Fall River, MA
Census place 2523000 · pop 94,082
Site of the infamous 1892 Lizzie Borden axe murders and once a textile-mill powerhouse.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
35.3% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
21.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
21.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
16.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
86.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
19.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
31.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$56,673 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
408 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$395,500 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,818/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
35.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
90/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.00% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
2 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
1088 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+5.3% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
38 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Frequently asked
- Is Fall River, MA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Fall River scores 33/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is air quality (aqi) and its weakest is homeownership. Massachusetts overall ranks #34 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Fall River, MA?
- Fall River reports 408 violent crimes per 100k and 1088 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Fall River, MA expensive to live in?
- Fall River has a median home value of $395,500 and typical rent around $1,818/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Fall River, MA?
- Its weakest measured area is homeownership (35.3%) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Fall River, MA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is air quality (aqi) (38 AQI) — 77/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Site of the infamous 1892 Lizzie Borden axe murders and once a textile-mill powerhouse.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.