Shirley is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately thirty miles west-northwest of Boston. The population was 7,431 at the 2020 census. It contains census-designated place of Shirley and part of Devens. The town has a well-preserved historic New England town center. It is home to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Shirley, a medium-security state prison. (The neighboring maximum-security Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center lies just outside the town limits in the town of Lancaster.) The remains of a Shaker village have been preserved within the grounds of the prison.

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How Shirley ranks

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#69Most affordable in MA #89Lowest property tax in MA #101Most remote workers in MA All MA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code01464

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Living in Shirley

Housing in Shirley

$562K▲ 2.3% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Shirley home is worth about $562,000, up 2.3% in a year, 15% below the Massachusetts typical home.

Only 1 sale in May 2026, too few for a market read. The typical value is the steadier guide.

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Safety in Shirley

A⁻

Safety Grade A-

Shirley reports less crime per resident than 80% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade. Massachusetts has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Shirley sits closer to the middle.

Violent crime per 1,000

Shirley 2.3

Massachusetts 3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Shirley 1.6

Massachusetts 10.4

U.S. 15.5

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

Schools in Shirley

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C⁺

School Grade C+

The public schools Shirley’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.

See how Shirley’s schools compare in MA →

DistrictAyer Shirley School DistrictSchools2

Lura A. White Elementary School C+Elementary · Grades K–5 · 357 students Ayer Shirley Regional Middle School C+Middle · Grades 6–8 · 410 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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