slides: 50 Best Cities + Towns For Doing Business in Central MA
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Monday, March 18, 2013
GoLocalWorcester Business Team
What are the best cities and towns in Central MA for doing business?
GoLocal's new ranking, 50 Best Cities + Towns For Doing Business in Central MA, takes an analytical look at every city and town in the region on a set of pro-business metrics: those big cities and small towns where a combination of factors make companies grow.
Our researchers culled municipally-distinct data on tax rates, workforce availability, cost of living index, economic indicators for short-term and long-term job growth, even average driving time to Logan Airport, to quantify a blend of factors that make for a pro-business environment. Because every city and town in Central MA complies by statewide measures, those metrics weren't included in GoLocal's research.
Top performers in 2013
The top performing cities and towns managed a balance of reasonable taxes and cost of living index performance, paired with robust indicators for growth, a good-sized labor force, and relative closeness to the business-friendly services of Logan Airport in Boston.
Northbridge claimed the top spot in this year's ranking, where low commercial and personal property taxes ($12.35 per $1,000 of assessed value) added to positive current and projected job growth, as well as a cost of living that fell near the middle of the range exhibited throughout the Central Mass region.
Worcester came in at #2, despite boasting among the highest commercial and personal property taxes in the region $(30.85 per $1,000 of assessed value). However, the lower cost of living, large workforce and high projected job growth, not to mention a relatively easy trip to Logan, more than made up for the tax factors. Shrewsbury was not far behind at #3, slightly closer to Boston and with much lower commercial and personal property taxes ($11.67 per $1,000 of assessed value), but the highest cost of living in the top 5 finishers for 2013.
Uxbridge and Charlton, coming in at #4 and #5, boasted comparable tax rates ($16.28 and $12.30 per $1,000 of assessed value, respectively), strong projected job growth and lower cost of living indices.
To see how the top 50 cities and towns ranked, and to compare tax rates and other data, see the slides, below. All tax rates are per $1,000 of assessed value.
EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the local commercial and personal property tax rates as percentages. They are actually dollars per $1,000 of assessed value.
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#50 Paxton
Paxton business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $19.22
Personal property tax rate: $19.22
Distance to Logan: 68 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 128.7
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#49 Southborough
Southborough business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $16.54
Personal property tax rate: $16.54
Distance to Logan: 36 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 169.1
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#48 Ware
Ware business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $16.94
Personal property tax rate: $16.94
Distance to Logan: 85 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 115.6
Photo: Marc N. Belanger
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#47 Upton
Upton business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $16.72
Personal property tax rate: $16.72
Distance to Logan: 47 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 158.9
Photo: John Phelan
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#46 Templeton
Templeton business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $14.60
Personal property tax rate: $17.77
Distance to Logan: 75 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 116.2
Photo: John Phelan
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#45 Warren
Warren business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $17.94
Personal property tax rate: $17.94
Distance to Logan: 79 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 114.3
Photo: Richard B. Johnson
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#44 Harvard
Harvard business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $16.68
Personal property tax rate: $16.68
Distance to Logan: 52 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 168.5
Photo: Andrew Watson
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#43 Auburn
Auburn business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $23.43
Personal property tax rate: $23.33
Distance to Logan: 52 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 121.8
Photo: John Phelan
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#42 Rutland
Rutland business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $16.66
Personal property tax rate: $16.66
Distance to Logan: 76 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 127.3
Photo: John Phelan
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#41 Fitchburg
Fitchburg business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $25.26
Personal property tax rate: $25.26
Distance to Logan: 69 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 112.3
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#40 Berlin
Berlin business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $21.06
Personal property tax rate: $20.75
Distance to Logan: 45 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 144.9
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#39 Hopkinton
Hopkinton business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $17.32
Personal property tax rate: $17.32
Distance to Logan: 40 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 157.5
Photo: Pvmoutside/Wiki
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#38 Barre
Barre business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $15.34
Personal property tax rate: $15.34
Distance to Logan: 88 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 117.7
Photo: Pvmoutside/Wiki
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#37 Northborough
Northborough business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $16.11
Personal property tax rate: $16.11
Distance to Logan: 44 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 144.5
Photo: John Phelan
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#36 Brookfield
Brookfield business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $17.42
Personal property tax rate: $17.42
Distance to Logan: 74 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 119.2
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#35 Sterling
Sterling business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $16.35
Personal property tax rate: $16.35
Distance to Logan: 65 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 133.2
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#34 North Brookfield
North Brookfield business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $14.75
Personal property tax rate: $14.75
Distance to Logan: 79 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 117.6
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#33 East Brookfield
East Brookfield business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $14.55
Personal property tax rate: $14.55
Distance to Logan: 72 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 118.5
Photo: Richard B. Johnson
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#32 Webster
Webster business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $19.26
Personal property tax rate: $19.26
Distance to Logan: 63 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 117.8
Photo: Sean of Douglas, MA
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#31 Hubbardston
Hubbardston business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $13.64
Personal property tax rate: $13.64
Distance to Logan: 82 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 123.9
Photo: Marc N. Belanger
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#30 Lunenburg
Lunenburg business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $17.30
Personal property tax rate: $17.30
Distance to Logan: 67 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 127.6
Photo: John Phelan
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#29 Southbridge
Southbridge business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $18.47
Personal property tax rate: $18.47
Distance to Logan: 67 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 109.3
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#28 West Brookfield
West Brookfield business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $13.22
Personal property tax rate: $13.22
Distance to Logan: 79 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 117.7
Photo: Richard B. Johnson
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#27 Athol
Athol business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $15.48
Personal property tax rate: $15.48
Distance to Logan: 88 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 106.5
Photo: Richard B. Johnson
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#26 Blackstone
Blackstone business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $17.99
Personal property tax rate: $17.99
Distance to Logan: 64 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 121.6
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#25 Princeton
Princeton business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $17.50
Personal property tax rate: $17.50
Distance to Logan: 71 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 135.6
Photo: John Phelan
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#24 Boylston
Boylston business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $17.20
Personal property tax rate: $17.20
Distance to Logan: 50 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 132.4
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#23 Winchendon
Winchendon business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $14.93
Personal property tax rate: $14.93
Distance to Logan: 85 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 113
Photo: Doug Kerr
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#22 Gardner
Gardner business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $17.46
Personal property tax rate: $17.46
Distance to Logan: 74 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 109.6
Photo: John Phelan
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#21 Holden
Holden business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $17.37
Personal property tax rate: $17.37
Distance to Logan: 65 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 127.9
Photo: Marc N. Belanger
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#20 Grafton
Grafton business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $15.55
Personal property tax rate: $15.55
Distance to Logan: 51 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 139.6
Photo: Paul Keleher
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#19 Oakham
Oakham business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $12.38
Personal property tax rate: $12.38
Distance to Logan: 84 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 124.3
Photo: John Phelan
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#18 Townsend
Townsend business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $18.26
Personal property tax rate: $18.26
Distance to Logan: 67 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 128.5
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#17 Shirley
Shirley business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $15.65
Personal property tax rate: $15.65
Distance to Logan: 59 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 130.4
Photo: Daderot/Wiki
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#16 West Boylston
West Boylston business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $17.45
Personal property tax rate: $17.45
Distance to Logan: 58 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 126.6
Photo: Marc N. Belanger
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#15 Bellingham
Bellingham business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $17.72
Personal property tax rate: $17.55
Distance to Logan: 53 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 130.4
Photo: John Phelan
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#14 Oxford
Oxford business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $13.89
Personal property tax rate: $17.77
Distance to Logan: 56 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 120.9
Photo: Pmeleski/Wiki
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#13 Spencer
Spencer business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $12.77
Personal property tax rate: $12.77
Distance to Logan: 72 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 117.8
Photo: Pmeleski/Wiki
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#12 Leominster
Leominster business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $17.96
Personal property tax rate: $17.96
Distance to Logan: 60 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 118.7
Photo: Marc N. Belanger
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#11 Douglas
Douglas business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $15.95
Personal property tax rate: $15.95
Distance to Logan: 65 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 128.8
Photo: Db54/Wiki
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#10 Mendon
Mendon business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $15.22
Personal property tax rate: $15.22
Distance to Logan: 54 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 147.5
Photo: Marc N. Belanger
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#9 Sutton
Sutton business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $15.57
Personal property tax rate: $15.57
Distance to Logan: 54 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 138.4
Photo: Marc N. Belanger
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#8 Leicester
Leicester business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $13.62
Personal property tax rate: $13.62
Distance to Logan: 64 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 120
Photo: Pvmoutside/Wiki
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#7 Millbury
Millbury business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $16.48
Personal property tax rate: $16.48
Distance to Logan: 50 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 124.2
Photo: Bdj/Wiki
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#6 Dudley
Dudley business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $11.56
Personal property tax rate: $11.56
Distance to Logan: 69 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 121.5
Photo: Hantsheroes/Wiki
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#5 Charlton
Charlton business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $12.30
Personal property tax rate: $12.30
Distance to Logan: 61 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 127
Photo: Marc N. Belanger
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#4 Uxbridge
Uxbridge business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $16.28
Personal property tax rate: $16.28
Distance to Logan: 61 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 127.7
Photo: Ksherin/Wiki
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#3 Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $11.67
Personal property tax rate: $11.67
Distance to Logan: 49 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 142.7
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#2 Worcester
Worcester business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $30.85
Personal property tax rate: $30.85
Distance to Logan: 53 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 115.3
Photo: EagleOne/Wiki
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#1 Northbridge
Northbridge business snapshot:
Commercial tax rate: $12.35
Personal property tax rate: $12.35
Distance to Logan: 57 minutes
Cost of Living Index: 131.1
Photo: Marc N. Belanger
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Comments:
G Loco crowley
6:25pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Nice report. How would Westminster score in your analysis? Thanks
Edward Behn
8:49am on Saturday, March 23, 2013
Can you please provide a list of which towns where considered as being in Central Mass? Thanks.