Community Guide
Bristol County's seat and the most affordable entry point in the coverage area — with a new South Coast Rail station putting South Station about 75 minutes from East Taunton.
Quick Answer
Taunton is a city about 40 miles south of Boston. East Taunton station is on the MBTA Fall River/New Bedford Line, about 75 minutes from South Station. Massasoit State Park and the Taunton River are in the city. Taunton's FY2026 tax rate is $11.14 per $1,000 and its typical home value is about $517,000 (Zillow, September 2026).
Reviewed by Jessica Shauffer, Massachusetts real estate license #9554769 · Updated
| County | Bristol County |
|---|---|
| ZIP code | 02780 |
| FY2026 residential tax rate | $11.14 per $1,000 of assessed value |
| Typical home value | $517,000 (Zillow, September 2026) |
| Commuter rail | East Taunton station, Fall River/New Bedford Line; about 75 minutes to South Station |
| Public schools | Taunton Public Schools, PK-12, 13 schools; Taunton High School (grades 8-12) |
| Distance to Boston | About 40 miles south; about 18 miles east of Providence |
| Highways | Route 24, Route 140 and I-495 |
Overview
Taunton is the value play in this corner of Bristol County, and the numbers back it up. Zillow puts the typical Taunton home value near $522,000 as of August 2026, while Redfin data shows a median sale price around $520,000 as of May 2026, up roughly 7% year over year, with homes going under agreement in about 24 days and drawing five offers on average. Compare that to Raynham next door, where Zillow's typical value sits near $644,000, and the gap is real money — often $100,000 or more for a comparable house. The FY2026 residential tax rate of $11.14 per $1,000 undercuts Raynham ($11.75) and Norton ($13.03) as well. The housing stock runs from Victorians and two-families near downtown to capes, split-levels, and newer subdivisions out toward East Taunton.
The commute story changed for good on March 24, 2025, when the first phase of South Coast Rail opened and East Taunton station started running trains. The station sits at 1137 County Street, just off the Route 24/140 interchange, with 387 parking spaces and 32 weekday trips on the Fall River/New Bedford Line — roughly one train every 70 minutes. Scheduled rides to South Station run about 75 minutes, and because East Taunton is where the Fall River and New Bedford branches meet, it sees more service than any other new stop on the line. That matters for buyers: Raynham, Norton, and Berkley have no station at all. Drivers still get Route 24 north toward Boston, Route 140 south toward New Bedford, and I-495 within minutes — Taunton has long been the region's highway crossroads, and now it has the rail link the towns around it don't.
Taunton is the county seat of Bristol County, and the 'Silver City' nickname comes from Reed & Barton, the silversmith that operated here from 1824 to 2015 and whose factory complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Downtown centers on Taunton Green, a common donated to the town in 1743, which hosts the Lights On celebration every December — a tradition dating to 1914 that earned Taunton its other nickname, the Christmas City. On the recreation side, Massasoit State Park covers more than 1,200 acres on the city's southeast edge, with several ponds, a man-made lake, cranberry bogs, and a campground, and the Taunton River earned federal Wild and Scenic designation in 2009. For schools, the state counts 8,223 students in Taunton Public Schools for 2025-26, and Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School, based in the city, enrolls 1,341 in grades 9 through 12.
Current Properties
Current listings represented by Jessica Shauffer and the Weinstein Keach Team at Coldwell Banker Realty.
Under Contract$625,000
Taunton, MA 02780
For Sale$1,725,000
Easton, MA 02356
For Sale$749,999
Woburn, MA 01801
For Sale$699,999
Chatham, MA 02633
For Sale$679,000
Canton, MA 02021
For Sale$649,900
Easton, MA 02375
The things buyers ask about most in Taunton, in brief.
Zillow's typical Taunton home value is about $522,000 as of August 2026, while Redfin shows a May 2026 median sale price near $520,000, with homes going under agreement in roughly 24 days and averaging five offers. That is the most affordable entry point in the area — Raynham's typical value runs about $120,000 higher — with an FY2026 tax rate of $11.14.
East Taunton station opened March 24, 2025 with South Coast Rail Phase 1: 387 parking spaces, 32 weekday trips, and scheduled rides to South Station of about 75 minutes. As the junction of the Fall River and New Bedford branches, it gets the most service of any new stop on the line. Route 24, Route 140, and I-495 are all minutes away.
Taunton Public Schools serves prekindergarten through grade 12; the state counts 8,223 students for 2025-26, with a student-to-teacher ratio of 14.2 to 1. Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School, based in Taunton, enrolls 1,341 students in grades 9 through 12, a vocational option in the city rather than a town away.
Massasoit State Park spans more than 1,200 acres on the city's southeast side, with several ponds, a man-made lake, cranberry bogs, trails, and a campground. The Taunton River joined the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 2009, and Taunton Green — a common dating to 1743 — hosts the Lights On holiday display, a tradition since 1914.
More towns in Bristol County and across the South Shore served by Jessica Shauffer.
Common Questions
It depends on what you need. Taunton has a commuter rail station, East Taunton, with trips of about 75 minutes to South Station. Routes 24 and 140 and I-495 serve the city. Taunton Public Schools is a PK-12 district with 13 schools, and a regional vocational high school is in the city. Massasoit State Park has trails, ponds and a campground.
MARKET DATA
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value), data through September 2026.
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