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Place dossier plate
SheetMA-FALL-RIVER-MA · Fall River, MA 93,764 pop · income 26th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Fall River
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Fall River on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Goodland · lowest
53,929
Goodland · lowest
53,929 median HH income
29.2% of the leader · rank #1
East Jordan · near
53,929
East Jordan · near
53,929 median HH income
29.2% of the leader · rank #2
Marlow · near
53,932
Marlow · near
53,932 median HH income
29.2% of the leader · rank #3
Fall River · this city
53,933
Fall River · this city
53,933 median HH income
29.2% of the leader · rank #4
Guaynabo zona… · near
53,936
Guaynabo zona… · near
53,936 median HH income
29.2% of the leader · rank #5
Newton · highest
184,989
Newton · highest
184,989 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #6
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Fall River on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 93,764.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Fall River - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Fall River places in the 26th percentile for household income and the 29th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
26th
percentile, household income
73rd
percentile, home value
98th
percentile, median rent
29th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Fall River, MA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 93,764 residents in Fall River, a small city within Massachusetts. The typical household in Fall River brings in $53,933 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 18.8%. Home values in Fall River run a median of $357,800, and the median resident age is 39.0 years. About 16.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 56.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 63 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Stable), up 2% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2134.5 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
Massachusetts carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 105.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,261 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Massachusetts's average monthly utility costs around $330 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 78.8 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Fall River's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to population change to schools and households to housing and income to reported crime to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Fall River, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, local building permits, annual population history, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Comparison shortlist
Which cities make useful reference points for Fall River?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Massachusetts, the closest population matches are Newton (88,504 residents, $184,989 income); Lawrence (88,297 residents, $57,903 income); New Bedford (100,731 residents, $56,025 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Toms River, NJ (93,915 residents); Atascocita, TX (93,926 residents); Plantation, FL (94,002 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Is Fall River growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +1,392 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 63 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
What does the education layer cover for Fall River?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 20 public schools within the city match. 16.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
How far does income reach against housing in Fall River?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 6.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 18.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Fall River?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2134.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 6% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
2134.5
Violent rate
742.9
Property rate
1391.6
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
What does the journey to work look like in Fall River?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
72.4%
Work from home
6.5%
Public transit
1.3%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 42,021 workers age 16+.
Below median income · poverty 18.8% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
105.8 (US=100)
High cost · BEA RPP 2024, Massachusetts average
F
City profile score · Fall River, MA
18/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Household income F
$53,933
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
16.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living F
105.8 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate F
18.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
743 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Fall River profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 26/100 (F) · $53,933
Bachelor's+ share: 25/100 (F) · 16.8%
Cost of living: 18/100 (F) · 105.8 index
Poverty rate: 16/100 (F) · 18.8%
Violent crime: 4/100 (F) · 743 /100k
Where Fall River sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Fall River's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Fall River highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Fall River, MA (this city): home $357,800, crime 2,135/100k
Plantation, FL : home $447,700, crime 2,483/100k
Compton, CA : home $546,700, crime 4,417/100k
Carson, CA : home $645,600, crime 3,351/100k
Livonia, MI : home $265,300, crime 1,490/100k
Newton, MA : home $1,202,500, crime 648/100k
Lawrence, MA : home $393,500, crime 1,439/100k
New Bedford, MA : home $324,400, crime 1,712/100k
Lynn, MA : home $472,600, crime 1,745/100k
Quincy, MA : home $598,100, crime 1,668/100k
Brockton, MA : home $405,500, crime 1,945/100k
How does Fall River compare to other US cities?
Where Fall River sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income26% higher than other cities
Home value73% pricier than other cities
Median rent98% pricier than other cities
Safety29% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Massachusetts, Fall River ranks #138 of 149 Massachusetts cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Fall River against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Massachusetts only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Massachusetts-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Fall River near the bottom of Massachusetts's cities
Among the 247 Massachusetts cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Fall River ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Fall River only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#224 of 233
4th percentile in Massachusetts
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 247
0th percentile in Massachusetts
Median Home Value
#188 of 240
22nd percentile in Massachusetts
Poverty Rate
#5 of 247
98th percentile in Massachusetts
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#236 of 247
4th percentile in Massachusetts
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Massachusetts only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
26th percentile nationally for median household income · 29th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Fall River's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Fall River's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Fall River's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$357,80027th percentilemore affordable than 27% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Fall River's home-value-to-income ratio: 6.6×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,496 of 15,516
More affordable than 7% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#627 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 6.6×, Fall River sits in the pressured band:
national rank #14,496 of 15,516 and #627 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$53,933Fall River, MA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Fall River, MA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Fall River, MA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)16.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)18.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)56.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
93,764
Median Income
$53,933
Median Home Value
$357,800
Median Age
39.0
Poverty Rate
18.8%
Labor force participation
56.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
16.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2134.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
742.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1391.6
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
20
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Fall River's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
93,906 residents
2021
93,827 residents
2022
93,857 residents
2023
94,437 residents
2024
95,033 residents
2025
95,298 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
63
housing units authorized
Single-Family
63
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
62
56
6
$6.8M
2020
58
58
0
$6.7M
2021
72
69
3
$8.1M
2022
61
61
0
$7.0M
2023
55
55
0
$6.3M
2024
63
63
0
$7.2M
Permit volume increased 2% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
72.4%
Carpool
14.6%
Public Transit
1.3%
Walk
3.9%
Work from Home
6.5%
Other
1.3%
Based on 42,021 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Massachusetts statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $330
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Massachusetts at $330 (electricity about $160 , water and sewer about $60 ).
These are Massachusetts statewide averages, not a meter reading for Fall River. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Massachusetts's BEA cost-of-living index is 105.8 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Fall River is $2,261/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Massachusetts statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 78.8 / 100 (High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Massachusetts statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Fall River sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Fall River compares to similar-size Massachusetts cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.