Manchester vs Somerville
The short version
- Manchester is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 2% lower than in the Somerville area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $365,600 in Manchester and $911,300 in Somerville.
- Households earn more in Somerville ($132,572 vs $81,007 median).
- Somerville has the warmer winter: January highs of 37°F vs 32°F.
- Manchester gets far more snow: 68 inches a year vs 49.
- Somerville is growing faster: +4% since 2020 vs +1%.
- Commutes are shorter in Manchester (24 vs 31 minutes each way).
- New Hampshire has no state income tax on wages; Massachusetts's top rate is 9%.
Side by side
| Manchester, NH | Somerville, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 116,818 | 84,211 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1% | +4% |
| People per square mile | 3,532 | 20,440 |
| Median age | 38.0 | 31.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 69% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $81,007 | $132,572 |
| Median home value | $365,600 | $911,300 |
| Home value to income | 4.5× | 6.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,564 | $2,517 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 105.7 | 108.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 134.2 | 148.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $79,200 | $81,200 |
| Homeowners | 49% | 34% |
| Top state income tax | None | 9% |
| Combined sales tax | 0% | 6.25% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 23.9 | 31.0 |
| Work from home | 14% | 31% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 19% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.3% | 3% |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 9.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 32° / 13° | 37° / 23° |
| July high / low | 83° / 59° | 82° / 66° |
| Precipitation per year | 42 in | 44 in |
| Snowfall per year | 68 in | 49 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 14 | 14 |
| Nights below freezing | 165 | 92 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 89.8 | 96.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 85% | 71% |
| Home prices, past year | +4.8% | +2.8% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +52.4% | +39.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Manchester: May to September. Somerville: May to October.
Full monthly tables: Manchester weather by month and Somerville weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $79,200 in Manchester and $81,200 in Somerville. Moving from Manchester to Somerville, you would need about $76,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Manchester and Somerville
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Manchester and Somerville.
Which would you pick?
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