Everett receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Chelsea
Everett
Opportunity
51 · Bottom 40%
vs60 · Top 41%
Growth
53 · Top 45%
vs64 · Top 26%
Climate
65 · Bottom 36%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
97 · Top 1%
vs88 · Top 13%
Housing affordability
35 · Bottom 3%
vs40 · Bottom 4%
Schools
21 · Bottom 12%
vs29 · Bottom 22%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
56 · Bottom 41%
vs61 · Top 50%
Measured values
| Metric | Chelsea | Everett | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,908 | 50,045 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $72,179 | $85,218 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $32,986 | $37,594 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 17,985/sq mi | 14,646/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $493,500 | $610,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,956 | $2,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 26.0% | 37.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 3.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.2% | 24.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.7% | 14.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 80 | 213 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 4.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 15.9% | 21.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.6" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 3 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 36.2 min | 38.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.4 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.18 | 11.73 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 11.7% | 17.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 23.8% | 29.0% | 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
Chelsea
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Everett
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Chelsea, MA · Everett, MA · How this is calculated: methodology