Somerville, MA

Census Place

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2021 Population

80,608

0.698% 1-year decline

US Senator

Elizabeth Warren

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ed Markey

Democratic Party

2021 Median Age

31.8

0.952% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

10.4%

7.96% 1-year decrease

2021 Median Household Income

$108,896

6.44% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$739,900

4.24% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, Somerville, MA had a population of 80.6k people with a median age of 31.8 and a median household income of $108,896. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of Somerville, MA declined from 81,175 to 80,608, a −0.698% decrease and its median household income grew from $102,311 to $108,896, a 6.44% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Somerville, MA are White (Non-Hispanic) (68.8%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (9.3%), White (Hispanic) (5.5%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (4.76%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.79%).

None of the households in Somerville, MA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

85.7% of the residents in Somerville, MA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Somerville, MA are Lincoln Technical Institute-Somerville (305 degrees awarded in 2021).

In 2021, the median property value in Somerville, MA was $739,900, and the homeownership rate was 33.9%.

Most people in Somerville, MA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 32 minutes. The average car ownership in Somerville, MA was 1 car per household.

Photo by Eric Kilby

United States Massachusetts Middlesex County, MA Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Watertown Town City, Arlington, Belmont & Winchester Towns PUMA, MA Somerville & Everett Cities PUMA, MA Malden & Medford Cities PUMA, MA

Population & Diversity

Somerville, MA is home to a population of 80.6k people, from which 85.7% are citizens. As of 2021, 24.6% of Somerville, MA residents were born outside of the country (19.8k people).

In 2021, there were 7.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (55.5k people) in Somerville, MA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.49k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 4.43k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

85.7%

2021 Citizenship

85.4%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 85.7% of Somerville, MA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in Somerville, MA was 85.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Somerville, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Somerville, MA

White (Non-Hispanic)
55.5k ± 1.81k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
7.49k ± 981
White (Hispanic)
4.43k ± 855

12.3%

Hispanic Population

9.88k people

12.3% of the people in Somerville, MA are hispanic (9.88k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Somerville, MA as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

24.6%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

19.8k people

24.2%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

19.7k people

As of 2021, 24.6% of Somerville, MA residents (19.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Somerville, MA was 24.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Somerville, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
329 ± 109
Gulf War (2001-)
243 ± 119
Gulf War (1990s)
131 ± 89

Somerville, MA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.35 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Somerville, MA employs 56k people. The largest industries in Somerville, MA are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (11,844 people), Educational Services (10,368 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (6,963 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($120,625), Manufacturing ($85,960), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($85,080).

Employment

Occupations

56k

2021 Value

± 1,911

−1.38%

1 Year decline

± 4.99%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Somerville, MA declined at a rate of −1.38%, from 56.7k employees to 56k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Somerville, MA, are Management Occupations (7,354 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (5,559 people), and Computer & Mathematical Occupations (5,275 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Somerville, MA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Massachusetts (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

56k

2021 Value

± 1,911

−1.38%

1 Year decline

± 4.99%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in Somerville, MA declined at a rate of −1.38%, from 56.7k employees to 56k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Somerville, MA, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (11,844 people), Educational Services (10,368 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (6,963 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Somerville, MA, though some of these residents may live in Somerville, MA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$69,283

Median earning men ± $3,725

$54,370

Median earning women ± $1,426

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Manufacturing ($94,199), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($85,779), and Information ($76,773).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($73,716), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($68,823), and Wholesale Trade ($68,235).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Massachusetts. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Massachusetts.

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Massachusetts to other states, or from other states to Massachusetts.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Massachusetts product (by dollars) was Pharmaceuticals with $37.1B, followed by Mixed freight ($29.7B) and Electronics ($28.8B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Massachusetts products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Massachusetts.

$296B

2020 Value in Massachusetts

$627B

Projected 2050 Value in Massachusetts

112% growth

In 2020, total outbound Massachusetts trade was $296B. This is expected to increase 112% to $627B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Massachusetts trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Massachusetts to other states, or from other states to Massachusetts.

Most Common Trade Partners

New York
$28.8B
New Hampshire
$20.3B
Connecticut
$14.2B

In 2020, the top outbound Massachusetts domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was New York with $28.8B, followed by New Hampshire with $20.3B and Connecticut and $14.2B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Massachusetts shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Massachusetts went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 65.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (31.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.29%).

Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey are the senators currently representing the state of Massachusetts. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Massachusetts is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Somerville, MA. Showing the available data for Massachusetts.

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (65.1%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (31.9%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.29%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Massachusetts went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 65.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (31.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.29%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Massachusetts for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Massachusetts

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

Elizabeth Warren

Senator from Massachusetts

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Ed Markey

Senator from Massachusetts

Assumed office on July 16, 2013
Elected to the seat to succeed Mo Cowan, who had been appointed to the seat following the resignation of John Kerry, who had become Secretary of State.

Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey are the senators currently representing Massachusetts.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Massachusetts over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Massachusetts

Massachusetts is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Massachusetts have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2021, universities in Somerville, MA awarded 305 degrees. The student population of Somerville, MA in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 56 male students and 380 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Somerville, MA are Hispanic or Latino (138 and 45.2%), followed by Unknown (65 and 21.3%), Black or African American (55 and 18%), and White (40 and 13.1%).

The largest universities in Somerville, MA by number of degrees awarded are Lincoln Technical Institute-Somerville (305 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Somerville, MA are Medical Assistant (195 and 63.9%), Dental Assisting (61 and 20%), and Massage Therapy (40 and 13.1%).

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

Measure

In 2021, 1.06% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.14% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (1.35M), Bachelors Degree (1.33M), and Some college (1.01M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Somerville, MA was $739,900 in 2021, which is 3.02 times larger than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $709,800 to $739,900, a 4.24% increase. The homeownership rate in Somerville, MA is 33.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in Somerville, MA have an average commute time of 32 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Somerville, MA is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Median household income in Somerville, MA is $108,896. In 2021, the place with the highest median household income in Somerville, MA was Census Tract 3509 with a value of $184,786, followed by Census Tract 3506 and Census Tract 3508, with respective values of $155,849 and $153,958.

Property

$739,900

Median Property Value 2021

±$24,224

$11,695

Median Property Taxes

±$817

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Somerville, MA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Somerville, MA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

33.9%

Homeownership

2021

62.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 33.9% of the housing units in Somerville, MA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 33.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Somerville, MA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 3509
Census Tract 3506
Census Tract 3508

In 2021, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Somerville, MA was Census Tract 3509 with a value of $184,786, followed by Census Tract 3506 and Census Tract 3508, with respective values of $155,849 and $153,958.

The following map shows all of the places in Somerville, MA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$108,896

Median Household Income

± $4,151

34.5k

Number of Households

± 1,352

In 2021, the median household income of the 34.5k households in Somerville, MA grew to $108,896 from the previous year's value of $102,311.

The following chart displays the households in Somerville, MA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Somerville, MA is from Massachusetts.

0.48

2021 Wage GINI in Massachusetts

0.48

2020 Wage GINI in Massachusetts

In 2021, the income inequality in Massachusetts was 0.48 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0427% decline from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Massachusetts was higher than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Massachusetts in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Massachusetts across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (32.3%)
Public Transit (25.5%)
Worked At Home (18.8%)

In 2021, 32.3% of workers in Somerville, MA drove alone to work, followed by those who used public transit to get to work (25.5%) and those who worked at home (18.8%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

32 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Somerville, MA have a longer commute time (32 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 1.72% of the workforce in Somerville, MA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Somerville, MA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Somerville, MA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Somerville, MA have 1 car.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

10.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Somerville, MA (8.1k out of 77.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 25 - 34 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Somerville, MA is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

97.5% of the population of Somerville, MA has health coverage, with 65.1% on employee plans, 15.4% on Medicaid, 5.64% on Medicare, 11.2% on non-group plans, and 0.24% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Middlesex County, MA see 782 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.39% decrease from the previous year (793 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 976 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 157 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Middlesex County, MA.

782 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Middlesex County, MA

Primary care physicians in Middlesex County, MA see an average of 782 patients per year. This represents a 1.39% decrease from the previous year (793 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Middlesex County, MA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 12.2% under 18 years, 45.9% between 18 and 34 years, 32.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 9.27% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

2.45%

Uninsured

65.1%

Employer Coverage

15.4%

Medicaid

5.64%

Medicare

11.2%

Non-Group

0.24%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in Somerville, MA declined by 9.79% from 2.72% to 2.45%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Somerville, MA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.