What it's like to live in New Bedford
New Bedford is a mid-size city in Massachusetts with rent below the national average, 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. New Bedford deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Clean air
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
How New Bedford compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to New Bedford
Based on New Bedford's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,274
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,480 a year
- 51% of New Bedford renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$71,460
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $35,730
- Homes cost 6.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 20% below US
$1,137/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,137 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $357,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $357,300 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 49% above US
6.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 6.4%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
345 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1558/100k · New Bedford Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 5% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 23°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 53% below US
17% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
27 public schools inside the boundary
There are 27 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12:1, 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 New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (2 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
New Bedford's strongest points are rent below the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,137/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
See all the data for New Bedford →·All Massachusetts cities →
Other places near New Bedford
All Massachusetts guides →Moving to Fall River →
9 mi away · pop. 94,082
Rent $1,155/mo · Income $56,673
Compare with New Bedford →Moving to Somerset →
12 mi away · pop. 18,298
Rent $1,271/mo · Income $112,677
Compare with New Bedford →Moving to Taunton →
19 mi away · pop. 60,433
Rent $1,324/mo · Income $79,283
Compare with New Bedford →Moving to Bridgewater Town →
22 mi away · pop. 28,471
Rent $2,092/mo · Income $112,651
Compare with New Bedford →Not sure New Bedford is the one?
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