What kinds of homes are in Somerville, MA?

Name: Types of homes in Somerville, MA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Somerville, MA has 37,756 (±837) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 9,164 homes per square mile of land.

10.5% are detached single-family houses.

55.2% are in buildings of two to four units.

29.9% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 37,756 (±837)
Detached houses: 10.5%
2–4 unit buildings: 55.2%
5+ unit buildings: 29.9%

Homes in Somerville by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Somerville	Middlesex County	Massachusetts	United States
Single-family, detached	10.5% (±1.2 points)	46.5%	51.1%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	4.3% (±0.7 points)	6.9%	5.9%	6.2%
2 units	28.2% (±1.7 points)	12.2%	9.3%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	27.0% (±1.8 points)	8.5%	10.7%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	8.4% (±1.0 points)	4.7%	5.7%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	5.1% (±1.0 points)	5.1%	4.2%	4.3%
20 or more units	16.4% (±1.4 points)	15.7%	12.3%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.1% (±0.2 points)	0.4%	0.8%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.0% (±0.1 points)	0.1%	0.0%	0.1%

In Somerville, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is higher than in Middlesex County (25.5%).

It is also higher than in Massachusetts (22.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Somerville

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Somerville
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Somerville	—	29.9% (±2.0 points)	—
Cambridge	1.3 mi	54.6% (±1.8 points)	Higher
Medford	2.3 mi	25.0% (±2.1 points)	Lower
Everett	2.6 mi	21.8% (±3.0 points)	Lower
Malden	3.4 mi	34.7% (±2.7 points)	Higher
Chelsea	3.6 mi	43.6% (±3.6 points)	Higher
Arlington (community)	3.8 mi	24.9% (±2.9 points)	Lower
Arlington	3.8 mi	24.9% (±2.9 points)	Lower
Belmont (community)	4.1 mi	10.2% (±2.0 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Medford, MA (25.0%), Everett, MA (21.8%), Arlington (community), MA (24.9%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Cambridge, MA (54.6%), Malden, MA (34.7%), Chelsea, MA (43.6%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Middlesex County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	Cambridge	54.6% (±1.8 points)
2	Lowell	35.4% (±2.3 points)
3	Malden	34.7% (±2.7 points)
4	Boxborough	34.3% (±9.7 points)
5	Framingham	31.7% (±2.5 points)
6	Waltham	31.1% (±3.0 points)
7 (tie)	Somerville	29.9% (±2.0 points)
7 (tie)	Watertown	29.9% (±3.1 points)
7 (tie)	Stoneham	29.9% (±3.8 points)
10	Marlborough	28.7% (±3.4 points)
11	Natick	28.2% (±3.4 points)
12	Melrose	27.5% (±3.5 points)
13 (tie)	Medford	25.0% (±2.1 points)

Showing 13 of 54 places in Middlesex County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Somerville

How many homes are in Somerville?

Somerville, MA has an estimated 37,756 (±837) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Somerville houses or apartments?

10.5% are detached houses and 4.3% attached houses, while 85.1% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Somerville?

55.2% of homes in Somerville are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Somerville city, Massachusetts

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Somerville city, Massachusetts (place:62535, in state:25).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.