Compare towns
Acton vs Somerville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Acton has the most kids (23.2% under 18).
Somerville has the most renters (65.8% rent).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Acton | Somerville |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 24,155Lowest |
81,036Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.5±0.8Highest 11% above MA |
31.9±0.6Lowest 20% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 23.2%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
9.8%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
10%±0.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 79.5%Highest MA: 47.3% |
69.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
12.8%±1.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $158,230±$14kHighest 52% above MA |
$132,572±$6kLowest 28% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $807,300±$20kLowest 44% above MA |
$911,300±$26kHighest 62% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,986±$155Lowest 13% above MA |
$2,517±$64Highest 43% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$6,186Lowest 3% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 47.7%±11.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
36.2%±2.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Acton and Somerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 3.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
9.8%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
34.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Highest 10 yrs newer than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 19% above MA |
31 minLowest 7% above MA |
| Work from home | 35.9%±4.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
31.3%±2.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Acton and Somerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #13 of 282 in MA | #225 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Acton-Boxborough | Somerville |
| High school in town | Acton-Boxborough Regional High | Somerville High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.5Highest |
11.2Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet |
MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.