Melrose Ranked in Top 50 MA Suburbs to Raise Children

By JASON CLAFFEY (Patch Staff)

Melrose is one of the best places in the Bay State to raise a family, according to a new survey.

Niche, which ranks U.S. communities and colleges, this week released its ”2015 Best Suburbs to Raise a Family in Massachusetts.” Melrose was No. 48.

Considering there are 296 towns and 55 cities in Massachusetts, that’s actually a pretty impressive score.

The rankings were based on age demographics, school ratings, crime rates, affordable housing, child care, libraries, and grocery stores, among other factors.

Here’s the top 10:

1. Sudbury
2. Lexington
3. Weston
4. Wayland
5. Wellesley
6. Brookline
7. Westford
8. Westwood
9. Acton
10. Belmont

Here’s how Niche ranked Arlington’s key attributes:

• Crime/safety: B
• Education: B+
• Libraries: C
• Community: A
• Housing: B+
• Day cares: A
• Grocery stores: A
• Residents 35-44 years old: 17.8 percent
• Residents 9 and younger: 12.5 percent

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Image credit: Wikipedia