City Score: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

Metro area. The Joy Project City Score for Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: the condition of its cities from public data and how the church is moving across them, with every source.

The score

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH scores 54 out of 100 on the Joy Project City Score. Condition 54 (the city from public data, 60%) and Movement (how the church is moving, 40%). How the score is built.

The condition of Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

  • What Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is up against: 37 out of 100 — Better than 74% of cbsas, up 5 points
  • Where grace is growing: 54 out of 100 — Better than 60% of cbsas
  • Marriage & family: 62 out of 100 — Better than 67% of cbsas, down 1 points
  • Christian liberty: 35 out of 100 — Better than 28% of cbsas, down 4 points

What affected it

  • This quarter: Drug overdose deaths up 28 percentile points (What Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is up against)
  • This quarter: Anti-Christian hate crimes up 26 percentile points (Christian liberty)
  • This quarter: Religious Liberty in the States score down 18 percentile points (Christian liberty)

Sources

  1. Violent crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Massachusetts · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  2. Property crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Massachusetts · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  3. Sexually transmitted infections: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  4. Drug overdose deaths: CDC NCHS, provisional county drug overdose deaths (VSRR) · 2025 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (6 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  5. Adult entertainment outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  6. Gambling outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  7. Cannabis outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  8. Liquor outlets and bars: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  9. Predatory lenders: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  10. Abortion facilities (mapped): OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  11. Church adherents: 2020 U.S. Religion Census · 2020 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  12. Congregations: 2020 U.S. Religion Census · 2020 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  13. Charitable giving: IRS Statistics of Income, county data · 2023 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (7 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  14. Given to local needs in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · fetched Oct 28, 2026 · verified in Joy
  15. Needs met in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · fetched Oct 28, 2026 · verified in Joy
  16. Volunteers mobilized in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · fetched Oct 28, 2026 · verified in Joy
  17. New believers in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · fetched Oct 28, 2026 · verified in Joy
  18. Children with married parents: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (7 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  19. Adults 25-44 married: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (7 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  20. Cohabiting households: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (7 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  21. Divorces: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Massachusetts · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  22. Marriages: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Massachusetts · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  23. Births to unmarried mothers: CDC WONDER · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  24. Religious Liberty in the States score: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Massachusetts · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  25. Safeguards fully in law: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Massachusetts · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  26. State Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Massachusetts · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  27. Anti-Christian hate crimes: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Massachusetts · fetched Oct 28, 2026

Its cities by status

  • 7 cities without a status yet

Highest City Scores in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

  1. Melrose, MA — 61
  2. Billerica, MA — 57
  3. North Reading, MA — 57
  4. Braintree, MA — 56
  5. Rye, NH — 52
  6. Wareham, MA — 48
  7. Dover, NH — 42

Quote it

Cite it as: Joy Project City Score v1.0, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 2026-Q4, staging.joyproject.com/metros/boston-cambridge-newton-ma-nh. Methodology.

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