Population 1,035 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Somerville
Household size in Somerville
| Period | Somerville | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.89 | 2.73 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.01 | 2.82 | 2.68 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.86 | 2.86 | 2.68 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.09 | 2.77 | 2.62 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.20 | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Somerville is a place of big households: 3.09 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.89, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Somerville
| Period | Somerville | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.8 | 37.0 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.7 | 37.6 | 39.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.0 | 38.5 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.4 | 39.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.6 | +2.2 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.4, Somerville is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Somerville
| Period | Somerville | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 11.3% | 11.1% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.5% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 10.4% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 10.4% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.7% of households in Somerville, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Somerville
Renters in Somerville
| Period | Somerville | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 34.0% | 31.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 36.6% | 33.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 36.8% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 36.3% | 32.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Somerville is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 5.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 37.5% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Somerville
| Period | Somerville | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 8.7% | 10.3% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 7.3% | 10.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 6.6% | 9.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 5.9% | 8.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Somerville: just 3.2% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Somerville
| Period | Somerville | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1986 | 1977 | 1978 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1978 | 1980 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1993 | 1979 | 1981 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1982 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Somerville has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1993, versus 1980 nationally.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Somerville
| Period | Somerville | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,343 | $1,470 | $1,143 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,158 | $1,583 | $1,238 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,782 | $1,907 | $1,436 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,543 | $2,236 | $1,743 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$199 | +$766 | +$600 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Somerville costs $1,543 a month with utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in the Washington area as a whole ($2,236). The typical renter here spends 22.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Somerville
Bachelor's degrees in Somerville
| Period | Somerville | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.4% | 46.6% | 35.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.3% | 48.2% | 36.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.6% | 51.0% | 39.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.4% | 53.9% | 42.5% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.1 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Somerville as nationally: 38.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in the Washington area overall (53.9%).
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Somerville
| Period | Somerville | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.6% | 89.4% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.7% | 90.2% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.8% | 90.8% | 89.9% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.2% | 91.2% | 91.6% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +1.7 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Somerville is a bit above the national rate: 92.2% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across the Washington area.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Somerville
| Period | Somerville | Washington area | Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 5.9% | 6.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.9% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.4% | 4.8% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.8 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Somerville has been low: just 1.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Somerville compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerville | 3.09 | 45.4 | 4.7% | 5.1% | 3.2% | 1993 | $1,543 | 38.4% | 92.2% | 1.4% |
| Goldvein | 3.25 | 37.9 | 2.4% | 11.9% | 11.2% | 1988 | $1,742 | 22.4% | 93.0% | 2.6% |
| Midland | 3.19 | 38.1 | 12.5% | 17.5% | 5.3% | 1985 | $1,184 | 22.2% | 85.6% | 1.5% |
| Sumerduck | 2.74 | 41.3 | 10.4% | 22.8% | 4.5% | 1985 | $1,450 | 21.2% | 91.0% | 5.5% |
| Ruby | 3.07 | 24.2 | 3.5% | 96.6% | 9.2% | 1997 | $2,311 | 56.0% | 100.0% | 5.9% |
| Aden | 3.68 | 45.8 | 7.7% | 12.2% | 5.6% | 1992 | $3,126 | 31.3% | 96.4% | 4.4% |
| Garrisonville | 3.07 | 24.2 | 3.5% | 96.6% | 9.2% | 1997 | $2,311 | 56.0% | 100.0% | 5.9% |
| Catlett | 2.74 | 44.6 | 11.9% | 19.9% | 11.6% | 1980 | $1,808 | 40.3% | 94.0% | 0.8% |
| Calverton | 2.42 | 53.2 | 10.7% | 21.3% | 11.2% | 1975 | $1,115 | 40.5% | 91.1% | 0.0% |
| Stafford | 3.24 | 35.5 | 9.1% | 19.3% | 4.9% | 1998 | $2,181 | 45.1% | 91.9% | 4.0% |
| Hartwood | 3.24 | 39.3 | 9.0% | 8.3% | 2.4% | 1993 | $1,493 | 42.0% | 94.5% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Arabi, GA · Wilcox, PA · Bowlegs, OK · Bondville, VT · Blue Hill, NE · Wilmington, NY · Winn, MI · Bevier, MO · Bernard, IA · Bastrop Beach, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Somerville. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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