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The $250K+ Club: Inside Massachusetts' Four Census-Breaking Towns Where Income Is 'Too High to Measure'

Under 1 min read
December 8, 2025
THE BOTTOM LINE

Four towns exceed Census' $250K median household income ceiling, but serve different buyer profiles: Dover ($1.73M homes) = privacy-obsessed executives; Weston ($2.18M) = old-money estates; Carlisle ($1.29M) = exurban space seekers; Wellesley ($1.96M) = community-oriented professionals. Same income bracket, radically different lifestyles.

WHO NEEDS THIS

Buyers qualifying for $1.3M-$2.2M homes; professionals earning $250K+ household income; families choosing between elite Boston suburbs; executives prioritizing privacy vs community vs land vs walkability.

KEY INSIGHTS
  • Census caps income at $250K—Dover/Weston/Carlisle/Wellesley all exceed this ceiling
  • Per capita income reveals true hierarchy: Dover #1, Weston #2, Carlisle #9, Wellesley #11
  • Home values diverge massively: Weston $2.18M, Wellesley $1.96M, Dover $1.73M, Carlisle $1.29M
  • Carlisle offers same income bracket at 41% below Weston's home cost—exurban vs estate trade-off
  • Only Wellesley provides walkability (3 commuter rail stops) + community infrastructure
DO THIS NEXT

Map your priorities: If privacy/land > walkability, choose Dover/Weston. If exurban space > prestige, choose Carlisle. If community/convenience > estate living, choose Wellesley. All deliver $250K+ peer networks—lifestyle trade-offs determine which fits you.

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