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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

Acton, MA
Real Estate & Demographic Data






Acton profile


Living in Acton



Acton is a medium-sized town located in the state of Massachusetts. With a population of 23,829 people and six associated neighborhoods, Acton is the 85th largest community in Massachusetts.

Housing costs in Acton are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Massachusetts.

Also of interest is that Acton has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

And if you like science, one thing you'll find is that Acton has lots of scientists living in town - whether they be life scientists, physical scientists (like astronomers), or social scientists (like geographers!). So, if you're scientific-minded, you might like it here too.

Of important note, Acton is also a town of artists. Acton has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Acton’s character.

Telecommuters are a relatively large percentage of the workforce: 30.54% of people work from home. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce it is high relative to the nation. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Because of many things, Acton is a very good place for families to consider. With an enviable combination of good schools, low crime, college-educated neighbors who tend to support education because of their own experiences, and a high rate of home ownership in predominantly single-family properties, Acton really has some of the features that families look for when choosing a good community to raise children. Is Acton perfect? Of course not, and if you like frenetic nightlife, it will be far from your cup of tea. But overall this is a solid community, with many things to recommend it as a family-friendly place to live.

One downside of living in Acton, however, is that residents on average have to contend with a long commute, spending on average 33.89 minutes every day commuting to work.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Acton. 77.00% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Acton in 2018 was $73,627, which is wealthy relative to Massachusetts and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $294,508 for a family of four.

Acton is an extremely ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Acton home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Acton residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Acton include Irish, English, German, Italian, and French.

Foreign born people are also an important part of Acton's cultural character, accounting for 28.35% of the town’s population.

The most common language spoken in Acton is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Langs. of India.