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Place dossier plate
SheetMA-LOWELL-MA · Lowell, MA 114,799 pop · income 57th pct · 357 tracts
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 Lowell
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Lowell on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Waterbury · lowest
51,642
Waterbury · lowest
51,642 median HH income
37.1% of the leader · rank #1
Altamont · near
76,198
Altamont · near
76,198 median HH income
54.7% of the leader · rank #2
Fort Dick · near
76,204
Fort Dick · near
76,204 median HH income
54.7% of the leader · rank #3
Lowell · this city
76,205
Lowell · this city
76,205 median HH income
54.7% of the leader · rank #4
Hull · near
76,213
Hull · near
76,213 median HH income
54.7% of the leader · rank #5
Mitiwanga · near
76,213
Mitiwanga · near
76,213 median HH income
54.7% of the leader · rank #6
Carlsbad · highest
139,326
Carlsbad · highest
139,326 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
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 Lowell 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: 114,799.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Lowell - the verdict
Nationally, Lowell sits in the 57th percentile for household income and the 28th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
57th
percentile, household income
77th
percentile, home value
98th
percentile, median rent
28th
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: Lowell, MA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 114,799 residents in Lowell, a mid-sized U.S. city within Massachusetts. The typical household in Lowell brings in $76,205 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.1%. Typical homes in Lowell are valued around $395,100, and the median resident age is 35.5 years. Educational attainment runs 29.9% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 63.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 112 residential building permits were authorized in Lowell (Construction Slowdown), down 69% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2195.4 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). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 49.0°F with 48.5 inches of precipitation per year.
Massachusetts carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Massachusetts at 105.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Above Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,261 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $330 across Massachusetts, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Lowell report an average commute of 24.8 minutes, with 73.0% driving alone and 10.0% working from home. 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 Lowell'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 work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist to population change to climate and hazard context to schools and households to reported crime to within-city variation; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Lowell, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, local building permits, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Lowell?
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.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 73.0%. The reported mean trip to work is 24.8 minutes.
How far does income reach against housing in Lowell?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 11.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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.
Which cities make useful reference points for Lowell?
Within Massachusetts, the closest population matches are Cambridge (117,794 residents, $126,469 income); Brockton (105,080 residents, $77,089 income); Quincy (101,361 residents, $95,711 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are League City, TX (114,885 residents); East Los Angeles, CA (114,617 residents); Carlsbad, CA (114,500 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.
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.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 357 Census tracts to this city.
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.
Population change
Is Lowell growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
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.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +4,188 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +3.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 112 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+3.6%
2025 estimate
119,971
2020 estimate
115,783
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 49.0°F, with 48.5 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Massachusetts is 78.8 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
49.0°F
Annual precipitation
48.5 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
78.8
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
The NCES join finds 29 public schools within the city match. 29.9% 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.
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.
Matched public schools
29
Bachelor's degree+
29.9%
Poverty estimate
11.1%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Lowell?
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.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2195.4 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 4% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
1662.9
Violent rate
532.5
Total reported rate
2195.4
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Above median income · poverty 11.1% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
105.8 (US=100)
High cost · BEA RPP 2024, Massachusetts average
F
City profile score · Lowell, MA
36/100
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.
Bachelor's+ share C
29.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income C
$76,205
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
11.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
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.
Violent crime F
533 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Lowell profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 58/100 (C) · 29.9%
Household income: 56/100 (C) · $76,205
Poverty rate: 35/100 (F) · 11.1%
Cost of living: 18/100 (F) · 105.8 index
Violent crime: 14/100 (F) · 533 /100k
Where Lowell sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Lowell'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 - Lowell highlighted among 12 peers.Read the chart values
Lowell, MA (this city): home $395,100, crime 2,195/100k
League City, TX : home $334,000, crime 1,264/100k
Carlsbad, CA : home $1,156,900, crime 1,710/100k
Waterbury, CT : home $185,400, crime 3,241/100k
High Point, NC : home $212,400, crime 2,911/100k
Provo, UT : home $437,100, crime 1,477/100k
Cambridge, MA : home $1,040,500, crime 3,081/100k
Brockton, MA : home $405,500, crime 1,945/100k
Quincy, MA : home $598,100, crime 1,668/100k
Lynn, MA : home $472,600, crime 1,745/100k
New Bedford, MA : home $324,400, crime 1,712/100k
Fall River, MA : home $357,800, crime 2,135/100k
How does Lowell compare to other US cities?
Where Lowell sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income57% higher than other cities
Home value77% pricier than other cities
Median rent98% pricier than other cities
Safety28% 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, Lowell ranks #139 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 Lowell 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 Lowell near the bottom of Massachusetts's cities
Among the 247 Massachusetts cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Lowell ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Lowell only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#174 of 233
25th percentile in Massachusetts
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 247
0th percentile in Massachusetts
Median Home Value
#174 of 240
28th percentile in Massachusetts
Poverty Rate
#34 of 247
86th percentile in Massachusetts
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#201 of 247
18th 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
57th percentile nationally for median household income · 28th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Lowell's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Lowell'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 Lowell's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$395,10023rd percentilemore affordable than 23% 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
Lowell's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,163 of 15,516
More affordable than 15% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#472 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 5.2×, Lowell sits in the pressured band:
national rank #13,163 of 15,516 and #472 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
$76,205Lowell, MA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Lowell, 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 Lowell, MA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)29.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)11.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)63.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
114,799
Median Income
$76,205
Median Home Value
$395,100
Median Age
35.5
Poverty Rate
11.1%
Labor force participation
63.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
29.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2195.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
532.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1662.9
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.
Climate
Avg Temperature
49.0°F
Annual Precipitation
48.5"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
29
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Lowell's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
115,783 residents
2021
117,874 residents
2022
118,356 residents
2023
118,857 residents
2024
120,095 residents
2025
119,971 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
112
housing units authorized
Single-Family
38
detached homes
Multifamily
74
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
362
13
349
$55.6M
2020
189
18
171
$31.9M
2021
37
29
8
$6.6M
2022
47
7
40
$10.1M
2023
116
52
64
$20.1M
2024
112
38
74
$25.1M
Permit volume decreased 69% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
24.8 minutes
Drive Alone
73.0%
Carpool
8.6%
Public Transit
2.0%
Walk
3.9%
Work from Home
10.0%
Other
2.5%
Based on 57,492 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 Lowell. 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 Lowell 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 Lowell sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Lowell 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, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.