Somerville, MA Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Somerville, MA Crime & Safety

Is Somerville, MA safe to live in?

Somerville earns a city-wide safety rating of Safe (B), and the data backs that up clearly. Of the 19 neighborhoods analyzed, 42.1% hold a Grade A and 52.6% hold a Grade B — meaning 95% of all neighborhoods fall into the safe category. Not a single neighborhood received a D or F grade. Standout safe areas include Powder House Square (A) and Ball Square (A), while even neighborhoods with slightly more activity — like Winter Hill (B-) and East Somerville (B) — remain well within the safe range. For context, the city's overall crime grade is C+, reflecting that while most neighborhoods are very safe, a small pocket of elevated activity in areas like Boynton Yards (C+) pulls the citywide average down slightly.

What is the crime rate in Somerville, MA?

Somerville's crime profile is notably strong for a dense urban city with 7,602 residents per square mile. Across all 19 neighborhoods analyzed, 8 earned an A grade and 10 earned a B grade, with only 1 neighborhood — Boynton Yards — receiving a C+. The city's overall crime grade of C+ reflects a composite picture that includes both its safest pockets (like Davis Square at A- and Porter Square at A-) and its highest-activity zone. Importantly, no neighborhood reached the D or F tier, which distinguishes Somerville from many comparably dense cities. Property crimes tend to be the most common incident type citywide, while violent crime remains relatively rare across the majority of neighborhoods.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Somerville?

The top-rated neighborhoods in Somerville for safety are:

• Powder House Square — Grade A: A smaller neighborhood of about 2,416 residents with a median income of $69,591, demonstrating that safety isn't exclusively tied to high income levels.
• Ball Square — Grade A: Home to 3,721 residents and a median household income of $130,782 — the highest among the top-ranked neighborhoods.
• Assembly Square — Grade A-: A growing mixed-use district with a median income of $91,443 and strong safety metrics driven by newer development and active foot traffic.
• Davis Square — Grade A-: Somerville's most populous top-rated neighborhood at 7,713 residents, with a median income of $109,436 and a well-established community safety culture.
• Spring Hill — Grade A-: The largest neighborhood in the top-10 safety list with 11,420 residents and a median income of $92,953.
• Porter Square — Grade A-: 5,815 residents, median income of $116,401, and consistently low incident rates.
• Magoun Square — Grade A-: 4,047 residents and a median income of $97,745, making it one of the more affordable A-rated neighborhoods.
• Ten Hills — Grade A-: A small neighborhood of just 909 residents with a median income of $90,779 and minimal reported crime activity.

Rounding out the top 10, Duck Village (B+) and Inner Belt (B+) also maintain strong safety records, with Inner Belt notable for its lower median income of $31,913 — showing that even economically diverse areas of Somerville trend toward safety.

Which neighborhoods in Somerville have higher crime rates?

Even Somerville's higher-activity neighborhoods remain within the safe spectrum. Boynton Yards is the only neighborhood to receive a C+ grade — the lowest in the city — and no area received a D or F. Winter Hill earns a B-, while East Somerville, Teele Square, and Hillside all hold B or B+ grades. This means that even in Somerville's most active crime areas, incident levels remain moderate rather than severe. Residents in these neighborhoods should stay aware of local trends — particularly property crime activity — but the data does not indicate a pattern of serious or violent crime dominating any of these areas.

Is Somerville a good place to live in 2026?

By nearly every measurable indicator, Somerville ranks as an excellent place to live in 2026. The city's 81,175 residents benefit from a median household income of $102,311, a 3% unemployment rate, and a poverty rate of 11.3% — all reflecting a relatively healthy local economy. The median home value of $715,938 and median rent of $2,026 signal strong housing demand, driven in part by the city's proximity to Boston and Cambridge. On the safety front, 95% of neighborhoods earn an A or B grade, and the city-wide safety rating is Safe (B). The overall crime grade of C+ reflects the composite average across all neighborhoods including the slightly elevated activity in Boynton Yards, but for most residents living in areas like Davis Square, Spring Hill, Ball Square, or Porter Square, day-to-day safety is well above average for a city of this density.

How does Somerville's safety compare across its 19 neighborhoods?

The grade distribution across Somerville's 19 analyzed neighborhoods tells a compelling story: 42.1% of neighborhoods (8 out of 19) earn an A, 52.6% (10 out of 19) earn a B, and just 5.3% (1 neighborhood) lands at C+. No neighborhood falls below a C+. This distribution is unusually top-heavy for a city with a population density of 7,602 people per square mile — a density level that often correlates with higher crime in other cities. The data suggests Somerville benefits from strong community infrastructure, active local policing, and economic conditions (median income of $102,311) that support neighborhood stability. Neighborhoods like Powder House Square, Ten Hills, and Magoun Square demonstrate that even smaller or less affluent areas can maintain Grade A safety records.