Quincy ranked the 16th best city in US for first-time home buyers’ quality of life

But when it comes to affordability, every city in New England got poor marks.

With a population of more than 101,000, Quincy has seen an influx of younger families and couples looking to be near Boston.

By Caroline Bunnell

July 20, 2023

If you’re looking for a starter home in New England where the quality of life is high, go to Quincy, according to WalletHub’s latest rankings.

WalletHub evaluated 300 U.S. cities of varying sizes on a number of criteria, and “The City of Presidents” ranked the highest for quality of life in New England.

With a population of more than 101,000, Quincy has seen an influx of younger families and couples looking to be near Boston.

“A lot of people come here because Quincy has a lot to offer. It gives the opportunity to live close to Boston without actually being in the city,” Carolyn Glynn, a real estate agent at Success Real Estate in Braintree, said.

The factors WalletHub considered in the quality-of-life ranking include weather, school system, driver-friendliness, total home-energy cost, the violent crime rate, and the property crime rate.

Amanda Knowles of Bhaile Realty in Quincy, said the South Shore city perfectly fit this criteria, as it has undergone significant improvements.

“It is just very accessible, clean, and up-and-coming with the new developments and restaurants, which tend to attract first-time buyers,” Knowles said.

Glynn said she has noticed an increase in first-time buyers during and after the pandemic with the rise in remote work.

“During COVID, a lot of people moved from Boston to Quincy because the quality of life was better for working remotely,” Glynn said. “Instead of paying the high Boston prices, people can work from home in a more affordable property.”

Here is where the New England cities ranked in the report for quality of life:

16. Quincy

19. Lowell

40. Stamford, Conn.

42. Lynn

48. Cambridge

50. Manchester, N.H.

51. Brockton

62. New Bedford

63. Springfield

65. Waterbury, Conn.

73. Worcester

74. Fall River

101. Bridgeport, Conn.

120. New Haven

126. Hartford

132. Boston

180. Providence

But where’s Portland, Maine, and Burlington, Vt.? WalletHub told Boston.com it didn’t have data available for those cities.

More on Starter Homes

When it comes to affordability, Quincy was buried deep on the list. Here’s where the New England cities ranked:

123. Manchester, N.H.

154. Springfield

182. Worcester

186. New Bedford

187. Providence

197. Hartford

199. Fall River

203. Lowell

210. Brockton

226. New Haven

233. Stamford, Conn.

237. Quincy

241. Lynn

269. Waterbury, Conn.

278. Bridgeport, Conn.

283. Boston

287. Cambridge

Glynn said that in comparison to similar Boston suburbs such as Cohasset, Hull, and Scituate, the city is more affordable.

‘During COVID, a lot of people moved from Boston to Quincy because the quality of life was better for working remotely.’
CAROLYN GLYNN, real estate agent

The “real estate market” category looked at the median amount of time on the market, rental price trends, and property availability.

Here’s where the New England cities ranked:

166. Boston

206. Providence

215. Cambridge

220. Lynn

232. Brockton

257. Manchester, N.H.

262. Worcester

266. Lowell

273. Stamford, Conn.

275. Waterbury, Conn.

277. Springfield

282. Bridgeport, Conn.

285. Fall River

288. New Bedford

294. New Haven

295. Quincy

300. Hartford

WalletHub evaluated 300 U.S. cities of varying sizes using a series of criteria, including affordability, real estate market, and quality of life. Each ranking was made using a 100-point system, with 100 being the most desirable for that category. The average was then calculated from the scores across all measures to give the city its ranking.

Here are the overall rankings:

Source: WalletHub