Best Places to Live in The South Shore
The South Shore splits between Quincy's subway-connected urban density, Weymouth's genuinely more affordable, currently redeveloping former-military-base setting, Hingham's and Duxbury's settled harbor-town affluence, and Plymouth's larger-footprint, tourism-anchored historic identity.
Exploring the idea of moving?
We can connect you with a local real estate professional who knows the area -- no pressure, just a starting point.
Learn moreQuincy: The 'City of Presidents' With Direct Subway Access
Quincy is the pick for buyers wanting direct MBTA Red Line subway access (four stations within the city) alongside genuine national historic significance -- the birthplace of John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and John Hancock -- and a substantial finance-and-insurance employer base (State Street Corporation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts). Quincy also carries the highest Asian population share of any Massachusetts city in this dataset (approximately 29.8%), a real, substantial, and currently thriving demographic identity.
Weymouth: A Currently Transforming Former Naval Air Station
Weymouth suits buyers drawn to its currently developing SouthField/Union Point redevelopment -- a 1,400-acre former Naval Air Station site where more than 6,000 additional housing units are planned beyond the nearly 1,300 already built, backed by a real $65 million 2026 land-sale transaction. Weymouth's genuinely lower home values than Hingham's or Duxbury's, combined with real MBTA Greenbush Line access and South Shore Hospital's substantial regional healthcare anchor, make it the region's clearest pick for buyers wanting South Shore access without harbor-town affluent pricing.
Hingham and Duxbury: Two Settled, Affluent Harbor Towns
Hingham's single most distinctive transportation fact -- the MBTA Hingham/Hull ferry, reaching Rowes Wharf in downtown Boston in approximately 35 minutes -- gives it a genuinely different commuting option than any other South Shore market in this region. Duxbury, settled around 1628 by Pilgrim colonists including Myles Standish, offers a genuinely more historic, land-based affluent identity without Hingham's ferry option, having transitioned from a 19th-century shipbuilding economy into one of Massachusetts's most affluent, picturesque residential harbor towns.
Plymouth: America's Hometown, at a More Accessible Price
Plymouth is the pick for buyers drawn to genuine national historic tourism (Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower II, Plimoth Patuxet Museums, together drawing more than 1 million visitors a year) at a more accessible price point than this region's harbor towns, while navigating a real, honest fiscal transition -- the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station's 2019 closure has substantially reduced the town's PILOT tax revenue, from $6.5 million in FY2021 to approximately $1.9 million for FY2026, with federal redevelopment support underway for the roughly 1,600-acre site.
Key takeaways
- Quincy offers direct MBTA Red Line subway access and genuine national historic significance (birthplace of two US presidents) alongside a substantial finance-sector employer base.
- Weymouth offers the region's clearest combination of affordability and active redevelopment, via the 1,400-acre SouthField/Union Point former Naval Air Station project.
- Hingham's MBTA ferry to downtown Boston and Duxbury's Pilgrim-era historic character both anchor settled, affluent harbor-town identities without a comparable option in Weymouth, Quincy, or Plymouth.
- Plymouth offers genuine national historic tourism at a more accessible price than this region's harbor towns, alongside a real, honest fiscal transition following the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station's 2019 closure.
Want to know what your budget actually buys here?
Tell us a bit about what you're looking for and we'll connect you with someone local who can walk you through real numbers.
Get local guidanceRead the full The South Shore overview for the complete picture, including every city and town we've researched in the area.
Planning a move?
Tell us what you're looking for and we'll connect you with a local expert who can help you make it happen.
Talk to a local expert