How's your economy? (Metro West)

[GypsySoul22]

I assumed a little farther from Boston would be 'cheaper.'
My main concerns are schools (I have a son with some mild special ed. needs and do not want him in an 'inner city' school environment). Any and all suggestions from you guys on what schools are good in the area would be welcome.

What are more affordable areas of the metro area that are still 'safe' and have decent schools?

I am really not too familiar with Boston (I've been there a few times, had a friend in Malden I used to visit in the 1990s).

My husband has been in inventory/hospital work for 2 years, has a solid background in shipping/receiving as well. I have a MS in Education, plus a lot of office/business experience.

We've just recently decided we have to get out of this area after 2 unfruitful years. MA seemed logically (not an enormous move to make from VT).

So, like I said, I am still a novice...anyone who wants to throw some info my way, please do. We're keeping an open mind right now.

Thank you.

[ogre]

Generally it's true that farther out is less expensive. What someone sees as reasonable in cost varies from person to person. Also, what kind of character you'd prefer in a town (suburban, kind of rural, kind of urban, etc.) is a factor in choosing a place, though the cheaper you go, the less choice you may have.

Since you've asked about Metrowest, one town I might suggest as more sane in cost than many of the other western suburbs is Hopkinton. Nice small town, kind of rural on the west side, where the character starts to transition some from suburban to exurban, and solid schools. I really don't know why Hopkinton isn't pricier, though the one reason I can think of is that it's not in the best commuting location. You have to drive to neighboring Ashland for commuter rail, and a driving commute involves a fair amount of travel on local roads before you get to the highways.

Holliston is next door to Hopkinton, and is a similar nice friendly, wholesome leafy suburb, on average a bit pricier than Hopkinton, but still a bargain by Metrowest standards.

Ashland might be another good option, though it's getting a little pricier still, and there is one potential negative which is that they have in the past had some trouble with water quality due to a superfund site, and I hear varying reports on whether that issue has been resolved.

Natick is getting more expensive, but still a bargain for the western suburbs. Again, everyone's idea of what is a reasonable cost will differ. Natick has commuter rail service, is very suburban in character overall, with a variety of looks to its neighborhoods, and generally has solid schools, though I'm told that the middle schools for some reason are not up to the really good quality of the elementary schools or the solid quality of the high school.

There are also some bargains to be had in Framingham, but there is a reason for that. It's not the best town. Basically a generic mall-oriented large suburban town. I also hear that the schools aren't the greatest, and I lived in Frmingham for several years and found the longtime residents to be cliquish and not too friendly to more typical transplanted suburbanites.

Unfortunately I don't know about special ed. programs in any of these towns, but there is an overview of a few Metrowest towns that are less expensive than most other towns in that area. I'm sure there are other options, but a few other towns that might be worth a look (I know little about the schools in these towns, but they tend to be less expensive than many Boston suburbs yet still are decent towns to live in, nice in some cases):

Wakefield, Burlington, Billerica, Reading for towns with a very suburban feel;

Arlington, Melrose (urban/suburban transitional zone);

Medford (a bit more urban).

Those towns are all either fairly close to Boston or at most a medium distance. Farther out, Franklin, Foxborough, and Walpole, all pleasant typically suburban towns, are worth a looksee.

I'm sure there are other possibilities, but there are a few places to start looking. Best of luck with your search, and please drop back with any more questions you may have.

[GypsySoul22]

Ogre,
Thank you again for taking time out of your day to reply. I will explore these options closely.