Haverhill, MA
Census place 2529405 · pop 67,698
Once a shoe-manufacturing powerhouse known as 'Queen Slipper City' and the birthplace of poet John Greenleaf Whittier.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,298/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$453,900 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
27 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
333 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
94/100 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 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 1 days · worse than most cities
4 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 26.5% · worse than most cities
26.0% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.05% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
13.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
62.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
11.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
17.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.43 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
32.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
93.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$88,326 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
31.9% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+6.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
794 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
7.1% 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.
Frequently asked
- Is Haverhill, MA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Haverhill scores 47/100 — 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 air quality (aqi) and its weakest is rent. 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 Haverhill, MA?
- Haverhill reports 333 violent crimes per 100k and 794 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Haverhill, MA expensive to live in?
- Haverhill has a median home value of $453,900 and typical rent around $2,298/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Haverhill, MA?
- Its weakest measured area is rent ($2,298/mo) — 23/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Haverhill, MA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is air quality (aqi) (37 AQI) — 81/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: Once a shoe-manufacturing powerhouse known as 'Queen Slipper City' and the birthplace of poet John Greenleaf Whittier.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.