Newton, MA
Census place 2545560 · pop 89,044
Nicknamed the 'Garden City' and the 'City of Villages,' this Boston suburb is made up of thirteen distinct villages with no single downtown.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$1,264,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$3,687/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
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 24 min · worse than most cities
27 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
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 0.99% · better than most cities
0.79% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
70.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
784 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
89 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
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.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
4.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
96.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
13.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
15.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$190,304 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
6.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
21.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
81.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
2.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
Frequently asked
- Is Newton, MA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Newton scores 63/100 — a C (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is uninsured adults 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 Newton, MA?
- Newton reports 89 violent crimes per 100k and 784 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Newton, MA expensive to live in?
- Newton has a median home value of $1,264,900 and typical rent around $3,687/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Newton, MA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($1,264,900) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Newton, MA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is uninsured adults (2.6%) — 100/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Nicknamed the 'Garden City' and the 'City of Villages,' this Boston suburb is made up of thirteen distinct villages with no single downtown.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.