Rockport, Plymouth and Newburyport (Boston, Cambridge: middle-class, low crime, median income)

[Nich123]

Hi y’all!

I’m going to be relocating to Massachusetts and have been doing a lot of research and reading forums on here. If anyone can give me any additional insight to these towns/cities it would be greatly appreciated as I’ll be moving from quite a bit away. A little background–I’m in my mid 30’s, single with no kids. I prefer small, quiet, family oriented towns (I hope to have one, one day) and loooove the water. I also prefer staying in and reading a book vs having a strong “nightlife.”

Based off of my current budget I have noticed Rockport, Plymouth and Newburyport. While I don’t know that Plymouth will fit that small town feel that I’m going for it did seem like an okay city.

Has anyone resided in these three towns, or close by? How friendly are these communities? Are they all fairly safe and accepting of diversity? Just looking for some personal experiences.

Thank you!

[goldenage1]

I hope that commuting is not a concern, as all three are a long distance into Boston.

While all three towns have a large white majority (87% to 92%), Massachusetts is fairly accepting of diversity. That is, people of color have been elected to statewide office for a long time. On another issue, same-sex marriage has been accepted for a long time, etc.

Plymouth has the lowest median income of the three which co-incides with a more diverse population. However, Plymouth attracts a lot of tourism, which you may not like.

I grew up in Western Massachusetts, but have not lived there since I was a teenager. I lived in a white, middle-class bubble. If the OP is part of a diverse population he/she may have to educated people.

[Nich123]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

I hope that commuting is not a concern, as all three are a long distance into Boston.

While all three towns have a large white majority (87% to 92%), Massachusetts is fairly accepting of diversity. That is, people of color have been elected to statewide office for a long time. On another issue, same-sex marriage has been accepted for a long time, etc.

Plymouth has the lowest median income of the three which co-incides with a more diverse population. However, Plymouth attracts a lot of tourism, which you may not like.

I grew up in Western Massachusetts, but have not lived there since I was a teenager. I lived in a white, middle-class bubble. If the OP is part of a diverse population he/she may have to educated people.

Thank you goldenage1! Commuting is not a concern, I am a part of a diverse population (African-American/Black) so I definitely wanted some insight there as it’s something I’ve had challenges with in the past as far as discrimination. Thanks again for this insight–it’s very helpful!

[Remy11]

Hi! I grew up a few towns over from Newburyport and have lived here for a while now. I love it! It has a great downtown area on the water, lots of fun restaurants and shops, and just a very cool vibe in general. I would say it's definitely more similar to Rockport in terms of demographics but almost triple the population. Plymouth is also on the water, but has about three times the population of Newburyport and ten times the population of Rockport, so it's definitely the biggest by far out of the three. If I'm being honest here, Plymouth is the outlier in terms of being south of Boston, the furthest away from the city, but probably the most diverse of the three. I would not say Newburyport and Rockport are winning awards for their diversity and overly welcoming values of others any time soon.

Newburyport is also a huge tourist trap in the summer but dies out in the winter. I assume Rockport is the same.

Lastly, if you're okay with a town that doesn't have an abundance of nightlife, you'll be fine. Sure, people might come here for drinks and dinner, but there are a lot of retirees with money and I've heard more than one single friend who is your age complain that it's very hard to meet people here. It definitely consists mostly of families and retirees.

If you're looking for other family-oriented towns with fun stuff going on, have you considered Ipswich or Andover?

[Remy11]

Hi!
It looks like we commented at the same time, so I just saw your response above my comment. I gave NBPT low marks for diversity only because there have been instances in town recently where disgusting things happened to others who were simply minding their business. I wouldn't say it's been a daily occurrence but would be lying if I said it was completely unheard of here. I honestly don't know for sure about Rockport, so I should not have commented either way.

If you have any other questions, feel free to message back or DM me.

[Nich123]

Originally Posted by Remy11

Hi!
It looks like we commented at the same time, so I just saw your response above my comment. I gave NBPT low marks for diversity only because there have been instances in town recently where disgusting things happened to others who were simply minding their business. I wouldn't say it's been a daily occurrence but would be lying if I said it was completely unheard of here. I honestly don't know for sure about Rockport, so I should not have commented either way.

If you have any other questions, feel free to message back or DM me.

Hiiii! Thank you Remy11. I tried to DM you but it wouldn’t let me. I would like to date and make friends so with your single friends saying they’re having those challenges it’s something to consider. I also want to ensure I’m in a safe community being that I’m a single, black, woman who would more than likely be living alone. I will try and DM you again later today or tomorrow. Thanks again!

[goldenage1]

.... I will try and DM you again later today or tomorrow. Thanks again!

Your ID may be restricted from DMs until you have 10 posts.

I have in-laws of Cape Verdean descent and they originated in the Taunton and Fall River area. They are biracial people with Portuguese culture. Those waterfront towns may not be as affluent as Newburyport but they are more diverse. Also much larger.

Good luck with your relocation.

[OutdoorLover]

I can't speak to Plymouth, but am familiar with the North Shore. Newburyport and Rockport are both upscale harbor towns on the North Shore. I saw that commuting isn't a big concern, for what it's worth, Rockport can appear closer to Cambridge/Boston, but that is an illusion - they're about the same distance, and I think the traffic is a bit better coming down from Newburyport.

As noted already, they're both upscale towns, attractive and with low crime rates, so you really can't go too far wrong with either one. Both get a fair number of visitors and can be crowded on summer weekends.

While I like them both, I prefer Newburyport. It's bigger in terms of population, and there is a bigger, more walkable downtown, you have more shops and services, including a community hospital. The two parks - Maudslay State Park and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge that flank the town are both beautiful and provide great outdoor recreation opportunities. Rockport is also a little more isolated out at the end of Rte 128, while Newburyport stages you nicely for day trips or weekend trips up into New Hampshire and Maine.

[rokuremote]

North Shore > South Shore
NBPT > Rockport

[BruinsGirl]

I am only there as a tourist usually.
North Shore towns look more upscale.
However if you like swimming in the ocean Plymouth is closer to Cape Code or Horse Neck areas, and even in Plymouth there are areas where you can swim.

My question is ... why only 3 towns?