Residential comparison · 13 facts
Somerville, MA vs Watertown, MA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Somerville needs about $86,000 in Watertown to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Watertown, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $84,000 in Somerville.
A few differences
- Somerville is higher on median household income ($132,572 vs $126,265).
- Watertown is lower on cost of living index (146 vs 155).
- Watertown is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($2,536/mo vs $2,654/mo).
Somerville vs Watertown · facet by facet
| Facet | Somerville, MA | Watertown, MA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $911,300 | $784,600 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,654/mo | $2,536/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.14% | 1.14% |
| State & local income tax | 5% | 5% |
| Sales tax | 6.25% | 6.25% |
| Cost of living index | 155 | 146 |
| Groceries index | 108 | 108 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $132,572 | $126,265 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.6% |
| Crime index | 30/100 | 30/100 |
| School rating | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 200 days | 200 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Somerville, MA · Watertown, MA
Questions & answers
- Is Somerville cheaper than Watertown?
- Watertown has the lower day-to-day cost index (146 vs 155 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Watertown equals $85,000 in Somerville?
- A household earning $85,000 in Somerville needs about $86,000 in Watertown to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Watertown lifestyle costs about $84,000 in Somerville.