Signals
Norwood
Boston
Climate
63 · Bottom 30%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
92 · Top 9%
vs97 · Top 1%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 18%
vs44 · Bottom 6%
Schools
80 · Top 14%
vs41 · Bottom 36%
Access
95 · Top 34%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
72 · Top 24%
vs55 · Bottom 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Norwood | Boston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 31,542 | 666,442 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $107,030 | $97,344 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $63,827 | $61,698 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,039/sq mi | 13,786/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $651,700 | $731,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,116 | $2,147 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.0% | 35.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 55.4% | 54.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.8% | 16.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 86°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.9" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.1 min | 33.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.0 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 127 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.78 | 10.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 47.5% | 21.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 57.9% | 34.8% | 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
Norwood
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding.
Boston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Norwood, MA · Boston, MA · How this is calculated: methodology