In our recent Housing Design workshop, we discussed data on Somerville as a way to understand the struggles we face. Here are the data points for reference.
DEMOGRAPHICS
- 69.4% of units are renter occupied (Source: Assessing)
- 57.3% of adults have a bachelor’s degree (Source: Census)
- 44% of the population is aged 20 to 34 and 52% is aged 20 to 39. These percentages are among the highest in the country and the second highest in MA. (Source: Census)
- 4.8% of the population is under age 5 and 5.8% is aged 5 to 14. The percentage of children is the second lowest in MA among larger communities. (Source: Census)
- Children are more likely to be low-income than the general population Children are almost twice as likely to be living in poverty than people 18 or over. In the schools, 48% of students speak another language at home, 39% are economically disadvantaged, and 66.9% qualified for free and reduced lunch in 2013-2014. (Source: DESE, Census).
- Here is how the population change between 2000 and 2010 – the population of children and older people fell, and the population of 25-34 and 55-64 rose. (Source: Census, 12/15 Housing Needs Assessment)
- The population is 70% non-Hispanic white, 10% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 9% Black or African American, and 11.8% Asian. (Source: Census)
- Younger residents are more likely to be highly educated: (Source: Census)
- Age 25-34: 78.4% have BAs
- Age 35-44: 62.7% have BAs
- Age 45-64: 33.6% have BAs
- Age 65+: 20.8% have BAs
- Somerville differs from the national pattern of owners having a higher education (Source: Census)
- 54% of owner-occupied unit owners have bachelor’s degree in Somerville (vs. 36% nationwide)
- 60% of renter-occupied unit tenants have bachelor’s degree in Somerville (vs. 25% nationwide)
- Looking at Assessing data linked to City Census data, we see home ownership by age (Note – just general trend, it underestimates ownership)
- Age 60+: Approx. 61% are owners
- Age 34 or under: Approx. 7% are owners
HOUSING:
Below are two tables that show the gap between housing and
current residents’ ability to pay: 
- As of December 5, 2014 there were 3,258 affordable housing units in Somerville which accounted for almost 10% of the City’s housing. Affordability can be up to 110% AMA, or $108K for a four-person household. 285 affordable units are at risk of losing their affordability according (Source: 12/15 Housing Needs Assessment).
- Between 2012 and 2016, single family home prices increased by $145,900, or 30.5%. Condominium sale prices have increased even faster over the same period, by 35.7% or $150,000
OTHER DATA ON RESIDENTS:
There were 40 fatal Opioid overdoses in 2015 and 2016. Almost all (91%) were non-Hispanic people, and 72% were men. The median reported fatal overdose age was 37, vs. 31 for non-fatal overdoses (Source: City SPD)- Average student loan debt of recent graduates in 2015 was $30,100 (CNN)
- Younger voters are much less likely to vote in the municipal elections (see right, source: City Census data).
CITY FINANCES: Somerville has the second lowest revenue per
capita among larger communities in MA. (MA DOR DLS)
