Peabody, MA

Census place 2552490 · pop 54,695

D52/ 100
😐 Meh
C
in MA
📍 Massachusetts ranks #34 of 50 states →
🏆 Uninsured5.1% · top 7%
🚽 Rent$2,783/mo · bottom 11%
Taxes
0.85% property · US 0.99%6.25% sales · US 7.00%up to 9.00% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Rent$2,783/mo11

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$2,783/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Housing cost$596,20014

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$596,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level94/10035

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.

Unemployment rateCounty-level4.0%36

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.

Commute time26 min37

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level4 days41

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.

Income inequality0.4441

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.44 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Broadband access91.4%48

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

91.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Population growth (5yr)+3.4%53

U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities

+3.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Homeownership65.6%55

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

65.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Physical inactivity24.0%56

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

24.0% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Violent crime rate163/100k57

U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities

163 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Property-tax burden0.85%59

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.85% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Bachelor's degree or higher35.0%60

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

35.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Adult smoking11.9%64

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

11.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Property crime rate859/100k68

U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities

859 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Poverty rate7.7%71

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

7.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Poor mental health15.6%71

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

15.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Median household income$96,65773

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$96,657 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Adult obesity29.0%80

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

29.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Air quality (AQI)County-level37 AQI81

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.

Uninsured adults5.1%93

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

5.1% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Frequently asked

Is Peabody, MA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Peabody 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 uninsured adults 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 Peabody, MA?
Peabody reports 163 violent crimes per 100k and 859 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Peabody, MA expensive to live in?
Peabody has a median home value of $596,200 and typical rent around $2,783/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Peabody, MA?
Its weakest measured area is rent ($2,783/mo) — 11/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Peabody, MA best at?
Its strongest measured area is uninsured adults (5.1%) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.