Somerville receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lawrence
Somerville
Opportunity
28 · Bottom 5%
vs72 · Top 19%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs47 · Bottom 45%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs88 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
34 · Bottom 2%
vs56 · Bottom 16%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs53 · Top 48%
Access
92 · Top 50%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs73 · Top 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Lawrence | Somerville | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 88,736 | 81,036 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,433 | $132,572 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,249 | $73,940 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 12,805/sq mi | 19,669/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $415,200 | $911,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,662 | $2,517 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 28.1% | 34.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 69.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.6% | 9.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 12 | 97 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 1.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 9.1% | 11.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.9" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 21 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 33.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.6 | 31.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 35 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.79 | 11.90 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.1% | 25.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.1% | 44.2% | 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.
Somerville
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
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
Somerville
69
Your Score
67
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Lawrence, MA · Somerville, MA · How this is calculated: methodology