Braintree Listed Among Money's Best Places To Live In 2020

BRAINTREE, MA — Braintree is one of the 50 best places in the United States to live, according to a new ranking by Money Magazine. The annual list, released this week, ranks communities based on factors such as safety, cost of living and diversity.

Out of communities on this year’s list, Braintree ranked No. 26.

To determine this year's Best Places To Live, Money analyzed a list of 1,890 communities with a population of at least 25,000. The publication then analyzed 115 separate data points on each community’s economy, housing market, education system, employment, weather and more.

Reporters then researched each location to ensure the statistics were an accurate representation of each community.

Money added several additional factors this year to account for the coronavirus pandemic and recent unrest stemming from racial inequality. The publication incorporated new filters in two key areas: countywide unemployment and housing distress as a result of COVID-19 economic disruptions; and demographics, to ensure locations selected for this year’s list were racially diverse and well-integrated.

To ensure geographic diversity, the publication limited the number of communities each county and state could have on this year's list — one community per county, and two per state.

Read more on the methodology used to determine 2020’s Best Places To Live.

Here’s a look at some data collected on Braintree:

• Population: 38,000
• Median household income: $96,000
• Median home price: $427,000
• Unemployment rate: Money listed Braintree's unemployment rate at 16.9 percent as of June, but that number has dropped to 11.5 percent as of August.

"Just a 15-minute drive from downtown Boston, or slightly longer if you opt to ride 'the T' as the subway system is known, Braintree is an ideal spot for commuters looking for an affordable place to call home," Money Magazine wrote. "And it's not just access to the city. To the west, Braintree borders the 6,000-acre Blue Hills Reservation, which features hiking and mountain biking in the summer and downhill skiing in the winter."

Braintree Mayor Charles Kokoros said he's proud to see Braintree recognized and said it was a great reflection on the schools, small businesses, public safety and the residents, which he said are the best part of town.

"Especially during the pandemic, the community rallied to help their neighbors," Kokoros said.

Braintree wasn't the only Massachusetts town to crack the list. Chelmsford, possibly the best kept secret of Middlesex County, made the list at No. 16.

So, where is the best place to live in the United States? According to this year’s list, it's Evans, Georgia. A city of 36,000 perched on the Savannah River just northwest of Augusta, Evans has been attracting new residents with plenty of good-paying jobs in health care and administration, as well as at a nearby U.S. Army base, Fort Gordon.

Here are the top 10 Best Places To Live, according to Money:

1. Evans, Georgia
2. Parker, Colorado
3. Meridian, Idaho
4. Rockwall, Texas
5. Columbia, Maryland
6. Westfield, Indiana
7. Syracuse, Utah
8. Franklin, Tennessee
9. Woodbury, Minnesota
10. Morrisville, North Carolina

See the full list of Best Places To Live.