---
title: 1. Sharon, MA
description: 'Sharon, MA is #1 on Money''s list of Best Places to Live'
authors:
  - name: timestaff
    url: https://money.com/author/timestaff/
    articles: 459
    covers:
      - Lifestyle
      - Banking
      - Career Advice
      - Credit
      - Credit Cards
      - Housing
      - Identity Theft
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      - Investing
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    former_staff: true
published: '2014-05-21T17:15:48.000Z'
modified: '2014-05-21T17:15:48.000Z'
section: Lifestyle
tags:
  - buying a home
  - home prices
  - Housing Market
  - Massachusetts
  - real estate
  - selling a home
  - Sharon
canonical: https://money.com/collection-post/sharon-ma-1-best-places-to-live/
type: Article
source: structured-blocks
---

> **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/).

![201309_BPL_SHARON](https://img.money.com/2014/06/201309_bpl_sharon11.jpg?crop=0px%2C1715px%2C2100px%2C1179px&quality=85)

**Top 50 rank**: 1

**Population**: 17,944

This New England town is surrounded by a wealth of good jobs in Boston, Providence, and the Route 128 tech corridor. That helped insulate Sharon from the worst of the recession and ignited its rapid recovery.

A half-hour train ride from Boston or Providence, this one-time summer resort has the natural beauty of a more remote place. Forty percent remains open space, and the town jewel, Lake Massapoag, offers a place for residents to swim, picnic, and enjoy concerts on Memorial Beach.

Sharon's schools are a big draw for families. So is its diversity. The town has seven synagogues, nine churches, and one of New England's largest Islamic mosques. Nearly 30% of students in public school are nonwhite, and 18% speak a language other than English at home.

*\--Donna Rosato*

<table><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Sharon, MA</h3></td><td></td><td>Town stats</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:177px"><tbody><tr><td>Median family income (per year)</td><td></td><td>$139,850</td></tr><tr><td>Job growth % (2010-2012)</td><td></td><td>5.31%</td></tr><tr><td>Median home price (2012)</td><td></td><td>$375,000</td></tr><tr><td>Reading test scores (% above/below average)</td><td></td><td>34.9%</td></tr><tr><td>Math test scores (% above/below average)</td><td></td><td>40.0%</td></tr><tr><td>Personal crime incidents (per 1,000)</td><td></td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Property crime incidents (per 1,000)</td><td></td><td>8</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:234px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Financials</h3></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Median family income (per year)</td><td></td><td>$139,850</td></tr><tr><td>Family purchasing power (annual, cost-of-living adjusted)</td><td></td><td>$99,276</td></tr><tr><td>Sales tax (state)</td><td></td><td>6.25%</td></tr><tr><td>State income tax rate (highest bracket)</td><td></td><td>5.25%<sup>I</sup></td></tr><tr><td>State income tax rate (lowest bracket)</td><td></td><td>5.25%<sup>I</sup></td></tr><tr><td>Average auto insurance premiums</td><td></td><td>N.A.</td></tr><tr><td>Job growth % (2010-2012)</td><td></td><td>5.31%</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:103px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Housing</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Median home price (2012)</td><td></td><td>$375,000</td></tr><tr><td>Average property taxes (2012)</td><td></td><td>$8,103</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:172px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Education</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Colleges, universities and<br>professional schools (within 30 miles)</td><td></td><td>80</td></tr><tr><td>Reading test scores (% above/below state average)</td><td></td><td>34.9%</td></tr><tr><td>Test scores math (% above/below average)</td><td></td><td>40.0%</td></tr><tr><td>% students attending public/private schools (within town limits)</td><td></td><td>92.1/7.9</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:203px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Quality of life</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Air quality index* (% of days AQI ranked as good)</td><td></td><td>91.6%</td></tr><tr><td>Personal crime incidents (per 1,000)</td><td></td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Property crime incidents (per 1,000)</td><td></td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>Median commute time (in minutes)</td><td></td><td>33.3</td></tr><tr><td>% population with commute 45 mins. or longer</td><td></td><td>36.3%</td></tr><tr><td>% population walk or bike to work</td><td></td><td>1.0%</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:253px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Leisure and culture</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Movie theaters (within 15 miles)</td><td></td><td>27</td></tr><tr><td>Restaurants (within 15 miles)</td><td></td><td>2,432</td></tr><tr><td>Bars (within 15 miles)</td><td></td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>Public golf courses (within 30 miles)</td><td></td><td>260</td></tr><tr><td>Libraries (within 15 miles)</td><td></td><td>73</td></tr><tr><td>Museums (accredited by AAM; within 30 miles)</td><td></td><td>40</td></tr><tr><td>Ski resorts (within 100 miles)</td><td></td><td>N.A.</td></tr><tr><td>Arts funding ($ per person of state funds spent on arts)</td><td></td><td>1.2</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:153px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Weather</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Annual rainfall (inches)</td><td></td><td>42.53</td></tr><tr><td>% clear days in the area</td><td></td><td>55%</td></tr><tr><td>High temp in July ° F</td><td></td><td>82.8°</td></tr><tr><td>Low temp in Jan ° F</td><td></td><td>17.7°</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table style="height:197px"><tbody><tr><td><h3 class="collection-subhead">Meet the neighbors</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Median age</td><td></td><td>42.9</td></tr><tr><td>Completed at least some college (% of residents)</td><td></td><td>82.8%</td></tr><tr><td>Married %</td><td></td><td>66.2%</td></tr><tr><td>Divorced %</td><td></td><td>2.9%</td></tr><tr><td>Racial diversity index (100 is national average; higher numbers indicate greater diversity)</td><td></td><td>72.1</td></tr></tbody></table>

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