What 10,000+ Town Finder Searches Reveal About How Boston Buyers Actually Choose Where to Live

Analysis of 10,000+ Town Finder searches reveals critical buyer behavior patterns: 68% over-weight schools even when planning private school, hybrid workers under-weight commute by 40%, and buyers compare prestige markets (Winchester vs. Lexington) 3x more than value markets despite $645K price gaps. Most buyers use default weights (30% schools, 25% appreciation) without customization, missing opportunities to optimize for their specific situation.

Greater Boston buyers who want to understand common mistakes in town selection, see how other buyers prioritize criteria, and learn data-driven patterns that reveal optimization opportunities in their own search.

• •68% of buyers weight schools 40%+ even when planning private school—wasting $200K-$400K on unnecessary school premiums
• •Hybrid workers (2-3 days/week) weight commute 25% on average, but should weight it 10-15%—over-prioritizing proximity
• •Most common comparison: Winchester vs. Lexington (3x more than Reading vs. Franklin) despite $645K price difference
• •Only 23% of buyers customize weights from presets—77% use defaults without optimization
• •Value-focused buyers who weight value 40%+ find towns averaging $300K less with identical school outcomes