What you need to about Cohasset - The Pro's & Cons of this Boston Suburb Town

So you are thinking about making a move to Cohasset which is a suburb South of Boston and you want to know everything that there is to know about living in Cohasset. Like where it is, what makes it special, where are the good shops and restaurants… But you also want to hear of some possible downsides so you know the full story of Cohasset and whether it's worth your consideration. 

Well you are in luck because that is what we are going to talk about today!

Cohasset is located about 20 miles Southeast of Boston. It is surrounded by the towns of Hull to the North, Hingham to the West, Scituate to the South and the Atlantic Ocean to the East. 

Ultimately what makes Cohasset special with its location and proximity to the ocean is also what can be its downfall to others… But I feel like I am getting a little ahead of myself there. The town is serviced by the Commuter Rail, however many residents will drive to the Hingham Shipyard and take the Ferry into Boston. Driving into the city could take anywhere from 45 minutes on days without traffic to and hour and 15 minutes or more depending on the misery that we call 93. 

Residents don’t really consider parts of the town neighborhoods… They are more areas if you will. You have the Village and or the Harbor area  which is the area close to the downtown and the Harbor. You have the area that is South of town that goes down South Main and subsequently the area North of town which goes down North Main. The area by Black Rock Beach and then the area by Beachwood. And I guess the area by Sandy Beach. Don’t get me wrong. There are neighborhoods like Linden Drive or Fairoaks, but the town is mostly made up of small streets with a small collective of homes on them.

Let’s get into some of the pros that Cohasset has. 

Pro #7 - Quintessential New England Town: When you think of New England towns, then I think Cohasset would fall almost exactly in the category of what you would imagine. Small town with essentially one thoroughfare. A local bank, a couple local restaurants and some shops… Then a large harbor with quite a few lobster boats plus an actual lobster pound. It’s not the biggest town, but it seems to have enough of what residents need. You won’t find any huge stores like grocery stores… It’s the small mom and pop shops if you will. Curious to know what are the Homes for Sale in Cohasset.

Pro #6 - Small Town Community with a lot of Pride: Cohasset is not a big town. I guess to some that could be a negative, but if you talked to the residents of the town, then I would think this is one of the reasons why they chose to live there. For a small town they tend to at least try to lean in their punch to make it a big punch! The town is quick to celebrate school sports teams that win a state championship or quick to support a family that is going through a tragedy. They also have things like a weekly Farmers Market in the summer and a holiday stroll around Christmas. Or even a school class get together at the beach… But I am getting a little ahead of my skis, mentioning the beach. 

Pro #5 - Green Space & Recreational Opportunities: Cohasset has a pretty good chunk of green space and also has some great recreational opportunities for residents to enjoy. There is Wheelwright Park, Whitney & Thayer Woods and Wompatuck State Park if walking trails and nature is your thing. They have a couple playgrounds for kids plus two additional adult and kids playgrounds which would be the beaches… Boy it’s hard to talk about what makes this town amazing without going deep on the beaches… But we will get to that… I promise. Other recreational activities include sailing and rowing as well as motor boating. 

Pro #4 - Cohasset Harbor is beautiful and it’s actually getting better. They are currently redeveloping it. The redevelopment will have more stores and restaurants plus a Harbor Walk for nice and peaceful strolls. You have the Cohasset Yacht Club, Cohasset Sailing Club and the Cohasset Maritime Institute. 

Pro #3 - Waterfront & Beaches: And this is what I have been waiting for. If towns had middle names… Then Water would be it. Cohasset is a town that is rich with natural beauty from its Gold Coastline that winds along Jerusalem and Atlantic Avenue. Cohasset has two beaches. Sandy Beach and Rocky Beach… Want to take some guesses what those beaches are like? Both beaches are private but public beaches in the sense that they are available for Cohasset residents, but not for anyone who does not live in town. Sandy Beach is a wide sand beach that many kids and parents enjoy in the summer months. In the Summer it has lifeguards as well as a bathhouse with a beloved snack shack. Friday Nights are quite a sight with families bringing some take out and posting up for some leisure while the kids run and play. 

Pro #2 - Schools: Cohasset was recently ranked as the 21st top school district in Massachusetts by US News. This would make them the #1 school district on the South Shore and ranked #672 nationally. Cohasset has a 100% graduation rate with a 81% Math Proficiency, 89% Reading Proficiency, and an 80% Science Proficiency. To put these numbers in perspective. The state average is 50% for Math and 60% for reading and science. It’s a small school system as it is a small town. The school size is in the low 400 count with a teacher to student ratio of 1 teacher for every 11 students. Osgood School which services Pre-K through 2nd grade then Deer Hill which is grades 3rd through 5th. And then you have Cohasset Middle and High School which takes you from 6th through 12th. While the middle and high school are separated, they are however in the same building. 

Pro #1 - Suburban Oasis: What is the best “pro” of this town? It’s also one which could be a little controversial in the sense that it could be what people dislike about this town. It’s spread out. It’s a small town suburban oasis. It’s a town where it feels like everyone knows everyone's business. But that is also what gives it the small town caring community feel as well. If you like neighborhood density, then you won’t like Cohasset as the houses are a little more spread out. It’s a town where kids will bike to school or downtown to get some candy or a sandwich at the Barrel Convenience Store. This is the best part of the town… But you have to be looking for and wanting that. 

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you live though. There are always some downsides. So let’s talk about the downsides of Cohasset that you should consider if you are moving here. 

Con #6 - Convenience: Cohasset is a lot of things… But convenient it is not. It’s a pain to get to. And once you are there… You have to jump in the car for everything. Yes, you can get to Boston by Car, train and if you drive to Hingham then by Boat as well… But it’s a commute that you may need to mentally toughen yourself up for… Especially in those winter months. Residents would say that the pristine location by the sea makes it all worthwhile though. 

Con #5 - Commuting to the City: We just touched on it, but commuting to the city is not easy. The easiest way is probably just heading to the Train parking lot and jumping on the MBTA Commuter Rail which takes you directly into South Station. The most enjoyable way is probably getting in the car and heading over to the Hingham Shipyard and jumping on the Ferry that dumps you into Boston at Rose Wharf. Plus the Ferry has a bar which I hear is the favorite feature coming home. Then there traveling by car… While the car provides you convenience of going exactly where you want to go and the ability to leave whenever you want… You pay for that convenience sitting in some not so enjoyable traffic. 45 minutes by car to Boston with no traffic. Hour and 15 with bad traffic is safe to say as an average. 

Con #4 - Shopping & Dining: There isn’t a whole lot of shopping in Cohasset. Yes, as I said there are some boutique stores and there are two grocery stores… But get ready to jump in the car or become Amazon’s number one if you are wanting some new sneakers as an example.

And when it comes to dining… Cohasset has some great restaurants. Just not a lot of them. Bia’s or Red Lion Inn will knock your socks off! Then there is the Olde Salt House, Salty Days or the Corner Stop which are great places to grab a meal. They have some great restaurants… Just not a ton of them. 

Con #3 - Job Opportunities: This is a commuter town. You most likely won’t be living and working in this town… Well I guess unless you are able to work from home you might be able to! There are a couple of businesses here, but for the most part… People commute to Boston or other surrounding cities for work. 

Con #2 - Types of Housing: There isn’t a whole lot of housing diversity in Cohasset. It’s primarily all single family homes. If that’s your thing and what you are looking for then throw this one up in the Pro section! But condos and multi-family properties are few and far between. 

Con #1 - Expensive: Cohasset isn’t cheap. All those positives that we talked about tend to create a high demand for this town which equates to a big ticket price. Year to date the median sales price is $1.55 million. This is compared to the $600 thousand median sales price in Massachusetts. Again, Cohasset is not cheap. And man does that cost jump up if it has even a smidgen of a water view. 

To say it another way… Cohasset is one of the most expensive towns in Massachusetts. Search all Cohasset Homes For Sale

Again, my name is Jeff Chubb with the Chubb Homes Team. I hope you found this video helpful and it has helped you make the decision as to whether Cohasset is a place that you would like to call home. We would absolutely love to help you in any way. If you have questions, then give us a call, shoot us an email or visit us at YouTubeRealEstateAgent.com. You can also find my information in the description below. And we will give you any additional information that will help you make the decision as to whether making a move to the Cohasset area is right for you. 

Until next time.