Somerville, Massachusetts

Located northwest of Boston, Somerville is a quick 15- to 20-minute drive or 25-minute train ride into the city. It’s convenient enough to access the best of Boston, from Fenway Park to Boston Common, while also feeling like its own separate space. It offers a suburban-meets-urban vibe with an underlying college town feel, thanks to Tufts University.

The university is one of the city’s main employers, alongside Mass General Brigham and Triumvirate Environmental. Health care, education, and technology are some of the biggest industries in the area, which has grown by 92% in population size over the past 13 years. 

That growth, and its proximity to Boston, has given Somerville a higher cost of living, but the tradeoffs are worth it for some residents. The public schools are consistently rated above average and received $897,000 in preschool funding this year. Somerville has one of the higher Sharecare Community Well-Being Index scores on the list, at 80 out of 100. And there are 39 above-average nursing homes within a 50-mile radius, per Caring.com.

Somerville is unique in that it doesn’t have a downtown area, but nearby Boston makes up for that. A slew of restaurants, bars, and entertainment can be found in Assembly Row, a former industrial district now revived by new businesses and services. There are many health and wellness options here, from boutique fitness studios to free yoga in the park during the summer. Somerville itself is home to 60 parks, and all residents live within a 10-minute walk of one.