menu
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.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 30.54% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. 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 great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Acton a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Acton has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Acton’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

One downside of living in Acton is that it can take a long time to commute to work. In Acton, the average commute to work is 33.89 minutes, which is quite a bit higher than the national average.

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.

In addition, Acton has a lot of people living here who were born outside of the US (28.35%).

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