Any really good school systems near Stoughton? (Boston, Springfield: property taxes, budget)

[kimieoliver]

We are moving to MA for a job in Stoughton from MO. Where is there an excellent school system and a very safe neighborhood with a reasonable commute to Stoughton? We would like a single family under 1 million (as far under 1 million as we can get) and as short of a commute as possible. We've never been to the Boston area so we are really clueless.

[CaseyB]

The neighboring towns of Sharon and Canton have good schools. Where in Stoughton is the job located?

[kimieoliver]

It appears to be the southeast quarter of 24 (Fall River Expressway) and 139. I do not know what the area is called. Any help to get a gauge of what the costs might be to live in a good neighborhood would be helpful. Thanks again.

[CaseyB]

You should be able to find something nice within your budget. In addition to Canton & Sharon, you might also want to look in Westwood - very good schools but a little bit more of a drive. Places to avoid include Brockton, Randolph and Stoughton.

[kimieoliver]

I had not seen anyone talk about good schools in the South Boston area. Is Quincy okay? Are we probably going to have to move to the Western or Northern suburbs to get a really nice area? How bad is traffic?

[jlyang]

Hi,
Quincy has a lot of low-income recent immigrants and I don't believe the schools there are highly ranked.
You don't need to move to the Western or Northern suburbs to get a good school system. I'm in the same shoes as you, as I'm taking a job in Brockton, which borders Stoughton.

Closest to Stoughton, Sharon is said to have very good schools. The housing market is weak there and you can get a reasonable 4-br house for <$600k there now. The majority of the people in Sharon are Jewish. Property taxes are high and the town is very quiet and not really a fun or happening town. Canton is more happening, but Sharon generally is felt to have better schools I believe. About 15-20 miles Northwest of Stoughton, Needham is also a great school district town, though the houses there are very expensive and go quickly; figure $600k for a small 3-br house.
I hear that wealthy towns in the South Shore, like Hingham, Cohasset, also have excellent schools; with traffic, it might be a bit of a drive to get to Stoughton.
Figure a 20 minute drive from the border of Needham to the border of Stoughton.
Westwood is also said to have strong schools and you can probably get from Westwood to the border of Stoughton in about 20 minutes. Housing selection is limited in Westwood and houses sell very quickly there.
Traffic in the Boston area can be TERRIBLE (bumper to bumper for miles) on the highway if you're driving into the city during rush hour. Doing the "reverse commute" is much better. Driving into Stoughton you are probably ok for the most part.
You can also consider living in Newton (for your commute, the further south and the closest to 128/I-95 the better), which is a town known for wealthy/educated residents and excellent schools.

Anyways, my vote would be for Sharon, Westwood, or Needham. BTW, I am working with a good realtor if you want a reference; no, I do not have any financial interest in making a referral. Email me privately if you want more details.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by kimieoliver

I had not seen anyone talk about good schools in the South Boston area. Is Quincy okay? Are we probably going to have to move to the Western or Northern suburbs to get a really nice area? How bad is traffic?

[caraknott]

We just put our house here in Springfield, MO on the market and hope to be in stoughton by the end of august. Where in MO are you moving from? Sure is a small world!

[findingmesomeday]

Out of the towns mentioned, I'd go for Westwood. Quiet, close to trains and 128, great schools, parents involved in the schools and community (they finally finished an awesome upgrade/expansion to the high school) and so on.

Needham is a bit more urban-feeling but also has great schools. It's also farther away.

The area of Stoughton where you'll be working presents a bit of a problem because it's on the end of Stoughton surrounded by questionable towns.

Canton schools are meh. Sharon's are better but from everything I've heard from people who have lived there or live there presently to even my own experience, it's not a very friendly town.

[settermom]

Stay west of Stoughton. East, the towns aren't so great or attractive unless you are on the ocean (Duxbury, Cohasset, Norwell). Canton is nice, but has lots of traffic as it borders the main highway (route 128). Sharon is quieter (no industry) although taxes are higher. Sharon has the best schools in the area, although the high school facility needs updating. People are VERY friendly! Not sure where that comment came from. I moved to Sharon 20 years ago and didn't know a soul! People were very friendly (as friendly as any community in New England). Sharon is much more ethnically diverse than the surrounding towns - it is about 60-70% Jewish and has a growing Asian community. It has a substantial Orthodox Jewish community, which is unusual for a suburban town. The # 1 immigrant population comes from Russia, and the town has a Russian restaurant and a Russian market.

Easton is also a town near Stoughton that is lovely and has a decent school system (not Sharon, but decent enough). Nice homes on big lots. Sharon has train service into Boston (unlike Easton).

Westwood, Needham, Wellesley and Newton are the best schools systems further north/west and definitely driveable to Stoughton. You'll get tons more house in Sharon than in any of those communities, however. Of those, my pick would be Westwood. Not as urban as Newton or Needham - and not as exclusive as Wellesley.


>>>The area of Stoughton where you'll be working presents a bit of a problem because it's on the end of Stoughton surrounded by questionable towns.

Canton schools are meh. Sharon's are better but from everything I've heard from people who have lived there or live there presently to even my own experience, it's not a very friendly town.[/quote]

[twentyfour]

Westwood is by far your best bet, followed by Needham.