Home/Boston metro/Wayland
Neighborhood guide

Wayland for families buying in Boston metro

Fall-back if Winchester inventory dries up; budget value is unbeatable but commute risk for wife’s hard cap is real.

Wayland is pick 4 in our Boston metro family home-search sample report, with a Claypit Hill / Happy Hollow / Loker -> Wayland Middle School -> Wayland High School school pipeline.

Get a custom reportRead the full sample report
Last updated Methodology
Rank in sample report

Pick 4

ZIP

01778

School pipeline

Claypit Hill / Happy Hollow / Loker -> Wayland Middle School -> Wayland High School

Commute

MGH: 28-32 min via Mass Pike — right at the edge of wife’s 30-min cap, can spike to 40+ min in rush hour. Kendall: 35-45 min — a real drag for husband.

Schools

Wayland schools: elementary, middle, and high pipeline

Elementary

Claypit Hill / Happy Hollow / Loker

GreatSchools 8/10 · Niche A

NCES 251221002007 · 498 students · grades K-5

Wayland has three elementary schools rated GS 8 with Niche A. Strong but not at Belmont/Lexington level. Town culture is more outdoorsy/conservation-focused than competitive.

Middle

Wayland Middle School

GreatSchools 8/10 · Niche A

NCES 251221002502 · 621 students · grades 6-8

One town middle school (grades 6-8). Honors tracks available. No strong bullying or pressure signals. Music program is solid.

High

Wayland High School

GreatSchools 9/10 · Niche A+

NCES 251221002010 · 824 students · grades 9-12

Wayland HS rates A+ on Niche, 9 on GreatSchools. Strong matriculation, balanced culture, less pressure-cooker than Lexington/Belmont. Athletic facilities are good but hockey is at neighboring towns’ rinks.

Part of Wayland.

Housing

Wayland home prices and recent sold comps

  • 208 Cochituate Rd sold for $1,290,000 on 2025-12-08; 4/3.5, 3,317, $389/sqft.
  • 27 Alden Rd sold for $1,050,000 on 2025-09-24; 4/3, 2,790, $376/sqft.
  • 11 White Pine Knoll Rd sold for $1,650,000 on 2025-11-25; 5/3, 3,293, $501/sqft.
  • 17 Smokey Hill Rd sold for $1,660,000 on 2025-12-02; 4/3, 3,660, $454/sqft.
Streets to target

Cochituate Rd; Alden Rd; Woodridge Rd; Barney Hill Rd

Streets to skip

Glezen Ln; Claypit Hill Rd (trophy); Old Sudbury Rd

Tradeoffs

Pros and cons of Wayland for families

What works
  • Single best $/sqft value in the entire study (208 Cochituate at $389/sqft)
  • Big lots (1+ acre) and conservation land all around
  • Strong schools without pressure-cooker culture
  • Budget very comfortable here
What to watch
  • Wife’s 30-min commute cap is right at the edge — non-rush is fine, rush hour is borderline
  • Husband’s commute is genuinely long (35-45 min)
  • Less walkable than Winchester or Arlington — fully car-dependent
  • Farthest point allowed by your geographic constraint
Climate, flood, seismic, crime, air, and insurance

Wayland climate normals, FEMA flood zone, seismic hazard, crime, air quality, and insurance reality

NOAA climate normals (1991-2020)

50.5°F annual mean (40°F low / 61°F high), 42.6 in precipitation per year (BEDFORD HANSCOM FLD, 10.1 mi away).

Station USW00014702 on NCEI
FEMA flood zone

FEMA flood zone X — area of minimal flood hazard. Flood insurance is optional but available.

View on FEMA Flood Map Service Center
USGS seismic hazard

Moderate earthquake hazard — peak ground acceleration 0.15g at the 2%-in-50-year design level (USGS NSHM E2014B).

View on USGS Hazard Map
EPA air quality

Latest AQI 49 (Good) driven by PM2.5 at the Boston Metro reporting area on 2026-05-02.

View on AirNow
Sunshine and terrain

☀️ Standard

Census demographics

Wayland demographics from Census ACS (ACS 5-year 2023)

Median household income

$219,531

Median home value

$935,700

Family households with kids

80%

Population (ZCTA)

13,915

ZIP 01778 · Middlesex County · Census tract 25017366202 · Full Census Reporter profile

Live search

Search active listings in Wayland

Federal data sources

The schools, demographics, and flood-zone data on this page come from public federal datasets — verifiable independently:

Frequently asked

Wayland family home-search questions

How are the schools in Wayland?

Elementary (Claypit Hill / Happy Hollow / Loker): Wayland has three elementary schools rated GS 8 with Niche A. Strong but not at Belmont/Lexington level. Town culture is more outdoorsy/conservation-focused than competitive. Middle (Wayland Middle School): One town middle school (grades 6-8). Honors tracks available. No strong bullying or pressure signals. Music program is solid. High (Wayland High School): Wayland HS rates A+ on Niche, 9 on GreatSchools. Strong matriculation, balanced culture, less pressure-cooker than Lexington/Belmont. Athletic facilities are good but hockey is at neighboring towns’ rinks.

What does a home cost in Wayland?

Recent sold comps in Wayland include 208 Cochituate Rd at $1,290,000 (2025-12-08, 4/3.5, 3,317, $389). Plus 3 other verified sold comps in the section above.

What's the commute from Wayland?

MGH: 28-32 min via Mass Pike — right at the edge of wife’s 30-min cap, can spike to 40+ min in rush hour. Kendall: 35-45 min — a real drag for husband.

What's the earthquake risk in Wayland?

Moderate earthquake hazard — peak ground acceleration 0.15g at the 2%-in-50-year design level (USGS NSHM E2014B).

Related neighborhoods

Compare Wayland against the rest of the short list.

Pick 1

Winchester

Best overall fit: schools, commute, and budget all align without forcing trade-offs.

Pick 2

Arlington (East Arlington / Morningside)

If commute is the binding constraint and you can accept 'good not elite’ elementary, Arlington is the most pragmatic choice.

Pick 3

Belmont

Stretch zone — gets you elite schools but only at $1.5M floor with 4bd/2.5ba dated stock; Winchester delivers 90% of the same outcome at $1.3M.

Pick 5

Newton (Newton Centre / Newton South feeder only)

Only consider if the right Dane-Hill-Rd-equivalent comes up; pay close attention to which middle school feeds Newton South vs. North.