Dracut (Boston, Lowell, Billerica: best town, sales, low crime)

[Pugmom]

Can anyone tell me about Dracut? How is the school system? Taxes? Is there worry about crime etc?
I have heard its like farm country in some parts.
Are there good parts and bad parts ?

[smarty]

Never been there. Check out Boston Magazine best place to live. As to school and area, I suggest go drive around. If not, use google map satellite.

Town Dracut Chelmsford
Population 28,681 33,769
Median Home Price $307,600 $370,000
Median Home Price Last Year $289,900 $350,000
Median Home Price 5 years ago $186,500 $243,000
One year increase/decrease 6% 6%
Five year increase/decrease 65% 52%
Property Tax rate per $1000 9.38 13.12
Ave. Single Family Tax Bill $2,990 $4,688
Median Household Income $57,676 $70,207
Median Age 36.1 38.9
Area in Square Miles 21.36 23.18
Population density per Sq mile 1343 1457
Percent Protected Open Space 7.13 6.83
Miles from Boston 34.4 35.8
Rail Time to Boston (in minutes) n/a n/a
Per-Pupil Spending $6,629 $7,196
Grade10 MCAS English/Math 73/62 80/75
SAT Verbal/Math 521/509 542/547
Percent College Bound 88 92.1
Violent Crimes(2004) 23 42
Property Crimes (2004) 311 541

[robbin5371]

I live in Billerica, 2 towns away from Dracut. It is a good town . Low crime rate. Dracuts big down fall is every where you want to go ,,, you need to drive through Lowell (not the best town, especially at night).

[Finnigan]

Low Taxes, Low Crime Rate.
Lived here all my life.
Close to NH so you save on sales tax items

[icelady301]

None of the above true. Resident for 20 years. Overcrowded schools, Good Ole boy politics, Lack of support from town officials who have power issues. Many drug related arrests, overcrowded school system that can't get enough teachers to even sub, extremely brutal police force with lack of knowledge regarding certain populations, who just enjoy repeatedly taunting and using excess force and agressive punishment. Gossip, Gossip, Gossip, backstabbing to the max. I liked it for years, and then as a person working with diverse populations of disabilities, I began to see the lack of care and training especially regarding restraint procedures that are non violent. Nothing for kids to do, at one time, the library was closed due to lack of funding. No plans to expand school system. Teenagers who are borderline illiterate will graduate just so they can move them right on....
I split as soon as my youngest turned 18 after a brutal police assault on my husband suffering from a brain injury. The newspaper is nothing but pure lies. I hate it!