Chelsea, Massachusetts
Among the top 17% of US places for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 11% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 36% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 61% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 83% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 39% of US places
- top 1% for airport distance
- top 1% for walkability
- bottom 2% for cost of living
Chelsea is a mid-size city in Massachusetts with about 40,000 residents. It grades B+ for getting around and D for affordability. Standout strengths include airport distance, walkability, and natural disaster risk. It rates lower on violent crime and cost of living.
Official websitechelseama.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Wet · Heavy snow
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
cold
v.cold
56%44%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.4 in3.9 in
humid 99%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$71k62nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$82kbetter than 2% of US places
Home Value$451k89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 9% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$2kbetter than 12% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.63%better than 78% of US places
Income Tax9.00%better than 17% of US places
Sales Tax6.25%better than 81% of US places
Estimated total tax burden15.06%better than 17% of US places
Unemployment8.9%better than 17% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)29°F39th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)74°F36th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation50.5 in80th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall49.2 inbetter than 14% of US places
Sunny Days181 daysbetter than 9% of US places
Summer Humidity62°Fbetter than 64% of US places
Comfortable Days103 daysbetter than 89% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk23.5better than 94% of US places
Air Quality44 AQIbetter than 61% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime2429/100kbetter than 4% of US places
Property Crime1806/100kbetter than 23% of US places
Community
Population39,89097th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age34.520th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6797th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.1072nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+641st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)20.0%7th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)5.6%78th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)67.4%97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)2.9%85th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.2%64th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time34 minbetter than 10% of US places
Walkability15.6/20better than 99% of US places
Airport Distance3 mibetter than 99% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access82.7%better than 38% of US places
Amenities Nearby575.33better than 86% of US places
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 14% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Chelsea an affordable place to live?
- Chelsea is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $82k, better than 2% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Chelsea?
- The median home value in Chelsea is $451k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Chelsea?
- Median household income in Chelsea is $71k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Chelsea?
- Median gross rent in Chelsea is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Chelsea safe?
- Chelsea is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 2429/100k (better than 4%). Property crime is 1806/100k.
- What is the weather like in Chelsea?
- Chelsea averages 74°F in July and 29°F in January, with 50.5 in of annual precipitation and about 181 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Chelsea?
- Public-school quality in Chelsea is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Chelsea?
- The average one-way commute in Chelsea is 34 min.
Other places in Suffolk County
Places near Chelsea
Compare Chelsea
Explore Massachusetts
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)