What it's like to live in Lowell
Lowell is a mid-size city in Massachusetts with air quality that stays clean most of the year and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lowell deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Clean air
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 59" per year
How Lowell compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lowell
Based on Lowell's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,250
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $65,000 a year
- 51% of Lowell renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$85,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $42,920
- Homes cost 5.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 15% above US
$1,625/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,625 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $429,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $429,200 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 19% above US
5.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.1%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 53% above US
505 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1393/100k · Lowell Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 18°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 17% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 30% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
29 public schools inside the boundary
There are 29 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Lowell National Historical Park (1 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lowell's strongest point is air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,625/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Lowell
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