Somerville, Massachusetts
Among the top 11% of US places for safety & wellbeing.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 15% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 30% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade A, better than 89% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 87% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 60% of US places
- top 1% for walkability
- top 1% for natural disaster risk
- bottom 2% for cost of living
Somerville is a mid-size city in Massachusetts with about 80,000 residents. It grades A for safety & wellbeing and D for affordability. Standout strengths include walkability, natural disaster risk, and airport distance. It rates lower on monthly rent and cost of living.
Official websitesomervillema.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Heavy snow
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
cold
v.cold
56%44%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.3 in3.9 in
humid 99%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$121k92nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$82kbetter than 2% of US places
Home Value$861k97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 3% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 5% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.68%better than 74% of US places
Income Tax9.00%better than 17% of US places
Sales Tax6.25%better than 81% of US places
Estimated total tax burden15.89%better than 15% of US places
Unemployment2.8%better than 61% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)29°F37th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)74°F34th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation49.3 in76th 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 Days97 daysbetter than 82% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk8.4better than 99% of US places
Air Quality45 AQIbetter than 57% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime536/100kbetter than 63% of US places
Property Crime1383/100kbetter than 33% of US places
Community
Population80,46499th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age32.113th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4579th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0054th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+641st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)68.7%29th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)4.0%74th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)10.9%75th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)10.4%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)6.0%77th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time31 minbetter than 19% of US places
Walkability15.6/20better than 99% of US places
Airport Distance5 mibetter than 99% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access93.1%better than 76% of US places
Amenities Nearby375.20better than 80% of US places
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 12% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Somerville an affordable place to live?
- Somerville is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $82k, better than 2% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Somerville?
- The median home value in Somerville is $861k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Somerville?
- Median household income in Somerville is $121k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Somerville?
- Median gross rent in Somerville is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Somerville safe?
- Somerville is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 536/100k (better than 63%). Property crime is 1383/100k.
- What is the weather like in Somerville?
- Somerville averages 74°F in July and 29°F in January, with 49.3 in of annual precipitation and about 181 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Somerville?
- Public-school quality in Somerville 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 Somerville?
- The average one-way commute in Somerville is 31 min.
Other places in Suffolk County
Places near Somerville
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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)