Fall River receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lawrence
Fall River
Opportunity
28 · Bottom 5%
vs30 · Bottom 6%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs45 · Bottom 40%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs64 · Bottom 30%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs89 · Top 12%
Housing affordability
34 · Bottom 2%
vs52 · Bottom 11%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs34 · Bottom 27%
Access
92 · Top 50%
vs94 · Top 40%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs46 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Lawrence | Fall River | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 88,736 | 94,082 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,433 | $56,673 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,249 | $32,610 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 12,805/sq mi | 2,840/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $415,200 | $395,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,662 | $1,155 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 28.1% | 35.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 5.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 16.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.6% | 19.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 12 | 60 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 9.1% | 1.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.9" | 45.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 21 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 27.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.6 | 39.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 35 | 22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.79 | 12.00 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.1% | 19.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.1% | 30.3% | 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
Lawrence
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake, hurricane.
Fall River
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Lawrence
52
Your Score
47
Area Score
Fall River
57
Your Score
53
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Lawrence, MA · Fall River, MA · How this is calculated: methodology