CensusEasy
CITY · 2020 ACS

Somerville

Massachusetts · 81,045 residents · 4.12 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Boston metro area
Compare
The short version

With 81,045 people, Somerville is a city in Massachusetts. 66% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 33% nationally. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $709,800. 31% of homes are owner-occupied. The median age is 31.4, younger than the US median of 38.8. Renters pay $2,026 a month at the median.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 31.4
US median: 38.8
More educated
66% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 80%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

81,045
+5%since 2000
from 77,478 in 2000
1990 – 2025
31.4
+1%since 2000
from 31.1 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
4.12 sq mi
Population, 19902024
75K77K78K80K82K19902000201020202024Somerville
202481K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.1%(3,356)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 93.1%(2,533)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 142.7%(2,192)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 193.7%(2,961)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2411.1%(9,033)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3434.8%(28,198)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4414.8%(11,973)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 548.2%(6,653)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 647.6%(6,122)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 745.8%(4,719)
US avg: 10%
75 to 842.9%(2,336)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.2%(969)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$102,311
+47%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,315 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
$53,279
+125%since 2000
from $23,628 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
64.7%
+24.5 ptssince 2009
from 40.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
11.3%
−1.2 ptssince 2000
from 12.5% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information7.6%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade7.1%
US avg: 10%
Other services5.5%
US avg: 6.6%
Arts, entertainment, food4.1%
US avg: 2%
Public administration3.9%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade2.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance2.7%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical2.3%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$709,800
+80%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $262,000 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
$2,026
+54%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $874 in 2000
US average: $1,124
31.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2000
from 30.6% in 2000
68.9% rent
2.29 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.35 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
6.9
−5%since 2009
from 7.3 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic72.7%(56,320)
Black6.3%(4,868)
Hispanic / Latino8.8%(6,786)
Asian6.4%(4,972)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic65.2%(52,874)
Black5.2%(4,215)
Hispanic / Latino11.3%(9,159)
Asian10.6%(8,567)
Other3.9%(3,143)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Central American4.6%(3,749)
Salvadoran3.2%(2,617)
Puerto Rican1.5%(1,178)
Guatemalan1.1%(895)
Mexican1%(773)
Colombian0.9%(701)
Dominican0.5%(422)
Cuban0.5%(370)
Venezuelan0.3%(225)
Bolivian0.3%(219)
Ecuadorian0.2%(186)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.2%(166)
Chilean0.2%(130)
Honduran0.2%(126)
Paraguayan0.1%(73)
Argentine0%(18)
Peruvian0%(11)
Uruguayan0%(10)
Asian origin
Chinese3.7%(3,019)
Asian Indian2.3%(1,838)
Nepalese0.8%(647)
Korean0.7%(547)
Vietnamese0.7%(538)
Indonesian0.3%(263)
Filipino0.3%(236)
Cambodian0.2%(142)
Japanese0.2%(140)
Bangladeshi0.2%(127)
Taiwanese0.1%(62)
Thai0.1%(58)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
Irish16%(13,012)
Italian11.8%(9,594)
German7.8%(6,337)
English7.8%(6,323)
Portuguese4.9%(3,980)
Polish3.1%(2,523)
French2.7%(2,191)
American2.2%(1,819)
West Indian1.9%(1,527)
Scottish1.9%(1,503)
Russian1.8%(1,497)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
Brazilian1.8%(1,465)
French Canadian1.5%(1,210)
Haitian1.4%(1,173)
Swedish1.3%(1,018)
Greek1.1%(901)
Dutch1.1%(898)
British0.8%(612)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(577)
Hungarian0.7%(540)
Lithuanian0.6%(499)
Cape Verdean0.6%(496)
Ukrainian0.6%(495)
Welsh0.5%(441)
Norwegian0.5%(429)
Canadian0.5%(411)
Armenian0.4%(295)
Swiss0.3%(278)
Danish0.3%(270)
Austrian0.3%(268)
Czech0.3%(229)
Lebanese0.3%(221)
Bulgarian0.3%(216)
Ethiopian0.2%(191)
Iranian0.2%(168)
Jamaican0.2%(151)
Turkish0.2%(135)
Egyptian0.2%(131)
Slovak0.2%(130)
Arab0.1%(118)
Syrian0.1%(112)
Australian0.1%(105)
Moroccan0.1%(92)
Finnish0.1%(92)
Romanian0.1%(89)
Nigerian0.1%(69)
Croatian0.1%(66)
Slovene0.1%(63)
Belgian0.1%(61)
Latvian0.1%(56)
Ghanaian0.1%(49)
Israeli0.1%(46)
Barbadian0.1%(43)
Serbian0%(40)
Kenyan0%(17)
Section 05

Education

65.7%
+25.1 ptssince 2000
from 40.6% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
91.4%
+10.7 ptssince 2000
from 80.6% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
31.4%
+13.7 ptssince 2000
from 17.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

32.3 min
+75%since 2000
from 18.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
34.1%
−5.8 ptssince 2009
from 39.9% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
24.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 24.3% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

3.0%
−3.5 ptssince 2011
from 6.5% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
80.1%
+4.8 ptssince 2011
from 75.2% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
86.8%
US average: 73.3%
65.8%
+16.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

49.8%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 47.8% in 2009
50.2%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 52.2% in 2009
23.9%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 27.8% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
2.7%
−2.4 ptssince 2013
from 5.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
93.7%
US average: 91.9%
76.4%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married62.2%(22,477)
Married32.6%(11,762)
Widowed1.3%(459)
Divorced3.9%(1,416)
Women 15+
Never married58%(21,998)
Married32%(12,149)
Widowed4.1%(1,542)
Divorced5.9%(2,254)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

2.7%
−2.4 ptssince 2013
from 5.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
69.3%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.2%
US average: 13.7%
9.5%
US average: 17.6%
17.3%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
0.5%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
79.4%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
24.0%
US average: 35.2%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)25.9%(278)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)14.6%(157)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era26.5%(285)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War11.3%(121)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II6.1%(66)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 1,074 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

Places similar to Somerville

Head to head

Compare Somerville to nearby cities

Frequently asked

How many people live in Somerville, Massachusetts?

Somerville, Massachusetts has about 81,045 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Somerville, Massachusetts?

The typical household in Somerville, Massachusetts earns about $102,311 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Somerville, Massachusetts expensive?

In Somerville, Massachusetts, the median home is worth about $709,800, and the typical rent is about $2,026 a month.

How educated are people in Somerville, Massachusetts?

About 65.7% of adults age 25 and over in Somerville, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Somerville, Massachusetts?

About 11.3% of people in Somerville, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.

Has Somerville, Massachusetts grown since 1990?

Yes, Somerville, Massachusetts has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,835 residents, a change of about 6 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →