Woburn, MA
Census place 2581035 · pop 41,939
Site of the toxic-water contamination case dramatized in the book and film 'A Civil Action.'
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$673,500 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
$2,752/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
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 67.2% · worse than most cities
55.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
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 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 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 +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
152 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
978 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
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 17.4% · better than most cities
16.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
7.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
11.2% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
20.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
46.5% 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 $67,857 · better than most cities
$111,185 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
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
25.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
4.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
Frequently asked
- Is Woburn, MA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Woburn scores 57/100 — 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 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 Woburn, MA?
- Woburn reports 152 violent crimes per 100k and 978 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Woburn, MA expensive to live in?
- Woburn has a median home value of $673,500 and typical rent around $2,752/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Woburn, MA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($673,500) — 11/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Woburn, MA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is uninsured adults (4.4%) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Site of the toxic-water contamination case dramatized in the book and film 'A Civil Action.'
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.