2 Massachusetts Towns Are Among Best New England Towns to Live In

There are lots of reason why anyone would want to live in New England. Of course, at the heart of the New England region is Massachusetts. If you're already here in the Bay State, you know there are tons of amazing attractions throughout the state! Not only that, but there's so much rich history throughout the state that adds to it. Sure, people like to travel here, but it also has become apparent that there's at least two towns here that have been labeled as the best places to live in New England.

The popular regional publication 'New England' recently took a look at some of the best spots throughout the region to live based on location, affordability, as well as culture and lifestyle. While it seems that each spot on the list definitely has its own niche as to why it was picked for this particular list, there were two spots in Massachusetts that made their mark as some of the best spots to live in the New England region.

Best New England Coastal Town - Marblehead, MA

According to 'New England's pick for this list, Marblehead has a population of 20,441, while the median home cost there is $962,375. Here's what the publication had to say about the best coastal town in the region:

A breeze ruffles Marblehead’s harbor, having sailed in from across the world. Colorful houses grow mellow in the dusk as vintage-style streetlamps glow. A few blocks beyond the section known as Old Town, restaurant stovetops are fired up and diners settle in...The houses look on, their historic markers reminding us that they’re here, too: Ambrose Gale, Fisherman, 1663; Mrs. Ruth Morse, Widow, 1750. Seafarers, shoremen, chandlers, and bakers. With so many vintage structures—300 or so—packed together so tightly, you can glimpse a cross-section of centuries at every turn. The town sits comfortably in its deep drifts of coastal history...

Not only was a Massachusetts spot picked as being the best coastal town in New England, but also the best eco-minded town was in the Bay State.

Best Eco-Minded Town in New England - Great Barrington, MA

Great Barrington has a population of 7,172 with a median home price of $505,000. 'New England' had this to say about the Berkshire County town:

Support of local farmers is fierce in Great Barrington, a culinary cradle in the Housatonic River Valley. Indeed, in this small town named one of America’s best by Smithsonian magazine, a closer look confirms a conscious commitment at every level of eating and drinking. Restaurants raise their own meats and produce. Barrington Brewery makes its beer with solar power. SoCo Creamery sources dairy for its ice cream from a family farm (and makes its own cookie dough, to boot).
But Great Barrington shows its eco-mindedness in other ways, too. The town’s embrace of “green” burials. A cohousing cluster of sustainably built cottages, recently featured on Dwell ’s website. An environmentally friendly approach to weddings at Saint James Place, a cultural center and event venue where “micro weddings” sidestep the 1 billion pounds of trash that U.S. nuptials generate annually...

It seems that in 2024, on both sides of the state (east and west), Massachusetts has two of the best spots throughout all of New England to live in. Now that the Spring months are about to hit, perhaps you should make a road trip to either of these spots and see for yourself why they happen to be getting noticed among the top cities to live in New England.