Best PlacesDowntown Lowell, Lowell, MA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around Downtown Lowell, Lowell, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. The coast is close, and the measures below put a number on how close. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
Downtown Lowell, Lowell ranks 3,150th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on walkability by a wide margin, and an overheated housing market is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in Downtown Lowell, Lowell
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
Downtown Lowell, Lowell's strengths and weaknesses
Where Downtown Lowell, Lowell ranks high
- WalkabilityBetter than 97% of neighborhoods
- Air qualityBetter than 95% of neighborhoods
- Cell coverageBetter than 95% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than 84% of neighborhoods
- TransitBetter than 78% of neighborhoods
Where Downtown Lowell, Lowell ranks low
- Housing crash safetyBetter than only 8% of neighborhoods
- Cheap childcare$1,897 a month, better than only 9% of neighborhoods
- Tree shadeBetter than only 10% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 61 pleasant days a year, better than only 11% of neighborhoods
- Short commute32.5 minutes each way, better than only 11% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in Downtown Lowell, Lowell
A household needs to earn about $95,000 a year to comfortably buy the median Downtown Lowell, Lowell home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $55,312, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses Downtown Lowell, Lowell's effective rate of 1.03%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 9 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in Downtown Lowell, Lowell
Downtown Lowell, Lowell runs younger than the country, and households here run smaller than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for Downtown Lowell, Lowell.
Who works in Downtown Lowell, Lowell, and how
Work in Downtown Lowell, Lowell centers on health care & social and professional & technical. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 65%
- Work from home 22%
- Transit, walk, or bike 14%
Life in Downtown Lowell, Lowell
Downtown Lowell, Lowell has more restaurants and bars per resident than 85% of neighborhoods. The coast is about 31 minutes away. That concentrates in some parts of Downtown Lowell, Lowell and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in Downtown Lowell, Lowell, month by month
Downtown Lowell, Lowell sees roughly 61 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 88 degrees. January highs sit near 40, with lows near 21. The comfortable stretch runs May through October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 30° | 21° |
| April | 61° | 48° | 37° |
| July | 88° | 75° | 64° |
| October | 67° | 55° | 45° |
Flying in and out of Downtown Lowell, Lowell
The nearest airport, Manchester Boston Regional, is about 21 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is General Edward Lawrence Logan International, about 25 miles away.
The best schools in and around Downtown Lowell, Lowell
Schools across Downtown Lowell, Lowell average a D+, better than 24% of neighborhoods.
Top elementary schools
- Lowell Community Charter Public SchoolC+ · 39% proficient
- Charlotte M Murkland ElementaryD+ · 25% proficient
- Rogers Stem AcademyD− · 15% proficient
Top middle schools
- Kathryn P. Stoklosa Middle SchoolD− · 17% proficient
- Henry J Robinson MiddleF · 9% proficient
Top high schools
- Lowell HighB− · 45% proficient
- The Career AcademyD+ · 25% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every Downtown Lowell, Lowell school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
Downtown Lowell, Lowell measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare Downtown Lowell, Lowell against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in Downtown Lowell, Lowell
Is Downtown Lowell, Lowell a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, Downtown Lowell, Lowell ranks 3,150th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on walkability, clean air, and cell coverage, and lowest on an overheated housing market and childcare costs. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is Downtown Lowell, Lowell expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $354,011. The overall cost of living runs about 11% above the national average. Set against a $55,312 median income, cost of living beats 14% of neighborhoods.
Is Downtown Lowell, Lowell safe?
Yes, Downtown Lowell, Lowell is safer than 75% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $341 per resident a year.
Compare Downtown Lowell, Lowell with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to Downtown Lowell, Lowell. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in Downtown Lowell, Lowell represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
Downtown Lowell, Lowell detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for Downtown Lowell, Lowell: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in Downtown Lowell, Lowell: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of Downtown Lowell, Lowell: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in Downtown Lowell, Lowell: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
Downtown Lowell, Lowell detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.