Compare towns
Somerville vs Lancaster vs Cambridge
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 oldest housing (typical home built 1938).
Lancaster has the most homeowners (85.1%).
Cambridge has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.6%).
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 | Somerville | Lancaster | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 81,036 |
8,606Lowest |
118,796Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7% MA: +7.4% |
+4.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+12.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 31.9±0.6 20% below MA |
43.1±4.9Highest 8% above MA |
30.4±0.4Lowest 24% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 9.8%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
19.2%±4Highest MA: 19.4% |
12.4%±0.8 MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 10%±0.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
19.9%±4.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
12.2%±0.7 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 69.4% MA: 47.3% |
50.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
80.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 12.8%±1.2 MA: 7.9% |
3%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
25.1%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $132,572±$6k 28% above MA |
$134,833±$27kHighest 30% above MA |
$130,748±$4kLowest 26% above MA |
| Lancaster and Somerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $911,300±$26k 62% above MA |
$519,100±$60kLowest 8% below MA |
$1,092,100±$42kHighest 94% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,517±$64 43% above MA |
$2,338±$539Lowest 33% above MA |
$2,787±$48Highest 58% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,186 3% above MA |
$7,235Highest 21% above MA |
$4,802Lowest 20% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 36.2%±2.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
68.3%±36.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
45%±2.3 MA: 51.8% |
| Lancaster and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.8% MA: 10% |
1.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
12.8%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 34.2% MA: 62.5% |
85.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
33.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1971Highest 7 yrs newer than MA |
1950 14 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 7% above MA |
32 minHighest 9% above MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
| Work from home | 31.3%±2.2 MA: 18.6% |
33.6%±9.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
30.8%±1.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Lancaster 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 | #225 of 282 in MA | #145 of 282 in MA | #122 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Somerville | Nashoba | Cambridge |
| High school in town | Somerville High | None in town | Cambridge Rindge and Latin |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2Highest |
— | 9.3Lowest |
| 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.