Compare towns
Somerville vs Upton 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).
Upton has the most homeowners (86.7%).
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 | Upton | Waltham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 81,036Highest |
8,189Lowest |
64,902 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7% MA: +7.4% |
+6.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+7.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 31.9±0.6Lowest 20% below MA |
46.4±4.8Highest 16% above MA |
34.4±1 14% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 9.8%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±4.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.6%±1.1 MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 10%±0.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.7%±4.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.8%±1.1 MA: 17.9% |
| Upton and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 69.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
53.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
57.3% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 12.8%±1.2 MA: 7.9% |
2.4%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
19.1%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $132,572±$6k 28% above MA |
$155,508±$33kHighest 50% above MA |
$120,216±$7kLowest 16% above MA |
| Upton 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 |
$576,700±$41kLowest about the MA average |
$748,700±$27k 33% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,517±$64Highest 43% above MA |
$948±$599Lowest 46% below MA |
$2,268±$79 29% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,186 3% above MA |
$8,376Highest 40% above MA |
$4,766Lowest 20% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 36.2%±2.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
52.8%±31Highest MA: 51.8% |
44.7%±4.1 MA: 51.8% |
| Upton 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% |
3.2%Lowest MA: 10% |
9.4% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 34.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
86.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
49.7% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1961 3 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 31 min 7% above MA |
35 minHighest 22% above MA |
25 minLowest 15% below MA |
| Work from home | 31.3%±2.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
22.8%±5.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
24.2%±2.1 MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #225 of 282 in MA | #46 of 282 in MA | #217 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Somerville | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical · Mendon-Upton | Waltham |
| High school in town | Somerville High | Blackstone Valley | Waltham Sr High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2Highest |
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.