Living in Gloucester, MA
Suburb in Massachusetts
Gloucester is a suburb in Massachusetts, home to about 30,000 people, with 2.3 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Gloucester a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Mild summers: highs around 78°F
- Safe: violent crime is 0.5× the US rate (FBI 2019)
- Strong healthcare: 7 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
👎 Cons
- Higher taxes: about $3,502 state income tax per resident, 1.04% property tax
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $790k, and rent is $3,530 a month
- Cloudier than most places
- Fewer family amenities than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Gloucester ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Gloucester: common questions
What is the cost of living in Gloucester?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $790k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,530 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 108, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Gloucester?
Massachusetts collects about $3,502 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.04% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Gloucester safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.5× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Gloucester?
Public schools in Gloucester test above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 12 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Gloucester?
Gloucester has cold winters: winter days average around 39°F and summer days around 78°F, with roughly 51″ of snow a year.
Does Gloucester get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from coastal flooding and flooding: 12 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.17 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Gloucester?
The nearest major airport is BOS, about 25 mi away.
How Gloucester scores
Each bar compares Gloucester with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Gloucester
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Massachusetts.
Is Gloucester right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.