Moving to the area
Six towns, side by side.
Greater Newburyport isn’t one place. A walkable city, a mill town, farm country, lake towns and a beach town all sit within a few miles of each other. Here’s how they compare, so you can start in the right one.
Newburyport
Brick sidewalks, a working waterfront, and a downtown people actually walk to.
- Feel
- Walkable small city, historic downtown
- Schools
- Newburyport Public Schools
- Getting around
- MBTA Newburyport Line to North Station · I-95 · Route 1
- Good fit if you want
- Walking to dinner, the water, and the train
Amesbury
Mill-town character, Lake Attitash, and quick highway access.
- Feel
- Revitalized mill town with a real downtown
- Schools
- Amesbury Public Schools
- Getting around
- I-495 (exits 118–119) · I-95 · Route 110/150
- Good fit if you want
- A downtown and highway access, with more options on price
Newbury
Salt marsh, farm stands, and a share of Plum Island.
- Feel
- Rural-coastal, open land and marsh
- Schools
- Triton Regional (with Rowley and Salisbury)
- Getting around
- I-95 · Route 1 · trains in nearby Newburyport and Rowley
- Good fit if you want
- Space, marsh views and a quieter pace, near the coast
West Newbury
Rolling farmland and the Merrimack River, with a true small-town feel.
- Feel
- Rural, farms and fields
- Schools
- Pentucket Regional (with Groveland and Merrimac)
- Getting around
- Route 113 to Newburyport and I-95
- Good fit if you want
- Land, privacy and room for horses, gardens or a workshop
Merrimac
A small, close-knit town with lake life and I-495 at the edge of town.
- Feel
- Small town with a village center
- Schools
- Pentucket Regional (with Groveland and West Newbury)
- Getting around
- I-495 (exit 115) · Route 110
- Good fit if you want
- A quieter town with more space for the price
Salisbury
A beach town on one side, quiet neighborhoods on the other.
- Feel
- Beach town plus quiet inland neighborhoods
- Schools
- Triton Regional (with Newbury and Rowley)
- Getting around
- I-95 and I-495 meet here · Route 1 · NH line next door
- Good fit if you want
- Beach access, and easy driving north or south
Still not sure which town is right?
Tell me how you live (commute, schools, space, budget) and I’ll tell you honestly where I’d start looking.