=========================================================================
            Form         dense  94 avg  sgl fam   avg.    96 avg.  96 res
City/Town   Govt 94 Pop  sq mi  income  res prop 96 tax  home val   rate
=========== ==== ======  =====  ======  ======== ======  ========  ======
NEWTON      City 85,358  4,769  28,840  16,900   $4,429  $319,105  13.80
LEXINGTON   Town 29,108  1,766  30,718   8,758   $4,289  $306,125  14.01
ARLINGTON   Town 43,624  8,422  21,449   7,900   $3,181  $192,293  16.54
FRAMINGHAM  Town 63,366  2,649  20,407  12,811   $2,907  $167,623  17.34
NATICK      Town 30,817  2,071  22,176   8,014   $2,846  $178,984  15.90
BEVERLY     City 38,755  2,560  18,436   7,973   $2,827  $182,382  15.50
MILFORD     Town 25,209  1,704  15,980   5,100   $2,267  $136,386  16.62
QUINCY      City 84,040  5,090  17,436  13,481   $2,049  $149,928  14.54
WEYMOUTH    Town 54,859  3,285  18,392  12,823   $2,032  $132,724  15.31
MALDEN      City 51,803 10,197  15,820   5,364   $2,001  $127,058  15.75
LOWELL      City 96,054  7,179  12,701  11,109   $1,887  $ 98,335  19.19
BROCKTON    City 87,411  4,090  13,455  15,601   $1,672  $ 85,310  19.60
EASTHAMPTON City 15,512  1,167  15,193   3,605   $1,633  $107,973  15.12
WOBURN      City 36,374  2,828  18,155   7,398   $1,598  $150,733  10.60
LAWRENCE    City 63,117  9,351   9,686   4,135   $1,590  $ 82,127  19.36
GOSNOLD1    Town     96      8  22,097     121     $764  $305,636   2.50
==========================================================================
*Ranked by 1996 single family average tax bill.

1Gosnold, a resort, retirement, artistic community in Dukes County
was the smallest municipality we found, and included it for fun!
The town has an Open Town Meeting form of government.


All data obtained from Massachusetts Department of Revenue,
Division of Local Services web site at http://www.state.ma.us/cc/