Quincy receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lawrence
Quincy
Opportunity
28 · Bottom 5%
vs65 · Top 31%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs71 · Top 16%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs62 · Bottom 24%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs92 · Top 9%
Housing affordability
34 · Bottom 2%
vs53 · Bottom 12%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs65 · Top 33%
Access
92 · Top 50%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs67 · Top 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Lawrence | Quincy | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 88,736 | 102,114 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,433 | $98,882 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,249 | $54,982 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 12,805/sq mi | 6,161/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $415,200 | $618,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,662 | $2,118 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 28.1% | 45.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 50.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.6% | 10.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 12 | 290 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 9.1% | 544.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.9" | 53.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 21 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 38.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.6 | 38.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 35 | 18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.79 | 13.51 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.1% | 36.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.1% | 49.5% | 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.
Quincy
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding.
Full profiles: Lawrence, MA · Quincy, MA · How this is calculated: methodology