Living in Shrewsbury, MA
A closer look at Shrewsbury,from the lakeshore to Main Street.
Shrewsbury is a Worcester County town of 38,325 people (2020 Census), across Lake Quinsigamond from Worcester. Single-family homes grew along its 19th-century streetcar routes, and The Warren Group counted 234 single-family sales in 2025. I-290, Route 9, Route 20 and Route 140 cross the town; the nearest commuter rail stops are in neighboring Worcester, Grafton and Westborough.
About Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury sits just east of Worcester, with Lake Quinsigamond between them; I-290 crosses the water into town. Shrewsbury was incorporated in 1727 and grew along the old Boston Post Road, where two milestones from 1767 still stand. In the 19th century, streetcar lines helped single-family housing spread outward from the center, while the lakeshore filled with cottages and a summer resort season. The White City amusement park once stood by the lake; a shopping plaza holds the site today.
Main Street is the town's historic spine. The General Artemas Ward House Museum, a Harvard-affiliated house museum at 786 Main Street, opens for free guided tours from mid-April through November, across the road from Dean Park and its trails. Prospect Park adds 71 acres of forest paths, Jordan Pond has about 0.8 miles of trails, and Ski Ward at 1000 Main Street runs skiing, snowboarding and tubing through the year. The public library moved into a new 42,000-square-foot building in 2016.
Lake Quinsigamond, about 4 miles long and 772 acres, lies between Shrewsbury and Worcester, and getting across it shaped the town. After a bridge collapsed in 1817, a floating bridge served until 1861, an earthen causeway was finished in 1863, and a stone, cement and steel bridge opened in 1919; most lakeside building clustered on the southern shores once the causeway was in place. Competitive rowing on the lake dates to 1857, and it hosts college regattas including the Eastern Sprints. On the Shrewsbury side, the town lists the Donahue Rowing Center and the Corazzini Boat Ramp on North Quinsigamond Avenue and a second ramp at Oak Island on Route 20.
Homes in Shrewsbury
Streetcar routes in the 19th century propelled the growth of single-family housing in Shrewsbury, and lakeside cottages were built along Lake Quinsigamond. The Warren Group recorded 234 single-family sales in town in 2025.
Where you mightlive in Shrewsbury.
Town Center
The historic center along Main Street.
Lakeway District
The district along Route 9.
White City
A commercial area reached via South Quinsigamond Avenue and Lake Street, on the site of a former amusement park.
Edgemere
The area around Edgemere Boulevard along the Route 20 corridor.
Shrewsbury Village
The Old Shrewsbury Village area near Valente Drive on the Route 20 corridor.
Shrewsbury Historic District
About 14 acres around the common laid out in 1721 at Main and Prospect Streets, with the 1766 First Congregational Church, an 1830 brick schoolhouse now used for town offices and the historical society, the 1797 Sumner House and the 1903 library building; listed on the National Register in 1976.
Getting around
Commuting from Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury has no commuter rail station of its own; the Framingham/Worcester Line stops in neighboring Worcester, Grafton and Westborough. I-290 has two Shrewsbury exits, at Main Street and Route 140, and Route 9, Route 20 and Route 140 also cross the town.
- Framingham/Worcester Line (in neighboring towns): Grafton (North Grafton), Westborough, Worcester
Check current schedules with the MBTA; compare the trip from each address before you buy.
Schools
Public schools
Shrewsbury is served by Shrewsbury Public Schools. Review the district's profile with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and confirm school assignment for any address with the district.
DESE district profilePlaces to knowin Shrewsbury.
General Artemas Ward House Museum
Historic house museum at 786 Main Street with free guided tours, mid-April through November.
Dean Park
Town park on Main Street with about 1.8 miles of hiking trails, across from the Ward House.
Prospect Park
A 71-acre forest with trails for walking, running and biking.
Jordan Pond Recreational Area
About 0.8 miles of trails around Jordan Pond.
Ski Ward
Year-round hill at 1000 Main Street with skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing and summer tubing.
Lake Quinsigamond
The lake on the Worcester line, crossed by I-290, with a long history of lakeside cottages.
Corazzini Boat Ramp and Donahue Rowing Center
Town-listed lake facilities on North Quinsigamond Avenue, on the Shrewsbury shore of Lake Quinsigamond.
Oak Island Boat Ramp
A second town boat ramp on the lake, on Route 20 across from Edgemere Boulevard.
History
Incorporated as a town.
The Shrewsbury Public Library was established.
A new 42,000-square-foot public library opened.
Home prices
The Shrewsbury housing market
| Calendar year | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-family median sale price | $675,000 | $716,500 | +6.1% |
| Single-family sales | 299 | 234 | -21.7% |
| Condominium median sale price | $447,000 | $529,000 | +18.3% |
Source: The Warren Group, MA December 2025 Sales, Prices by Town. Geography: town of Shrewsbury. Year-to-date figures through December, so calendar years 2024 and 2025. Not live data and not a valuation of any home.
Read it for your own home
A townwide median is a starting point. Your best comparisons are recent closed sales that resemble your home in location, size, condition and style.
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What is the median home price in Shrewsbury, MA?
The median single-family sale price in Shrewsbury for calendar year 2025 was $716,500, across 234 sales, compared with $675,000 in 2024, according to The Warren Group's MA December 2025 Sales, Prices by Town report.
Does Shrewsbury have commuter rail?
Not within town. The MBTA Framingham/Worcester Line stops in neighboring Worcester, Grafton (at 1 Pine Street in North Grafton) and Westborough.
Which school district serves Shrewsbury?
Shrewsbury Public Schools. Review its profile with DESE.
How do you cross Lake Quinsigamond between Shrewsbury and Worcester?
Route 9 crosses on the Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge, a steel arch bridge with a separate structure for each direction that opened in November 2015, and I-290 crosses on its own bridge at the north end of the lake.
What is the property tax rate in Shrewsbury, MA?
According to the Massachusetts Division of Local Services, Shrewsbury's FY2026 residential property tax rate is $11.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, the same rate for all property classes. No residential exemption is noted in the sources used for this guide; the Assessors' Office handles personal exemptions, such as those for seniors and veterans.
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406-250-7620Sources for this guide
- Town of Shrewsbury
- 2020 Census population
- MBTA commuter rail
- Massachusetts DESE district profile
- The Warren Group, 2025 sales by town
- Property tax rates, FY2026
- Town Center
- Shrewsbury Historic District
- General Artemas Ward House Museum
- Ski Ward
- Corazzini Boat Ramp and Donahue Rowing Center
Researched by The Oberdorfer Team. Updated . Places and facts can change; check with the source before you rely on them.