	3,024	2.2%	$579,998	$93,688
91	Essex	1,880	1.1%	$808,059	$143,615
92	Teaticket	1,561	1.4%	$547,972	$86,250
93	Sagamore	3,966	3.0%	$598,629	$113,289
94	North Falmouth	2,318	5.6%	$961,003	$129,421
95	North Pembroke	3,954	1.6%	$591,079	$156,429
96	Nahant	3,336	4.2%	$895,679	$105,867
97	South Duxbury	3,409	5.1%	$1,137,712	$197,632
98	Hopkinton	3,298	4.1%	$867,462	$168,393
99	Rowley	1,642	0.0%	$712,705	$101,995
100	Cordaville	2,884	2.7%	$866,770	$190,170