Compare towns
Springfield vs Somerville
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Springfield has the most kids (24.2% under 18).
Somerville has the most people working from home (31.3%).
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 | Springfield | Somerville |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 154,749Highest |
81,036Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+7%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.7±0.5Highest 16% below MA |
31.9±0.6Lowest 20% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 24.2%±0.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
9.8%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 13.2%±0.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
10%±0.8Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
69.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.5%±0.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
12.8%±1.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $52,656±$2kLowest 49% below MA |
$132,572±$6kHighest 28% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,000±$4kLowest 56% below MA |
$911,300±$26kHighest 62% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,144±$55Lowest 35% below MA |
$2,517±$64Highest 43% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,695Lowest 38% below MA |
$6,186Highest 3% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.7%±3.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
36.2%±2.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 25.8%Highest MA: 10% |
9.8%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 49.6%Highest MA: 62.5% |
34.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Highest 12 yrs older than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 31% below MA |
31 minHighest 7% above MA |
| Work from home | 8.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
31.3%±2.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #276 of 282 in MA | #225 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Springfield | Somerville |
| High school in town | Springfield Central High | Somerville High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2Highest |
11.2Lowest |
| 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.