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Place dossier plate
SheetMA-NEWTON-MA · Newton, MA 88,504 pop · income 97th 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 Newton
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Newton on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Greenville · lowest
50,564
Greenville · lowest
50,564 median HH income
27.3% of the leader · rank #1
Brentwood · near
184,720
Brentwood · near
184,720 median HH income
99.8% of the leader · rank #2
Emigration Ca… · near
184,722
Emigration Ca… · near
184,722 median HH income
99.8% of the leader · rank #3
Leawood · near
184,976
Leawood · near
184,976 median HH income
99.9% of the leader · rank #4
Newton · this city
184,989
Newton · this city
184,989 median HH income
99.9% of the leader · rank #5
Helix · highest
185,153
Helix · highest
185,153 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 Newton 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: 88,504.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Newton - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Newton places in the 97th percentile for household income and the 79th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
97th
percentile, household income
98th
percentile, home value
98th
percentile, median rent
79th
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: Newton, MA
88,504 people live in Newton, Massachusetts - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Newton report a median income of $184,989 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.3%. Home values in Newton run a median of $1,202,500, and the median resident age is 42.0 years. About 80.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 63.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 407 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 75% from five years earlier. Newton reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 648.2 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, below the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Massachusetts carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Massachusetts scores 105.8 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,261 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Massachusetts run around $330, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 19.0 minutes, with 49.6% driving alone and 28.7% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. 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 Newton'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 schools and households to comparison shortlist to reported crime to work and mobility to population change to housing and income; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Newton, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history.
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.
Question 1
What does the education layer cover for Newton?
The NCES join finds 5 public schools within the city match. 80.7% 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.
Which cities make useful reference points for Newton?
Within Massachusetts, the closest population matches are Lawrence (88,297 residents, $57,903 income); Fall River (93,764 residents, $53,933 income); Somerville (80,549 residents, $127,056 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are San Leandro, CA (88,531 residents); Greenville, NC (88,540 residents); Santa Fe, NM (88,224 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.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Newton?
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 648.2 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 72% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
What does the journey to work look like in Newton?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 49.6%. The reported mean trip to work is 19.0 minutes.
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 Newton 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 +1,935 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +2.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 407 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
+2.2%
2025 estimate
90,741
2020 estimate
88,806
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
How far does income reach against housing in Newton?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 6.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.3%, 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.
Household income
$184,989
Home value
$1,202,500
Value / income
6.5×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
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 A+
$184,989
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share A+
80.7%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime A-
49 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate B+
3.3%
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.
Newton profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 100/100 (A+) · $184,989
Bachelor's+ share: 100/100 (A+) · 80.7%
Violent crime: 84/100 (A-) · 49 /100k
Poverty rate: 76/100 (B+) · 3.3%
Cost of living: 18/100 (F) · 105.8 index
Where Newton sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Newton'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 - Newton highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
Newton, MA (this city): home $1,202,500, crime 648/100k
San Leandro, CA : home $813,600, crime 4,472/100k
Greenville, NC : home $213,100, crime 3,367/100k
Santa Fe, NM : home $411,500, crime 5,999/100k
Champaign, IL : home $199,700, crime 2,781/100k
Bloomington, MN : home $346,200, crime 3,776/100k
Waukegan, IL : home $177,600, crime 2,060/100k
Lawrence, MA : home $393,500, crime 1,439/100k
Fall River, MA : home $357,800, crime 2,135/100k
Somerville, MA : home $899,400, crime 1,920/100k
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
How does Newton compare to other US cities?
Where Newton sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income97% higher than other cities
Home value98% pricier than other cities
Median rent98% pricier than other cities
Safety79% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Massachusetts alone, Newton ranks #45 of 149 Massachusetts cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Newton 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 Newton near the bottom of Massachusetts's cities
Among the 247 Massachusetts cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Newton ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Newton only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#14 of 233
94th percentile in Massachusetts
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 247
0th percentile in Massachusetts
Median Home Value
#10 of 240
96th percentile in Massachusetts
Poverty Rate
#130 of 247
44th percentile in Massachusetts
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#9 of 247
96th 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
97th percentile nationally for median household income · 79th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Newton's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Newton'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 Newton's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$1,202,5002nd percentilemore affordable than 2% 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
Newton's home-value-to-income ratio: 6.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,438 of 15,516
More affordable than 7% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#620 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 6.5×, Newton sits in the pressured band:
national rank #14,438 of 15,516 and #620 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
$184,989Newton, MA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Newton, 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 Newton, MA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)80.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.3%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)63.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
88,504
Median Income
$184,989
Median Home Value
$1,202,500
Median Age
42.0
Poverty Rate
3.3%
Labor force participation
63.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
80.7%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
648.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
48.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
599.3
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
5
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Newton's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
88,806 residents
2021
87,965 residents
2022
88,170 residents
2023
89,007 residents
2024
89,999 residents
2025
90,741 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
407
housing units authorized
Single-Family
52
detached homes
Multifamily
355
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.6
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
232
21
211
$50.3M
2020
57
37
20
$29.4M
2021
62
62
0
$29.6M
2022
246
33
213
$63.7M
2023
281
33
248
$121.8M
2024
407
52
355
$183.2M
Permit volume increased 75% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
19.0 minutes
Drive Alone
49.6%
Carpool
5.6%
Public Transit
8.7%
Walk
5.4%
Work from Home
28.7%
Other
2.0%
Based on 45,717 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 Newton. 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 Newton 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 Newton sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Newton 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.