Bridgewater Town vs New Bedford
Bridgewater Town, Massachusetts versus New Bedford, Massachusetts: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bridgewater Town and New Bedford score about the same overall (45 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bridgewater Town | New Bedford |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $110k | $55k |
| Cost of Living | $67k | $53k |
| Home Value | $465k | $291k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.34% | 1.40% |
| Income Tax | 9.00% | 9.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.25% | 6.25% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 16.70% | 18.55% |
| Unemployment | 4.8% | 7.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 29°F | 30°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 72°F | 72°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 51.0 in | 45.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 34.3 in | 32.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 181 days | 185 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 86 days | 88 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 18.7 | 3.3 |
| Air Quality | 43 AQI | 43 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 94.7 |
| Violent Crime | 748/100k | 2768/100k |
| Property Crime | 669/100k | 1560/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 28,531 | 100,620 |
| Median Age | 35.8 | 36.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.28 | 0.58 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.10 | 1.01 |
| Political Leaning | D+18 | D+12 |
| White (%) | 84.2% | 58.3% |
| Black (%) | 5.3% | 4.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 3.1% | 23.4% |
| Asian (%) | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.4% | 12.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 31 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 7.6/20 | 15.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 27 mi | 26 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.3% | 82.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 14.37 | 16.70 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bridgewater Town or New Bedford more affordable?
- New Bedford has the lower cost of living: its index is $53k, compared with Bridgewater Town's $67k and New Bedford's $53k. Median rent is $2k in Bridgewater Town versus $1k in New Bedford.
- Is Bridgewater Town or New Bedford safer?
- Bridgewater Town has the lower violent crime rate. Bridgewater Town reports 748/100k and New Bedford reports 2768/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bridgewater Town or New Bedford?
- The median home value is $465k in Bridgewater Town and $291k in New Bedford, so homes are more affordable in New Bedford.