The Town of Braintree is famous for its beauty, history, and safety and is an affluent municipality, named for sister communities in England as many East Coast communities are. Considered a city under Massachusetts law, the community nonetheless goes by the title of “town.” The history of this community stretches all the way back to 1625, when the first settlers from England began to arrive on this part of the East Coast. Many famous figures of American history would be born here, including founding father John Adams, his wife Abigail Adams, and yet another founding father John Hancock. Primarily residential in nature, Braintree is an idyllic and historic town that brings out all the best in Massachusetts life. Braintree, MA is a good place to live!
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Where Is Braintree, MA?
Braintree is in Norfolk County, located close to the south of Quincy and Boston, in a cluster of similar suburban towns. Braintree is located within the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, and is bordered most notably by Quincy and Brockton. The distance from Braintree, MA to Boston, MA is 13.6 miles, and the train ride from Braintree to Boston is 24 minutes long.
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Braintree, MA Population & Demographics
The population of Braintree is 38,712 distributed over 13.8 miles at a population density of about 2,800 people per square mile. The median age here is 40.5, and 19.3% of residents are foreign born, 65% of whom come from Asia. 46.3% of Braintree’s population has a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Celebrities and notable people in Braintree include film director Mark Wahlberg, philanthropist and wife of Mark Zuckerberg Priscilla Chan, Emmy award-winning sports reporter Joe Amorosino, and Boston Red Sox player Jose Offerman.
Braintree is a very safe community to live in! Braintree’s overall crime rate is 53% lower than national average, with 1,094 crimes annually per 100,000 people. The property crime rate is 56% lower than the national average, while the violent crime rate is 41% lower. The community of Braintree is served by the Braintree Police Department, with 82 sworn officers.
Cost of Living in Braintree, MA
Massachusetts is generally a pretty expensive state to live in, and that’s doubly true of any community in the Boston metro area. The cost of living index for Braintree is 53.2% higher than the national average. According to the Economic Policy Institute, a family of four will need a yearly income of $131,028 to live in Braintree.
The Braintree median home price is $613,000, significantly higher than the average Massachusetts home price of $424,700. If you want to make yourself a part of this community, you should check out the latest listings for Braintree, MA homes for sale.
If you do not have plans to buy, there is a variety of rental options. According to RentCafe, the average rent in Braintree and nearby areas is around $2,641 per month for 1,191 square feet.
Braintree, MA Everyday Expenses
Want to know what sort of daily expenses you’ll be paying in Braintree? Check out these everyday expenses for Braintree, provided by Numbeo.
- Gallon of Milk – $4.15
- Loaf of Bread – $3.61
- Gallon of Gasoline – $3.74
- Average Braintree Utilities per Month – $451 (per Doxo)
- Internet per Month – $60.02
Where to Live in Braintree, MA
Want to know about the general layout of real estate in Braintree? Braintree is not really the type of town to have distinctive neighborhoods, so allow us to tell you about real estate in the area.
Braintree’s most expensive property is in the Northeast and Northwest, which should be unsurprising, considering the proximity of those areas to Boston. Meanwhile, the more suburban and semi-rural southern portions of Braintree are where most of the more affordable property lies. No matter where you choose to live, moving to Braintree is an excellent choice!
Braintree, MA Climate & Weather
According to the Koppen Climate Classification, Braintree is a humid subtropical climate. If you know the climate of Boston, Braintree won’t throw many surprises your way, although it is more inland. You can expect lows of 20 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter months, and highs of 84 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months. Braintree gets more than the average amount of rainfall for the United States, with 50 inches per year. Braintree also experiences more than the average in terms of annual snowfall, at 46 inches. The best times to visit Braintree, in terms of comfort rating, are June and August.
As with most of the East Coast, Braintree can experience severe winter storms, although this is somewhat less common than it would be in Boston.
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Things to Do in Braintree
Want to know about the best things to do in Braintree, MA? Check out great shopping in the community like the South Shore Plaza and Marketplace at Braintree for just about every shopping need you could possibly think of! You should also check out some of the best things to do in Braintree, MA.
Pond Meadow Park
This popular 320-acre outdoor park is among the best places to spend a day outdoors in Braintree. Enjoy a plethora of family-friendly activities here, such as hiking and wildlife watching.
470 Liberty St, Braintree, MA 02184, United States, (781) 843-7663
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Sunset Lake Gazebo
Enjoy unique, beautiful views out over one of Braintree’s most beautiful lake at the Sunset Lake Gazebo!
21 Safford St, Braintree, MA 02184, United States
Plaster Fun Time
This kid-friendly art center will provide hours of fun to creative kids, and has a convenient location right here in Braintree!
121 Pearl St, Braintree, MA 02184, United States, (781) 849-8400
Braintree, MA Additional Attractions:
Braintree is served by the Braintree Parks & Recreation department. See what special events are occurring in Braintree with the Braintree event calendar.
Restaurants in Braintree, MA
This community has a wide variety of excellent eateries! Check out some of the best places to eat in Braintree, Massachusetts.
Cielo
From tacos to tequila, Cielo serves the very best of Central American cuisine that you could usually only find on the West Coast!
1209 Washington St, Braintree, MA 02184, United States, (781) 519-4454
Legal Sea Foods
Massachusetts is known for its seafood, and Legal Sea Foods provides the very best of local seafood cuisine in an upscale environment.
30 Forbes Rd, Braintree, MA 02184, United States, (781) 817-1292
The Chateau
Despite the French name, this Braintree-local eatery actually serves some of the finest Italian dishes in the city.
535 John Mahar Hwy, Braintree, MA 02184, United States, (781) 380-8770
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Jobs in Braintree, MA
With a quick commute to Boston and plenty of local industry to go around, you’re sure to find the job of your dreams in or around Braintree! The most popular positions in Braintree are Administrative Assistant, Associate Attorney, and Software Engineer. The most popular employers in Braintree are Voya Financial, Inc., Encompass Health, and Thayer Academy. The average salary for a worker in Braintree is $69k a year, while the average hourly wage is $20.76, according to Payscale.
See the latest openings for jobs in Braintree here. See what job opportunities the City of Braintree has to offer with the City of Braintree jobs board.
Braintree, MA Schools
Braintree is served by the Braintree School District, which maintains 35 schools and has about 6,000 students. Of the schools in the Braintree area, 51% are rated as “Above Average” by GreatSchools, and the most notable are the Liberty Elementary School, South Middle School, and Braintree High School. Rest assured that your child’s education will be handled by some of the best institutions in the state!
Students and others residing in Braintree are served by the Thayer Public Library.
Braintree, MA Statistics & Information
- Braintree County: Norfolk
- Braintree Area: 14.6 square miles
- Braintree Zip Codes: 02184 and 02185
- Braintree Area Codes: 339 and 781
- Braintree Elevation: 90 feet
- Braintree Time Zone: Eastern Standard Zone (EST)
- Braintree’s Closest airport: Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), 14.5 miles from Braintree
Map of Braintree, MA
Explore Braintree’s large variety of things to do, places to eat, and more with this map!
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