02131 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
02145
02131
Opportunity
71 · Top 18%
vs67 · Top 26%
Growth
45 · Bottom 41%
vs52 · Top 48%
Climate
65 · Bottom 37%
vs62 · Bottom 25%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 13%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
56 · Bottom 18%
vs63 · Bottom 27%
Schools
39 · Bottom 35%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Access
99 · Top 15%
vs99 · Top 15%
Economic stability
74 · Top 22%
vs75 · Top 21%
Measured values
| Metric | 02145 | 02131 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,495 | 31,151 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $123,755 | $111,006 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $65,296 | $59,973 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 19,766/sq mi | 11,173/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $828,600 | $664,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,398 | $2,020 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 35.6% | 59.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.4% | 53.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.9% | 9.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 97 | 2,086 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 3.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 11.5% | 21.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.6" | 53.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 5 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.7 min | 36.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.3 | 39.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 4 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.45 | 9.95 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 14.7% | 19.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 35.0% | 34.9% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
02145
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
02131
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 02145 — Somerville, MA · 02131 — Boston, MA · How this is calculated: methodology