Compare towns
Somerville vs Rowley vs Waltham
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).
Rowley has the most homeowners (81.7%).
Waltham has the shortest commute (25 min average).
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 | Rowley | Waltham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 81,036Highest |
6,251Lowest |
64,902 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7% MA: +7.4% |
+5.2%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+7.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 31.9±0.6Lowest 20% below MA |
50±6.3Highest 25% above MA |
34.4±1 14% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 9.8%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
19.3%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.6%±1.1 MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 10%±0.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
21.6%±4.1Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.8%±1.1 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 69.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
56.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
57.3% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 12.8%±1.2 MA: 7.9% |
4.8%±2.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
19.1%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $132,572±$6k 28% above MA |
$132,734±$32kHighest 28% above MA |
$120,216±$7kLowest 16% above MA |
| Rowley 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±$26kHighest 62% above MA |
$667,300±$52kLowest 19% above MA |
$748,700±$27k 33% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,517±$64Highest 43% above MA |
$1,603±$520Lowest 9% below MA |
$2,268±$79 29% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,186 3% above MA |
$8,309Highest 39% above MA |
$4,766Lowest 20% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 36.2%±2.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
57.7%±27.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
44.7%±4.1 MA: 51.8% |
| Rowley and Waltham 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% |
3.1%Lowest MA: 10% |
9.4% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 34.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
81.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
49.7% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1961 3 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 minHighest 7% above MA |
28 min 3% below MA |
25 minLowest 15% below MA |
| Work from home | 31.3%±2.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
11.1%±4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
24.2%±2.1 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #225 of 282 in MA | #214 of 282 in MA | #217 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Somerville | Triton | Waltham |
| High school in town | Somerville High | None in town | Waltham Sr High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2Highest |
— | 10.4Lowest |
| 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.