Photo:RoshtoSharon is part of the Boston area. This page covers the whole metro.
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Around Boston
What Boston is known for
Every year
AprBoston Marathon: famous marathon race run on Patriots Dayaudleytravel.com
JulBoston Harborfest: harbor themed festival with reenactorsmeetboston.com
OctHead of the Charles Regatta: rowing regatta on the Charles Rivermeetboston.com
On a normal week
Walking the Freedom Trailtravel.usnews.com
Watching baseball at Fenway Parkaudleytravel.com
Strolling Newbury Street in Back Bayen.wikipedia.org
Visiting Boston Common parken.wikipedia.org
Favorite dive bars mentioned include Druid, Burren for music, Old Mcgouns, Silhouette, and Beantown Pub near Park Street.
“Druid, Burren (music), Old Mcgouns and Silhouette are some of my favorite dive bars in the area.”
From 8 resident comments about meeting people and the social scene.
One resident notes that Boston has many clubs and groups like craft clubs, bar crawls, outdoor groups, and board game groups to find friends through.
“There's craft clubs, bar crawls, outdoor groups, boardgame groups, all sorts of classes, and plenty more that might be interesting. I find...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne resident mentions a Facebook group called Make Friends After College that is fairly active with events in Boston and Somerville.
“There's a Facebook group - Make Friends After College (Boston, Somerville, etc) that you can join. They are fairly active and have things going...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne lifelong Massachusetts resident says friendships are typically formed through work, shared clubs, or bars.
“As a lifelong MA resident making friends is typically done in the workplace, through shared clubs or interests or after frequenting a bar for a...”
Read the full commentIn the last few monthsOne resident prefers meeting guys in real life rather than through dating apps for more natural relationship development.
“I’m (26F) not a fan of dating apps and would love to meet guys in real-life settings for more natural dating and relationship development.”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoFavorite dive bars mentioned include Druid, Burren for music, Old Mcgouns, Silhouette, and Beantown Pub near Park Street.
“Druid, Burren (music), Old Mcgouns and Silhouette are some of my favorite dive bars in the area. Beantown Pub right near park street is pretty...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident who moved to Boston alone said they did not manage to establish a social network.
“So I moved to Boston solo. Didn't manage to establish a social network. That's fine and was expected - I'm just here for a few months and not taking classes...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.A resident who likes Boston for being clean, safe, and accessible shared that they are not a big club goer.
“Hi all - first off this isn’t a complaint post. I like Boston, it’s clean, safe, and really accessible. And also, I’m not a club goer or a big...”
Read the full commentAbout 11 months agoOne resident advises going out Thursday through Saturday to meet people and checking out areas like Seaport, South Boston, and South End.
“Do's of Boston Go Out to meet people on Thursdays - Saturdays Focus on yourself Sunday - Wednesday Check out Seaport, South Boston, South End,...”
Read the full commentAbout 4 years ago. Things may have changed since.About 15,127 business locations in the Boston area, employing about 444,538 people. That's about the usual U.S. share.
U.S. Census County Business Patterns, 2023. Counts business locations with paid employees, not job openings.
A spouse expressed gratitude for having a job that pays the bills in the current economy.
“I would say we're lucky in this current administration that we're in. .. We have jobs and can pay the bills and that's a blessing in itself.”
Read the full commentAbout 12 months agoOne person who moved from Cape Cod worked at a grocery store for $20 an hour.
“Hi guys. I moved to Boston last month from Cape Cod. I worked at a chain grocery store and made $20/hr.”
Read the full commentAbout 10 months agoPick a month. A dot means residents talked about that time of year.
No resident has talked about October yet.
One person who moved from Cape Cod worked at a grocery store for $20 an hour.
“Hi guys. I moved to Boston last month from Cape Cod. I worked at a chain grocery store and made $20/hr.”
Read the full commentAbout 10 months agoBoston is described as a beautiful, relatively safe, and clean city with great cultural institutions and hospitals.
“Boston is a beautiful and relatively safe and clean city. It has great cultural institutions, museums, sports, colleges, and hospitals. The...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoFavorite dive bars mentioned include Druid, Burren for music, Old Mcgouns, Silhouette, and Beantown Pub near Park Street.
“Druid, Burren (music), Old Mcgouns and Silhouette are some of my favorite dive bars in the area. Beantown Pub right near park street is pretty...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident who moved to Boston alone said they did not manage to establish a social network.
“So I moved to Boston solo. Didn't manage to establish a social network. That's fine and was expected - I'm just here for a few months and not taking classes...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.“it's clean, safe, and really accessible”
What's nearby
Within 5 miles of the center of the Boston area.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Biking and trails
Within 5 miles of the center of the Boston area.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.
What rent costs
Of about 713,425 rented homes in the Boston area, 53% rent for under $2,000 a month and 85% for under $3,000.
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
The middle rented home in the Boston area rents for $1,500 to $1,999 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about $3,000 to $3,998 before you get the keys.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Your first weeks in Massachusetts
- Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
- Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Massachusetts DMV.
- Register to vote at your new address: Massachusetts voter registration.
- Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
- Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Public schools
55 public school districts in this county, with about 202,979 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Massachusetts keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
| Age | Daycare center | Home daycare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (under 2) | $462/week about $24,000 a year | $250/week about $13,000 a year |
| Toddler (2) | $408/week about $21,200 a year | |
| Preschool (3 to 4) | $310/week about $16,100 a year | $200/week about $10,400 a year |
| School-age | $215/week about $11,200 a year |
For an infant at a center: $462/week here, $440 across MA, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 16% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
64 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Boston. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.