Two New England suburbs have made Money Magazines’ “50 Best Places to Live 2021” list. 

Westford, Mass., and Salem, N.H., made the list, while Chanhassen, Minn., home of Prince’s Paisley Park, took the No. 1 spot.

Westford was ranked No. 46. The town has a population of 25,260 and a median home price of $474,525. Money describes the Middlesex County suburb as one “with a picturesque center that absolutely begs for residents to take a stroll, this New England town combines colonial architecture with a serene backdrop of apple orchards and ponds.” It also boasts 2,000 acres of conservation land and is home to the Nashoba Valley Ski Area. Just under 35 miles from Boston, Westford is also a quick 9-mile drive to the city of Lowell. 

Slightly further north and just over the Massachusetts border, Salem also made the list, coming in two slots higher at No. 44. Just 33 miles from Boston, Salem benefits from New Hampshire’s lack of income, sales and estate taxes. Salem is also home to the century-old Canobie Lake Park, the Rockingham Mall and America’s Stonehenge. 

Money Magazine’s methodology included looking at cities and towns with populations between 25,000 to 500,000 and removing locations with a higher crime risk, low median income level, declining population and lack of ethnic diversity. Using nearly 100 different metrics, the remaining 1,300 communities were organized into nine different categories before being pared down to the final list.