Compare towns
Somerville vs Hingham vs Arlington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Somerville has the most renters (65.8% rent).
Hingham has the most homeowners (80.7%).
Arlington has the most people working from home (34.5%).
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 | Somerville | Hingham | Arlington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 81,036Highest |
24,283Lowest |
46,350 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+9.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+8.1% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 31.9±0.6Lowest 20% below MA |
48.4±2.4Highest 21% above MA |
41.6±1.3 4% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 9.8%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23.4%±2.1Highest MA: 19.4% |
20.5%±1.7 MA: 19.4% |
| Hingham and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 10%±0.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26%±2.6Highest MA: 17.9% |
17.3%±1.3 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 69.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
76.2%Highest MA: 47.3% |
76.1% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 12.8%±1.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
2.9%±0.9Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5%±0.8 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $132,572±$6kLowest 28% above MA |
$178,390±$15kHighest 72% above MA |
$150,701±$5k 45% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $911,300±$26kLowest 62% above MA |
$1,134,200±$47kHighest 102% above MA |
$933,800±$23k 66% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,517±$64Highest 43% above MA |
$2,465±$603 40% above MA |
$2,082±$76Lowest 18% above MA |
| Somerville and Hingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,186Lowest 3% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$9,604 60% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 36.2%±2.9 MA: 51.8% |
60.3%±12Highest MA: 51.8% |
35%±4.6Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 9.8%Highest MA: 10% |
4.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
5.4% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 34.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
80.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
61.6% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1976Highest 12 yrs newer than MA |
1945 19 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minLowest 7% above MA |
36 minHighest 24% above MA |
32 min 11% above MA |
| Work from home | 31.3%±2.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
33.1%±3.3 MA: 18.6% |
34.5%±2.8Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Arlington and Hingham 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 | #225 of 282 in MA | #14 of 282 in MA | #29 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Somerville | Hingham | — |
| High school in town | Somerville High | Hingham High | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2Lowest |
12.9Highest |
— |
| 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.