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Place dossier plate
SheetMA-NEW-BEDFORD-MA · New Bedford, MA 100,731 pop · income 29th pct · 131 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 New Bedford
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest New Bedford on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Fall River · lowest
53,933
Fall River · lowest
53,933 median HH income
29.2% of the leader · rank #1
Damascus · near
56,023
Damascus · near
56,023 median HH income
30.3% of the leader · rank #2
Winona · near
56,023
Winona · near
56,023 median HH income
30.3% of the leader · rank #3
New Bedford · this city
56,025
New Bedford · this city
56,025 median HH income
30.3% of the leader · rank #4
Stirling · near
56,026
Stirling · near
56,026 median HH income
30.3% of the leader · rank #5
Foster Center · near
56,027
Foster Center · near
56,027 median HH income
30.3% of the leader · rank #6
Newton · highest
184,989
Newton · highest
184,989 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 New Bedford 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: 100,731.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
New Bedford - the verdict
Nationally, New Bedford sits in the 29th percentile for household income and the 39th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
29th
percentile, household income
68th
percentile, home value
98th
percentile, median rent
39th
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: New Bedford, MA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 100,731 residents in New Bedford, a mid-sized U.S. city within Massachusetts. New Bedford households earn a median of $56,025 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 16.7%. Home values in New Bedford run a median of $324,400, and the median resident age is 37.0 years. Educational attainment runs 16.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 57.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 7 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 67% from five years earlier. New Bedford reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1712.3 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 52.4°F with 52.2 inches of precipitation per year and 32.5 inches of snowfall.
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). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,261 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Massachusetts run around $330, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 78.8 out of 100 (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of New Bedford'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 population change to housing and income to schools and households to work and mobility to within-city variation to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For New Bedford, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, commute-mode shares.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Population change
Is New Bedford growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +925 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 7 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
How far does income reach against housing in New Bedford?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 16.7%, 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.
What can 131 Census tracts reveal inside New Bedford?
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 131 Census tracts to this city.
Which cities make useful reference points for New Bedford?
Within Massachusetts, the closest population matches are Lynn (100,905 residents, $74,715 income); Quincy (101,361 residents, $95,711 income); Brockton (105,080 residents, $77,089 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Norwalk, CA (100,713 residents); Fishers, IN (100,918 residents); Carmel, IN (100,501 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.
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.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for New Bedford?
The NCES join finds 28 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.
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
28
Bachelor's degree+
16.8%
Poverty estimate
16.7%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What does the journey to work look like in New Bedford?
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 72.8%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
2.6%
Work from home
4.7%
Drive alone
72.8%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 44,551 workers age 16+.
What physical conditions frame life in New Bedford?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 52.4°F, with 52.2 inches of precipitation and 32.5 inches of annual snowfall. 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
52.4°F
Annual precipitation
52.2 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.
What can the FBI record say about safety in New Bedford?
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 1712.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 25% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
1359.1
Violent rate
353.2
Total reported rate
1712.3
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Below median income · poverty 16.7% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
105.8 (US=100)
High cost · BEA RPP 2024, Massachusetts average
F
City profile score · New Bedford, MA
23/100
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
$56,025
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.
Violent crime F
353 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate F
16.7%
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.
New Bedford profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 29/100 (F) · $56,025
Bachelor's+ share: 25/100 (F) · 16.8%
Violent crime: 25/100 (F) · 353 /100k
Poverty rate: 19/100 (F) · 16.7%
Cost of living: 18/100 (F) · 105.8 index
Where New Bedford sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
New Bedford'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 - New Bedford highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
New Bedford, MA (this city): home $324,400, crime 1,712/100k
Norwalk, CA : home $616,600, crime 2,333/100k
Fishers, IN : home $370,200, crime 732/100k
Carmel, IN : home $455,500, crime 879/100k
Davenport, IA : home $162,900, crime 4,122/100k
Hesperia, CA : home $366,800, crime 1,946/100k
Albany, NY : home $223,000, crime 3,665/100k
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
Fall River, MA : home $357,800, crime 2,135/100k
Newton, MA : home $1,202,500, crime 648/100k
Lawrence, MA : home $393,500, crime 1,439/100k
How does New Bedford compare to other US cities?
Where New Bedford sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income29% higher than other cities
Home value68% pricier than other cities
Median rent98% pricier than other cities
Safety39% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Massachusetts and the picture shifts: New Bedford ranks #126 of 149 Massachusetts cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares New Bedford 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 New Bedford near the bottom of Massachusetts's cities
Among the 247 Massachusetts cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, New Bedford ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares New Bedford only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#220 of 233
6th percentile in Massachusetts
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 247
0th percentile in Massachusetts
Median Home Value
#200 of 240
17th percentile in Massachusetts
Poverty Rate
#9 of 247
96th 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
29th percentile nationally for median household income · 39th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
New Bedford's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
New Bedford'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 New Bedford's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$324,40032nd percentilemore affordable than 32% 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
New Bedford's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,898 of 15,516
More affordable than 10% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#552 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 5.8×, New Bedford sits in the pressured band:
national rank #13,898 of 15,516 and #552 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
$56,025New Bedford, MA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context New Bedford, 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 New Bedford, MA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)16.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)16.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)57.0%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
100,731
Median Income
$56,025
Median Home Value
$324,400
Median Age
37.0
Poverty Rate
16.7%
Labor force participation
57.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
16.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1712.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
353.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1359.1
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
52.4°F
Annual Precipitation
52.2"
Annual Snowfall
32.5"
Schools
Total Schools
28
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
New Bedford's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
100,909 residents
2021
100,859 residents
2022
100,830 residents
2023
101,139 residents
2024
101,624 residents
2025
101,834 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
7
housing units authorized
Single-Family
5
detached homes
Multifamily
2
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
21
14
7
$3.1M
2020
33
19
14
$4.2M
2021
30
28
2
$4.9M
2022
17
17
0
$2.7M
2023
20
10
10
$2.6M
2024
7
5
2
$1.8M
Permit volume decreased 67% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
72.8%
Carpool
15.3%
Public Transit
2.6%
Walk
2.5%
Work from Home
4.7%
Other
2.1%
Based on 44,551 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 New Bedford. 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 New Bedford 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 New Bedford sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How New Bedford 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.