Best City To Live In In Massachusetts: Hint, It's Not Boston

NEWTON, MA — Congratulations, Newton. You're the top of the class in Mass. The Garden City is the best city in Massachusetts to live in, according to a new list that ranks the best cities to reside in every state. The list, compiled by 24/7 Wall Street, notes that Newton is one of the safest places in the United States and is the wealthiest in the state.

The safety and wealth, combined with nine other factors, including education, environment and economy, has Newton leading the pack in the Bay State.

"The median household income in Newton of $135,646 a year is third highest of U.S. cities and more than $40,000 higher than in Somerville, the next most affluent city in the Commonwealth," according to the report. Only 4.1 percent of Newton residents live in poverty, well below the state’s 10.4 percent poverty rate.

But for those who live and work here it's more than a safe, affluent place to live.

"The great thing about Newton is that it's a collection of small businesses and interesting shopping districts and there are still a strong number of mom and pop shops and a terrific amount of restaurants as well as the commercial districts... where larger employers can thrive, too, " said Greg Reibman of the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce.

Analysis and trends:

Through its analysis, 24/7 Wall Street found that the majority of cities that made the list are home to a large share of college-educated adults than the share of college-educated adults nationwide (31.3 percent). Educated populations, 24/7 Wall Street writes, are more resilient to economic downturns.

Another trend noted by 24/7 Wall Street is that the violent crime rate for almost every city on the list is lower than the U.S. rate. The presence of cultural amenities and entertainment venues was another common factor for the cities.

To determine the best city to live in every state, 24/7 Wall Street considered the 550 cities with populations of 65,000 or more. If a state had no cities with a population of at least 65,000, all cities in the state with a population of 40,000 or more were considered.

Newton has the advantage of also being close to Boston and with the cultural and economic diversity that's there, said Reibman and that has certainly impacted Newton.

"Although people often think of Newton as a homogeneous place, 1 out of every 5 people in Newton were born in another country. It's both smart and diverse," said.

Data was collected in nine categories:

1. Crime
2. Demography
3. Economy
4. Education
5. Environment
6. Health
7. Housing
8. Infrastructure
9. Leisure

24/7 Wall Street used data from Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Service, the FBI’s 2016 Uniform Crime Report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and ATTOM Data Solutions. For each category, specific measures contributed to a city’s overall score.

Other winners in the state?

In the fall of 2017, Money Magazine ranked Waltham as the top city in the state - and the No. 13 in the nation - to live and mentioned similar pros to Newton's, which was No. 26 for the 2017 list.

"The presence of both jobs and academia spells good news for the city’s tax base. Diversity is also a plus here: Approximately one in four residents was born outside the U.S. That’s reflected in the area’s restaurants, especially along Waltham’s renowned Moody Street," noted that list.

Incidentally, Money Magazine tapped Arlington as one of the top 10 places in the country to raise a family in 2017.

See the full list from 24/7 Wall Street here.

Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch