Shirley is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, home to about 6,976 people across 16 square miles. Its ZIP code is 01464, and parts of 01434 are in Shirley too.
Homes sold for a median of $294 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
All in Shirley
Mostly Harvard; part is in Shirley
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Shirley. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Shirley’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)36 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Laurence G Hanscom Field (BED)20 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Boston, MA36 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | New York, NY177 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Shirley; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Shirley had 7,431 residents in the 2020 census, up 17% since 2000.
It’s the 217th largest of 351 towns in Massachusetts by population.
Middlesex County grew from 565,696 residents in 1900 to 1,632,002 in 2020.
Middlesex County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 16°F. About 43.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Fitchburg Muni Ap, MA weather station (6 miles away).
963,417 jobs at 44,624 businesses in Middlesex County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
33 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Shirley.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | 2 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 7 |
| Mental health providers | 19 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 4 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (4 nearby)
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1720.
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Ayer Shirley School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lura A. White Elementary SchoolShirley | K–5 | 357 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| Ayer Shirley Regional Middle SchoolShirley | 6–8 | 410 | Public | 1.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Harvard and Ayer.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.