Somerville, MA Cost Of Living
Cost Of Living In Somerville, MA Summary
Cost of living in Somerville research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Somerville is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Massachusetts, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Somerville is 184, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Somerville is 1.8x higher than the national average.
Somerville ranks as the #101 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 112.
Somerville ranks as the #6,221 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Somerville is $936,005.
The median income in Somerville is $127,056.
Table Of Contents
Somerville's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
What is the cost of living in Somerville, MA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Somerville has an overall cost of living index of 184, which is 1.8x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Somerville has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than Massachusetts's index of 134.
The standard of living in Somerville ranks as #101 most affordable out of the 112 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Somerville ranks as the #11 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Somerville, check out:
In Massachusetts
In America
Somerville Cost Of Living Vs. Massachusetts
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Somerville. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Somerville is 122.
The Groceries index in Somerville is 103.
The Health index in Somerville is 112.
The Housing index in Somerville is 331.
The Transportation index in Somerville is 119.
The Utilities index in Somerville is 132.
| Living Expense | Somerville | Massachusetts | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 184 | 134 | 100 | |
| Services | 122 | 121 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 103 | 106 | 100 | |
| Health | 112 | 112 | 100 | |
| Housing | 331 | 164 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 119 | 120 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 132 | 136 | 100 | |
Somerville, MA Housing Cost Breakdown
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Massachusetts, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Somerville is $936,005.
The Median Rent in Somerville is $2,468.
The Median Income in Somerville is $127,056.
The Home Value To Income in Somerville is 7.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Somerville is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Somerville | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $936,005 | $649,115 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,468 | $1,687 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $127,056 | $101,341 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.4x | 6.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.2x | 0.21x |
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
Somerville, MA Costs By Category
Detailed Somerville Services Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Somerville | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.49 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $15.49 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $29.33 | $18 |
| Haircut | $43.72 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $65.56 | $45.56 |
Detailed Somerville Groceries Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Somerville | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.48 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.45 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.76 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.99 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.52 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.21 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.53 | $3.7 |
Detailed Somerville Health Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Somerville | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $123.17 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $157.89 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $149.22 | $113.29 |
Detailed Somerville Transportation Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Somerville | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.43 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $97.39 | $59.92 |
Detailed Somerville Utilities Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Somerville | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $302.72 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $187.85 | $192.25 |
Somerville SnackAbility
/10
Cost Of Living In Cities Around Somerville
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Somerville. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Cambridge, MA has a cost of living index of 201, 1.1x Somerville.
Newton, MA has a cost of living index of 208, 1.1x Somerville.
Malden, MA has a cost of living index of 150, 0.8x Somerville.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Somerville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge, MA | 117,794 | 201 | 1.1x |
| Newton, MA | 88,504 | 208 | 1.1x |
| Malden, MA | 65,509 | 150 | 0.8x |
| Brookline, MA | 62,822 | 221 | 1.2x |
| Medford, MA | 59,062 | 163 | 0.9x |
| Everett, MA | 49,236 | 150 | 0.8x |
| Arlington, MA | 46,015 | 179 | 1.0x |
| Chelsea, MA | 39,460 | 141 | 0.8x |
| Lexington, MA | 34,085 | 211 | 1.1x |
| Needham, MA | 32,059 | 202 | 1.1x |
