Ayer, MA: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Ayer (, AIR) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871, and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War. Later, Fort Devens was established by the federal government to train New England soldiers for World War I. Fort Devens is a major influence on the area, although it is considerably smaller than when it was first closed in the mid-1990s. The town's population was 8,479 at the 2020 census. It contains the census-designated places of Ayer and Devens.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Ayer ranks

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#20Fastest growing in MA #84Lowest property tax in MA #92Most affordable in MA All MA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code01432

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Living in Ayer

Housing in Ayer

$575K▲ 2.8% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Ayer home is worth about $575,000, up 2.8% in a year, 13% below the Massachusetts typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market16

Sale-to-list100.3%

Sold in May7

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Ayer

B⁺

Safety Grade B+

Ayer reports less crime per resident than 65% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade. Massachusetts has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Ayer sits closer to the middle.

Violent crime per 1,000

Ayer 1.8

Massachusetts 3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Ayer 5.6

Massachusetts 10.4

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Schools in Ayer

All Ayer schools →

C⁺

School Grade C+

The public schools Ayer’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 65% of Massachusetts’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

#113Best public schoolsof 282 in MA

DistrictAyer Shirley School DistrictSchools3

Page Hilltop Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 539 students Ayer Shirley Regional High School A-High · Grades 9–12 · 417 students Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School B+High · Grades 7–12 · 388 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within MA. Ratings are from neighbors.

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