Framingham, MA
Census place 2524960 · pop 72,399
Home of the Framingham Heart Study, the landmark research project that revealed the risk factors for heart disease.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$627,300 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
30 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,324/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
54.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
96/100 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 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.10% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
194 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
10.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.5% 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 14.6% · better than most cities
11.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
21.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
777 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
6.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$107,419 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
48.7% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
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 90.0% · better than most cities
95.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
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.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
26.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Frequently asked
- Is Framingham, MA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Framingham scores 52/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is housing cost. 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 Framingham, MA?
- Framingham reports 194 violent crimes per 100k and 777 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Framingham, MA expensive to live in?
- Framingham has a median home value of $627,300 and typical rent around $2,324/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Framingham, MA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($627,300) — 13/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Framingham, MA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (26.3%) — 89/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of the Framingham Heart Study, the landmark research project that revealed the risk factors for heart disease.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.