Somerville, MA · standard

ZIP Code 02144

Middlesex County, Massachusetts - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

23,891
8,523/sq mi
$150,313
Median income
$988,800
Median home value
75.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Somerville pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a densely urban, renter-heavy area.

Top 4%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 3%
home value, US ZIPs
8,523
people per sq mi
37%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 02144 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 02144 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Somerville, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with 23,891 residents across 2.8 square miles, a density of 8,523 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 02144 skews affluent, with a median household income of $150,313 (30% above the Massachusetts average), while per-capita income is $83,033. 10.7% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 2.7%. The typical home here is valued at $988,800 (65% above the state average); renters pay a median of $2,702 monthly, and 36.6% of units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 75.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 31.8, and the average commute is 32 minutes. To put 02144 in local context, 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Middlesex County, for a geography-aware comparison.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 02144

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Somerville, MA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 02144.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 02144, Somerville, MA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

23,891

Population

2.8

Area (sq mi)

8,523

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 02144?

31.8

Median Age

48.5%

Male

51.5%

Female

15.9%

Foreign-Born

White 76.0%
African American 2.5%
Asian 10.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$150,313

Median Household Income

+30% vs state

$83,033

Per Capita Income

10.7%

Poverty Rate

2.7%

Unemployment Rate

31.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 02144 ranks nationally

Somerville, MA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$150,313 Top 4% higher than 96% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Below this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). This entry sits in this band. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. 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 · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 86.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 75.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

12,034

Total Housing Units

11,357

Occupied Units

677

Vacant Units

2.21

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 36.6%
Renter 63.4%

$988,800

Median Home Value

+65% vs state

$2,702

Median Rent

1938

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

-2.6%

YoY Change (2021)

287

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+187%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 02144 have decreased 2.6% over the past year (2021). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +187% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2017 +1.0% 252
2018 +12.6% 284
2019 +7.9% 307
2020 -3.9% 295
2021 -2.6% 287

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2021. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 417 business establishments in ZIP 02144, employing approximately 5,471 people with a combined annual payroll of $431,764,000.

417

Businesses

5,471

Employees

$431.8M

Annual Payroll

15

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 81 19.4%
Accommodation and food services 75 18.0%
Health care and social assistance 61 14.6%
Other services (except public administration) 44 10.6%
Retail trade 40 9.6%
Real estate and rental and leasing 24 5.8%
Construction 21 5.0%
Finance and insurance 17 4.1%
Information 14 3.4%
Manufacturing 7 1.7%
Wholesale trade 7 1.7%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 7 1.7%
Educational services 7 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 7 1.7%
Transportation and warehousing 3 0.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 02144 vs 02140 →

ZIP 02144 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 02144 ranks #8 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 02144 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 02144 ranks #2 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
02140 Cambridge, MA 17,607 0.8 mi
02138 Cambridge, MA 36,314 1.6 mi
02163 Boston, MA 2,582 2.4 mi
02155 Medford, MA 57,964 1.7 mi
02145 Somerville, MA 25,439 1.8 mi
02143 Somerville, MA 24,514 1.8 mi
02134 Allston, MA 21,503 3.0 mi
02474 Arlington, MA 26,312 2.2 mi
02139 Cambridge, MA 36,349 2.8 mi
02446 Brookline, MA 29,311 4.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Middlesex County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 02144 in?
ZIP code 02144 (Somerville) is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Middlesex County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/middlesex-ma.
What is the population of ZIP code 02144?
ZIP code 02144 in Somerville, MA has a population of 23,891 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 02144?
The median household income in ZIP 02144 is $150,313, which is 97% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 02144?
The median home value in ZIP 02144 is $988,800, which is 255% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 02144?
The largest racial group in ZIP 02144 is White at 76.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 02144?
ZIP code 02144 has 417 business establishments employing approximately 5,471 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 02144?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 02144 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (81), Accommodation and food services (75), Health care and social assistance (61). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 02144?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 02144 decreased by 2.6% in 2021. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 187%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 02144?
In ZIP code 02144, 86.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 75.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 02144?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 02144 is 31.6 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 02144?
In ZIP code 02144, approximately 36.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 63.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 02144?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 02144 is 10.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.