Question 1

Is Somerville, MA or Waltham, MA cheaper to buy in?

Accepted Answer

Waltham, MA is cheaper. The median home price in Somerville, MA is approximately $859,000 and in Waltham, MA it is approximately $677,700 — a difference of $181,300.

Question 2

Is Somerville, MA or Waltham, MA more walkable?

Accepted Answer

Somerville, MA is more walkable. Somerville, MA has a Walk Score of 89/100 and Waltham, MA has a Walk Score of 9/100.

Question 3

Which has better schools, Somerville, MA or Waltham, MA?

Accepted Answer

Waltham, MA has higher-rated schools. Somerville, MA has a school rating of 7.5/10 and Waltham, MA has a rating of 7.9/10.

Question 4

Should I live in Somerville, MA or Waltham, MA?

Accepted Answer

Both neighborhoods have distinct trade-offs — review the data above to find your best fit.

Category	Somerville, MA	Waltham, MA
Housing
Verdict	Good for now	Good for now
Median Price	$859K	$678K ✓ Lower price
Median Rent	$2K ✓ Lower rent	$2K
Median Income	$118K ✓ Higher income	$118K
Price Volatility	Moderate	Moderate
Getting Around
Walk Score	89/100 ✓ More walkable	9/100
Transit Score	58/100 ✓ Better transit	17/100
Bike Score	67/100 ✓ More bikeable	N/A
Commute	10 min ✓ Shorter commute	27 min
Safety & Environment
Safety Grade	D+	D+
Violent Crime	Moderate	Moderate
Property Crime	Moderate	Moderate
Flood Risk	Low	Low
Air Quality	Moderate	Good ✓ Cleaner air
Community
Schools	7.5/10	7.9/10 ✓ Better schools
Best for	young professionalsstudentstech workers	commuters to Bostonfamilies seeking strong schoolsmiddle to upper income households

Somerville, MA vs Waltham, MA

Bottom line