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Place dossier plate
SheetMA-PEABODY-MA · Peabody, MA 54,180 pop · income 75th 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 Peabody
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Peabody on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Rocky Mount · lowest
52,927
Rocky Mount · lowest
52,927 median HH income
44.8% of the leader · rank #1
Peabody · this city
95,278
Peabody · this city
95,278 median HH income
80.7% of the leader · rank #2
Lake Californ… · near
95,278
Lake Californ… · near
95,278 median HH income
80.7% of the leader · rank #3
Arlington · near
95,278
Arlington · near
95,278 median HH income
80.7% of the leader · rank #4
Union Springs · near
95,282
Union Springs · near
95,282 median HH income
80.7% of the leader · rank #5
Port Penn · near
95,287
Port Penn · near
95,287 median HH income
80.7% of the leader · rank #6
Medford · highest
118,089
Medford · highest
118,089 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 Peabody 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: 54,180.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Peabody - the verdict
Nationally, Peabody sits in the 75th percentile for household income and the 60th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
75th
percentile, household income
88th
percentile, home value
98th
percentile, median rent
60th
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: Peabody, MA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 54,180 residents in Peabody, a small city within Massachusetts. Households in Peabody report a median income of $95,278 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.1%. Peabody's housing stock carries a median value of $566,200, and the median resident age is 46.6 years. 33.9% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 61.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 29 residential building permits were authorized in Peabody (Rapid Growth), up 32% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Peabody reports a comparatively low crime rate: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 1091.6 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: the state registers 105.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. 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. Workers in Peabody report an average commute of 24.8 minutes, with 79.6% driving alone and 8.8% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 78.8 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Peabody'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 work and mobility to population change to housing and income to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Peabody, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, 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.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Peabody?
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 11 public schools within the city match. 33.9% 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.
Which cities make useful reference points for Peabody?
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 Chicopee (55,213 residents, $66,927 income); Methuen (53,043 residents, $103,270 income); Weymouth (57,786 residents, $100,077 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Rocky Mount, NC (54,175 residents); Texas City, TX (54,159 residents); Kentwood, MI (54,114 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.
What does the journey to work look like in Peabody?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 79.6%. The reported mean trip to work is 24.8 minutes.
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.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +1,557 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +2.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 29 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.
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.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Peabody?
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 5.9 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 5.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
5.9×
Home value
$566,200
Household income
$95,278
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Peabody?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1091.6 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 52% 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
1091.6
Violent rate
254.7
Property rate
836.9
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Above median income · poverty 5.1% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
105.8 (US=100)
High cost · BEA RPP 2024, Massachusetts average
C-
City profile score · Peabody, MA
53/100
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 B
$95,278
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate B-
5.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share B-
33.9%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime D
255 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger 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.
Peabody profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 74/100 (B) · $95,278
Poverty rate: 65/100 (B-) · 5.1%
Bachelor's+ share: 65/100 (B-) · 33.9%
Violent crime: 40/100 (D) · 255 /100k
Cost of living: 18/100 (F) · 105.8 index
Where Peabody sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Peabody'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 - Peabody highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Peabody, MA (this city): home $566,200, crime 1,092/100k
Rocky Mount, NC : home $148,300, crime 4,745/100k
Texas City, TX : home $190,600, crime 2,555/100k
Kentwood, MI : home $249,000, crime 2,570/100k
Yucaipa, CA : home $466,000, crime 1,174/100k
Chicopee, MA : home $251,800, crime 2,327/100k
Methuen, MA : home $472,200, crime 972/100k
Weymouth, MA : home $516,200, crime 1,043/100k
Medford, MA : home $715,500, crime 1,379/100k
Everett, MA : home $605,200, crime 1,662/100k
Barnstable, MA : home $559,200, crime 1,196/100k
How does Peabody compare to other US cities?
Where Peabody sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income75% higher than other cities
Home value88% pricier than other cities
Median rent98% pricier than other cities
Safety60% 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, Peabody ranks #89 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 Peabody 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 Peabody near the bottom of Massachusetts's cities
Among the 247 Massachusetts cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Peabody ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Peabody only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#125 of 233
46th percentile in Massachusetts
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 247
0th percentile in Massachusetts
Median Home Value
#98 of 240
59th percentile in Massachusetts
Poverty Rate
#94 of 247
62nd percentile in Massachusetts
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#180 of 247
27th 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
75th percentile nationally for median household income · 60th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Peabody's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Peabody'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 Peabody's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$566,20012th percentilemore affordable than 12% 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
Peabody's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.9×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#14,056 of 15,516
More affordable than 9% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#572 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 5.9×, Peabody sits in the pressured band:
national rank #14,056 of 15,516 and #572 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
$95,278Peabody, MA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Peabody, 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 Peabody, MA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)33.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)5.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)61.0%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
54,180
Median Income
$95,278
Median Home Value
$566,200
Median Age
46.6
Poverty Rate
5.1%
Labor force participation
61.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
33.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1091.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
254.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
836.9
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.
Schools
Total Schools
11
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Peabody's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
54,396 residents
2021
54,194 residents
2022
54,397 residents
2023
55,161 residents
2024
55,979 residents
2025
55,953 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
29
housing units authorized
Single-Family
21
detached homes
Multifamily
8
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
22
20
2
$6.5M
2020
24
22
2
$7.2M
2021
31
27
4
$9.0M
2022
27
23
4
$7.8M
2023
26
20
6
$7.2M
2024
29
21
8
$7.8M
Permit volume increased 32% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
24.8 minutes
Drive Alone
79.6%
Carpool
6.6%
Public Transit
2.5%
Walk
0.9%
Work from Home
8.8%
Other
1.6%
Based on 27,106 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 Peabody. 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 Peabody 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 Peabody sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Peabody 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.