New Bedford, MA
Census place 2545000 · pop 100,998
The 19th-century 'Whaling City' where Melville set the opening of Moby-Dick, and still the highest-earning fishing port in the U.S.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
22.0% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
21.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
40.3% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
17.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
32.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
20.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
86.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
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
$56,981 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
310 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$357,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
11.1% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
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 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.21% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,898/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
36.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
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 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 964/100k · better than most cities
1179 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+6.0% 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 New Bedford, MA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, New Bedford 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 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 New Bedford, MA?
- New Bedford reports 310 violent crimes per 100k and 1179 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is New Bedford, MA expensive to live in?
- New Bedford has a median home value of $357,300 and typical rent around $1,898/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in New Bedford, MA?
- Its weakest measured area is poor mental health (22.0%) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is New Bedford, 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: The 19th-century 'Whaling City' where Melville set the opening of Moby-Dick, and still the highest-earning fishing port in the U.S.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.