Wellesley, Massachusetts
Among the top 3% of US places for safety & wellbeing.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 12% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade F, better than 5% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade A+, better than 98% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 86% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 57% of US places
- top 7% for school quality
- top 7% for airport distance
- bottom 1% for cost of living
Wellesley is a mid-size city in Massachusetts with about 30,000 residents. It grades A+ for safety & wellbeing and F for weather. Standout strengths include school quality, airport distance, and walkability. It rates lower on monthly owner costs and cost of living.
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Heavy snow
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
cool
cold
v.cold
57%45%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.3 in3.6 in
humid 100%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$250k100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$84kbetter than 1% of US places
Home Value$1.4M99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$3kbetter than 2% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$4kbetter than 1% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.70%better than 72% of US places
Income Tax9.00%better than 17% of US places
Sales Tax6.25%better than 81% of US places
Estimated total tax burden15.06%better than 17% of US places
Unemployment4.0%better than 48% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)28°F35th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)73°F34th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation47.3 in68th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall45.7 inbetter than 16% of US places
Sunny Days181 daysbetter than 9% of US places
Summer Humidity62°Fbetter than 64% of US places
Comfortable Days78 daysbetter than 40% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk40.4better than 81% of US places
Air Quality45 AQIbetter than 57% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime175/100kbetter than 82% of US places
Property Crime376/100kbetter than 76% of US places
Community
Population29,86295th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age37.634th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4074th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.8116th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+376th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)73.6%34th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)2.1%66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)5.3%59th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)13.3%97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.7%76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time29 minbetter than 32% of US places
Walkability12.1/20better than 92% of US places
Airport Distance15 mibetter than 93% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access95.5%better than 85% of US places
Amenities Nearby107.49better than 56% of US places
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 23% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Wellesley an affordable place to live?
- Wellesley is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $84k, better than 1% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Wellesley?
- The median home value in Wellesley is $1.4M, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Wellesley?
- Median household income in Wellesley is $250k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Wellesley?
- Median gross rent in Wellesley is $3k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Wellesley safe?
- Wellesley is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 175/100k (better than 82%). Property crime is 376/100k.
- What is the weather like in Wellesley?
- Wellesley averages 73°F in July and 28°F in January, with 47.3 in of annual precipitation and about 181 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Wellesley?
- Public-school quality in Wellesley is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Wellesley?
- The average one-way commute in Wellesley is 29 min.
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)