NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. - The town of Northborough now claims the title of ‘Safest City in Massachusetts,’ according to the security product review site SafeWise. 

What You Need To Know

  • SafeWise ranked Northborough the 'Safest City in Massachusetts for 2024'

  • The ranking factors in violent crime and property crime rates

  • According to SafeWise, property crime and violent crime per capita increased in Massachusetts, but the state still has some of the lowest crime rates in the nation

Whether they’ve been here for decades or are new to town, Northborough residents and customers at Chet’s Diner are proud to hear they live in the safest city or town in Massachusetts, according to SafeWise.

"We're not surprised," Joan Remmes-Foy said. "Because it's very central to all the highways. But the police are really on top of things. But the people are just very kind around here."

"I'm proud. And the chief of police is new, but he's been on the force, and I credit him with a lot; Chief Griffin," Roger McDevitt said. "And the police force is outstanding. So, I'm proud to be part of this community."

SafeWise bases their ranking of safest cities by analyzing FBI crime statistics and found Northborough had a total of just 7 reported crimes in the year they looked at.

And those who live in town said there’s plenty of other things to brag about.

"The school system, number one. You know, my two boys graduated from Algonquin; and great education," McDevitt said. "I like the community. We live in a nice neighborhood."

"There's a park down the street for kids right outside the center of the town," Remmes-Foy said. "And then there's another park we're not too far away from there. And it's a huge park for the community with pickleball and soccer and all sorts of things for the kids to do."

"We have to tell you something," Kevin Foy said. "We came from another town, and we moved out here because we heard about how great a town it is. And since we've been here, we come to Chet's, we’ve found our home. We've met all sorts of people here."

From the town’s schools, parks, and favorite places to eat, it seems it’s the people of Northborough who make the community a warm and welcoming place.

"It sounds like there's a lot of good relationships throughout the town," Foy said.

"The people are fantastic," McDevitt said.

Out of 153 cities and towns, some other nearby communities at the top of the list include Clinton at #3 and Grafton at #4.

SafeWise does have a population threshold in order to make their rankings, so it's why you might not see your town ranked on the list.