Compare towns
Cambridge vs Somerville vs Boston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cambridge has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.6%).
Somerville has the most people working from home (31.3%).
Boston has the most kids (15.1% under 18).
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 | Somerville | Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 118,796 |
81,036Lowest |
666,442Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +12.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+9.4% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 30.4±0.4Lowest 24% below MA |
31.9±0.6 20% below MA |
33.3±0.2Highest 17% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 12.4%±0.8 MA: 19.4% |
9.8%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
15.1%±0.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 12.2%±0.7 MA: 17.9% |
10%±0.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
13%±0.3Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Boston and Cambridge 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% |
69.4% MA: 47.3% |
54.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 25.1%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
12.8%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
15%±0.3 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $130,748±$4k 26% above MA |
$132,572±$6kHighest 28% above MA |
$97,344±$2kLowest 6% below 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 |
$911,300±$26k 62% above MA |
$731,700±$10kLowest 30% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,787±$48Highest 58% above MA |
$2,517±$64 43% above MA |
$2,147±$25Lowest 22% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,802 20% below MA |
$6,186Highest 3% above MA |
$4,456Lowest 26% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45%±2.3 MA: 51.8% |
36.2%±2.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 12.8% MA: 10% |
9.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
16.6%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 33.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
34.2% MA: 62.5% |
35.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950Highest 14 yrs older than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1947 17 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
31 minHighest 7% above MA |
30 min 4% above MA |
| Work from home | 30.8%±1.5 MA: 18.6% |
31.3%±2.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
21.3%±0.5Lowest 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 | #225 of 282 in MA | #258 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Cambridge | Somerville | Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston |
| High school in town | Cambridge Rindge and Latin | Somerville High | Boston Latin School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.3Lowest |
11.2 |
18.7Highest |
| 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.