What stands out worked out from the figures below

Somerville has the most renters (65.8% rent).

Medford has the most homeowners (54.1%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Somerville	Medford
People
Population	81,036Highest	59,354Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+7%Highest MA: +7.4%	+6.2%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	31.9±0.6Lowest 20% below MA	35.9±1Highest 10% below MA
Kids under 18	9.8%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4%	12.7%±1.3Highest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	10%±0.8Lowest MA: 17.9%	15.2%±1.3Highest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	69.4%Highest MA: 47.3%	59.8%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	12.8%±1.2Highest MA: 7.9%	11.2%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9%
	Somerville and Medford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$132,572±$6kHighest 28% above MA	$129,540±$8kLowest 25% above MA
	Somerville and Medford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$911,300±$26kHighest 62% above MA	$755,500±$23kLowest 34% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,517±$64Highest 43% above MA	$2,509±$94Lowest 42% above MA
	Somerville and Medford 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	$6,286Highest 5% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	36.2%±2.9Lowest MA: 51.8%	41.1%±4.9Highest MA: 51.8%
	Medford and Somerville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	9.8%Highest MA: 10%	7.6%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	34.2%Lowest MA: 62.5%	54.1%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA	1942Highest 22 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 7% above MA	30 minLowest 4% above MA
Work from home	31.3%±2.2Highest MA: 18.6%	26.8%±2.4Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Somerville and Medford 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	#203 of 282 in MA
School district	Somerville	Medford
High school in town	Somerville High	Medford High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.2Highest	9.2Lowest
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.