Wilmington is the commuter town that has a backup plan. It is one of the rare suburbs with two commuter rail stations inside its borders, and it backs that up with a small-town common, a glacial lake with its own beach and a school district that scores above the state average. For renters who spend five days a week in the city, the math tends to add up quickly.
Why do commuters choose Wilmington?
Wilmington Station on the Lowell Line covers the run to North Station in about 28-30 minutes, and North Wilmington Station adds a second option on the Haverhill Line for schedule flexibility. Driving is roughly 15 miles up I-93, about 45 minutes at peak.
What is there to do in town?
Silver Lake, a glacial kettle pond, gives the town a beach, playgrounds and the shoreline Fullerton and Landry parks. The Town Common and Rotary Park anchor the center, the Middlesex Canal path is popular with walkers and cyclists, and Ristuccia Arena once served as the practice home of the Boston Bruins.
What about the schools?
Wilmington Public Schools serve about 2,800 students, from an early childhood center through Wilmington High, with math proficiency around 55% against 43% statewide. The district is one of the reasons the town's median home value sits well above the state average.
What kind of town is it?
Incorporated in 1730 out of Woburn, Reading and Billerica, Wilmington grew from farmland into a streetcar suburb and then a family commuter town. Local trivia with a monument to back it: the Baldwin apple was discovered here, and Chestnut Street marks the spot.