Fitchburg, MA
Census place 2523875 · pop 41,798
A 19th-century mill city where Alvah Crocker's paper mills grew into some of the largest in the United States.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.5% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
54.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
370 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
27 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
28.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
15.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.32% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.0% 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 14.6% · worse than most cities
14.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
25.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
93/100 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 $214,900 · worse than most cities
$336,400 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.45 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
35.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,810/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
91.2% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$73,040 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+2.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
1185 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.8% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
37 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 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.
Frequently asked
- Is Fitchburg, MA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Fitchburg scores 42/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is unhealthy air days and its weakest is poor mental health. 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 Fitchburg, MA?
- Fitchburg reports 370 violent crimes per 100k and 1185 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Fitchburg, MA expensive to live in?
- Fitchburg has a median home value of $336,400 and typical rent around $1,810/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Fitchburg, MA?
- Its weakest measured area is poor mental health (19.5%) — 16/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Fitchburg, MA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is unhealthy air days (0 days) — 85/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: A 19th-century mill city where Alvah Crocker's paper mills grew into some of the largest in the United States.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.