What it's like to live in Lynn
Lynn 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. Lynn deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and commute times longer than most cities.
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
- Above-average commute times
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
How Lynn compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lynn
Based on Lynn's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,444
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $68,880 a year
- 56% of Lynn renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$102,020
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $51,010
- Homes cost 6.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 22% above US
$1,722/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,722 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $510,100. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $510,100 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 16% above US
5.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.0%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 70% above US
561 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 1110/100k · Lynn Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 21% above US
32 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.5 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% take public transit; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 78°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 33% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
28 public schools inside the boundary
There are 28 public schools inside the boundary and 5 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 Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site (2 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lynn'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 ($1,722/mo) equals 28% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near Lynn
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