Compare towns
Cambridge vs Everett vs Somerville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cambridge has the most expensive homes ($1092k median).
Everett has the most kids (21.8% under 18).
Somerville has the most people working from home (31.3%).
Cambridge is a college town. 25.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Cambridge | Everett | Somerville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 118,796Highest |
50,045Lowest |
81,036 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +12.6% MA: +7.4% |
+17.8%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 30.4±0.4Lowest 24% below MA |
35.2±1.5Highest 12% below MA |
31.9±0.6 20% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 12.4%±0.8 MA: 19.4% |
21.8%±2.1Highest MA: 19.4% |
9.8%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 12.2%±0.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
11.3%±1.1 MA: 17.9% |
10%±0.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Cambridge and Everett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 80.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
24.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
69.4% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 25.1%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
6.3%±0.9Lowest MA: 7.9% |
12.8%±1.2 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $130,748±$4k 26% above MA |
$85,218±$7kLowest 18% below MA |
$132,572±$6kHighest 28% above MA |
| Somerville and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,092,100±$42kHighest 94% above MA |
$610,000±$23kLowest 9% above MA |
$911,300±$26k 62% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,787±$48Highest 58% above MA |
$2,076±$69Lowest 18% above MA |
$2,517±$64 43% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,802Lowest 20% below MA |
$4,880 19% below MA |
$6,186Highest 3% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45%±2.3 MA: 51.8% |
56.4%±5.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
36.2%±2.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 12.8% MA: 10% |
14.7%Highest MA: 10% |
9.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 33.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
37.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
34.2% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950Highest 14 yrs older than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
35 minHighest 20% above MA |
31 min 7% above MA |
| Work from home | 30.8%±1.5 MA: 18.6% |
10.5%±2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
31.3%±2.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Somerville and Cambridge 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 | #122 of 282 in MA | #264 of 282 in MA | #225 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Cambridge | Everett | Somerville |
| High school in town | Cambridge Rindge and Latin | Everett High | Somerville High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.3Lowest |
12.1Highest |
11.2 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.