Living in Boston, MA

Boston's crime numbers hover right around the U.S. average. Violent crime index: 86. Property crime index: 64. The national baseline for both is 100, so you're looking at a city that's neither notably safe nor notably dangerous on paper. In practice, where you live within the city shifts the picture dramatically — a 10-minute drive can mean a completely different experience. Check local crime maps. Source: FBI UCR.

Most households manage fine. Median rent in Boston is $2,093/month, and the typical household pulls in $94,755/year — a 26.5% rent-to-income ratio. That's under the 30% threshold where housing costs start to pinch, though not by a huge margin. If you're a single earner or have significant debt payments, run your own numbers carefully. For dual-income households, the math works out comfortably. Census ACS 2023.

The average commute in Boston runs 25 minutes, which is moderate. 34.1% of commuters drive solo, contributing to peak-hour congestion. 24.0% use transit, and 18.8% work from home. Rush hour on major corridors will add 10-15 minutes on top of the average, so plan your route before you pick a neighborhood.

Not particularly. The climate risk score is 24/100, which puts Boston in the low-risk tier. Flood, Winter Storm, and Hurricane are the most relevant hazards, but none of them are frequent concerns. Standard insurance should have you covered. It's one less thing to worry about if you're comparing this city to higher-risk metros along the coast or in tornado alley. Data from FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA.

For most families, yes. Graduation rates run at 88.0% with a 12:1 student-teacher ratio, which is respectable. The best schools in Boston compete with any in the state, though weaker ones pull the city-wide average down. If schools drive your housing decision, focus on specific attendance zones — the right neighborhood makes all the difference.

Several factors converge: Boston's average utility bill is $283/month, a full $53 above the national average of $230. Climate extremes are often the biggest driver — running AC all summer or heat all winter adds up fast. Older homes with poor insulation make it worse. If you're moving here, factor utility costs into your monthly budget alongside rent. It's a real line item.

Good, overall. The median AQI sits at 40, which falls within the EPA's "Good" category, and Boston logs 275 clean-air days annually. PM2.5 is the main pollutant. Occasional spikes happen — wildfire smoke, temperature inversions, or high-ozone days — but they're the exception, not the rule. Check AirNow.gov during allergy season or summer heat waves.

Higher than average, yes. The total effective tax rate lands around 12.4% when you add up income, property, and sales taxes. Sales tax is 6.3%. High-tax areas often come with better public schools, infrastructure, and services — but that's not guaranteed, and it's cold comfort on payday. If you're moving from a low-tax state like Texas or Florida, brace for a noticeable dip in take-home pay.

Mostly, yes. The system scores 81/100, with 0 health-based violations on record and a "medium" lead risk rating. That's a solid track record. Most residents drink tap water without issues. If you're in an older building with pre-1986 plumbing, a basic filter is a cheap precaution. For detailed contaminant info, check EWG's Tap Water Database.

Everything on this page is built from public government sources: rent and income figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023); commute and transportation data from Census ACS tables B08303 and B08006; crime rates from the FBI Uniform Crime Report; climate risk assessments using FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA storm records; air quality measurements from the EPA's Air Quality System database; water quality compliance data from EPA records and the EWG Tap Water Database; school data from the National Center for Education Statistics; utility cost estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. We refresh each dataset monthly through an automated pipeline and cross-check for anomalies. No surveys, no user-submitted guesses — just official federal data presented in a way that's actually useful for people researching a move.