Should I Move To
Lawrence, Massachusetts comes in at about 88,067 residents. Cost of living comes out expensive — 23% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,502/mo, and the median household income is about $53,977. Overall, 60/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C+, putting it at #139 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 123 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's expensive territory. With median rent at $1,502/mo and median household income at $53,977, housing takes about 33% of gross income — a bit above the 30% rule, meaning housing is on the tight side for the median household. Homes typically value around $370,600.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect four-season weather — summers near 80°F, winters around 26°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 44 inches annually. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car. On crime, it scores well — incidents per capita run noticeably under the national average. Air quality reads good (AQI 30).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Lawrence is a tougher sell for families. It earns 53/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Strongest on environmental quality (97/100); weakest on job market (5/100).
On the retirees profile, Lawrence sits squarely in the middle. It earns 66/100 (grade B-) on the retirees profile. Strongest on environmental quality (97/100); weakest on job market (5/100).
On the remote workers profile, Lawrence sits squarely in the middle. It earns 63/100 (grade C+) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on environmental quality (97/100); weakest on job market (5/100).
Lawrence is a tougher sell for young professionals. It earns 46/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on environmental quality (97/100); weakest on job market (5/100).
Lawrence, Massachusetts pulls a 60/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C+), currently ranked #139 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Lawrence's cost-of-living index is 123 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 23% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,502/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 80°F, winter averages around 26°F, with about 44 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 82/100. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car.
Lawrence has about 88,067 residents, 15% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 32.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Lawrence head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Lawrence stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Lawrence with other Massachusetts cities scored on UrbRank.
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