New Bedford, MA, known as 'The Whaling City,' offers a unique blend of historic charm and modern urban amenities. Located in Bristol County, New Bedford is a large city that serves as a major cultural and economic hub. Major nearby cities like Providence, RI (30 miles) and Boston (60 miles) enhance its status as a central point in the region. New Bedford's blend of scenic waterfronts, cultural festivals, and urban amenities creates a distinctive living experience.
New Bedford is home to several iconic landmarks, including the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the historic Seamen's Bethel, and the scenic Fort Taber Park. The city offers a variety of attractions, from the beautiful Buttonwood Park Zoo to the bustling New Bedford Art Museum, known for its exhibits and community programs. New Bedford's dining scene is diverse, offering everything from fresh seafood to international dishes.
Annual events such as the New Bedford Folk Festival and the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament highlight the city's vibrant cultural scene and provide unique entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors. These events celebrate New Bedford's rich cultural heritage and community spirit. Prestigious institutions like the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth contribute to the city's academic and cultural vibrancy, fostering a thriving intellectual community.
The arts and culture scene in New Bedford is dynamic and diverse, with numerous theaters, music venues, and art galleries. The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center and the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra are just a few of the cultural landmarks that showcase the city's commitment to the arts. Living in New Bedford provides ample opportunities to engage with art, music, and history, making it an exciting place to call home.
New Bedford’s community is welcoming and diverse, creating a friendly environment for newcomers. The city is home to professional sports teams like the New England Patriots (NFL) and the Boston Red Sox (MLB) in nearby Boston, providing plenty of excitement for sports fans. Major industries in New Bedford include healthcare, education, and fishing, with significant employers such as Southcoast Health and the New Bedford School District driving economic growth. The city has extensive public transit options, including buses and ferries, making commuting convenient and accessible...
Housing
High scores in the housing category are a distinguishing feature of this area, possibly driven by a favorable home affordability ratio, higher home values and appreciation rates.
Health & Safety
Good air quality as well as nearby health facilities like hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, fire and police stations all contribute to a higher than average health and safety score.
Amenities
The majority of amenities are not ideally located within walking distance. To access these amenities, residents may be required to rely on a vehicle or public transit.
Commute
A low commute score could be due to longer-than-average work commutes and the limited availability of public transportation in this area.
Crime
This area reports elevated crime rates per 100,000 individuals, potentially pointing some areas being unsafe for its residents. Stats are based on both property and violent crimes.
Located in the state of Massachusetts, New Bedford is a medium-sized city with a population of 95,355 residents. With a population density of 4,768 people per square mile, New Bedford is well above the nation's average density level. All the single ladies and all the single fellas might want to take notice as only 43% of the New Bedford population is married. On a daily basis, the typical American spends approximately 26 minutes on their one-way work commute. Reduced travel times not only contributes to increased overall happiness, but also affords more opportunities to cherish moments with family and friends. If you're living in New Bedford, your commute time will align closely with the national average, spanning a one-way duration of approximately 26 minutes.
Whether you’re relocating to a new area to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in New Bedford could be a positive experience compared to other cities in Massachusetts if you know where to search. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. With useful information like amenities, commute, health & safety and other key data points, finding the best places to live in New Bedford and in the areas around New Bedford is a much easier task.
New Bedford, MA receives 64/100 for its livability score; this results in a ranking of #181 in Massachusetts and #11,986 in the USA. There are nine total categories that generate the livability score. New Bedford scores well for housing (B-) There are some categories that New Bedford does not rank well for, including: amenities (F), crime (F), education (D) and employment (D). It might be worth taking a closer look to figure out why.
A healthy real estate market serves as a key economic indicator. It could signify overall local economic strength, stability and reflects consumer confidence in the area. Based on multiple factors including: median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability, New Bedford has received high marks in the housing category. Based on these calculations, the apartment rental and real estate market appears to be very healthy.
There are many factors that go into deciding if an area is the right fit for your lifestyle. Certain “must haves” like low crime, great schools and nearby amenities are all at the top of most people's lists. But before even considering if those options are attainable, we'll need to know if the real estate in New Bedford is actually affordable. The median home price for New Bedford homes is $239,000, which is 29.9% lower than the Massachusetts average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in New Bedford, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 4.9, which is 2.1% higher than the Massachusetts average.
| Statistic | New Bedford | Massachusetts | National |
| Average one way commute | 26min | 29min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 74.0% | 71.1% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 14.3% | 7.5% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 2.5% | 9.9% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.1% | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 4.6% | 4.9% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 3.2% | 4.7% | 4.6% |
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