New Bedford, MA, known as 'The Whaling City,' offers a unique blend of historic charm and modern urban amenities. Located in Bristol County, New Bedford is a large city that serves as a major cultural and economic hub. Major nearby cities like Providence, RI (30 miles) and Boston (60 miles) enhance its status as a central point in the region. New Bedford's blend of scenic waterfronts, cultural festivals, and urban amenities creates a distinctive living experience.
New Bedford is home to several iconic landmarks, including the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the historic Seamen's Bethel, and the scenic Fort Taber Park. The city offers a variety of attractions, from the beautiful Buttonwood Park Zoo to the bustling New Bedford Art Museum, known for its exhibits and community programs. New Bedford's dining scene is diverse, offering everything from fresh seafood to international dishes.
Annual events such as the New Bedford Folk Festival and the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament highlight the city's vibrant cultural scene and provide unique entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors. These events celebrate New Bedford's rich cultural heritage and community spirit. Prestigious institutions like the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth contribute to the city's academic and cultural vibrancy, fostering a thriving intellectual community.
The arts and culture scene in New Bedford is dynamic and diverse, with numerous theaters, music venues, and art galleries. The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center and the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra are just a few of the cultural landmarks that showcase the city's commitment to the arts. Living in New Bedford provides ample opportunities to engage with art, music, and history, making it an exciting place to call home.
New Bedford’s community is welcoming and diverse, creating a friendly environment for newcomers. The city is home to professional sports teams like the New England Patriots (NFL) and the Boston Red Sox (MLB) in nearby Boston, providing plenty of excitement for sports fans. Major industries in New Bedford include healthcare, education, and fishing, with significant employers such as Southcoast Health and the New Bedford School District driving economic growth. The city has extensive public transit options, including buses and ferries, making commuting convenient and accessible...
Housing
High scores in the housing category are a distinguishing feature of this area, possibly driven by a favorable home affordability ratio, higher home values and appreciation rates.
Health & Safety
Good air quality as well as nearby health facilities like hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, fire and police stations all contribute to a higher than average health and safety score.
Ratings
Based on recent surveys and polls, locals gave high marks in the walkability to local amenities, safety, public transit, friendliness of neighbors and overall sense of community in the area.
Amenities
The majority of amenities are not ideally located within walking distance. To access these amenities, residents may be required to rely on a vehicle or public transit.
Commute
A low commute score could be due to longer-than-average work commutes and the limited availability of public transportation in this area.
Located in the state of Massachusetts, New Bedford is a moderately-sized city with a population of 97,315 residents. New Bedford has a population density of 4,866 people per square mile. This would be considered well above the national population density level. All the single ladies and all the single fellas might want to take notice as only 43% of the New Bedford population is married. The average American spends about 26 minutes on their one way commute to work each day. Lower travel times can increase overall happiness and allow for more time to be spent with family and friends. While living in New Bedford, your commute times will be about average, with a one way commute time of 26 minutes.
Are you trying to decide if living in New Bedford is the right fit for your lifestyle? To ensure a fulfilling experience before moving to any new city in Massachusetts, you will probably want to make sure that you check all of the most important boxes. Several key factors deserve attention. For one, safety is paramount, ensuring that your new area is low in crime is key. Proximity to workplaces or schools minimizes commute times and fosters convenience. Access to essential amenities like parks, grocery stores, food, fitness, shops and healthcare facilities enhances daily life. Efficient public transportation options provide mobility and connectivity. The sense of community creates a welcoming and supportive environment. Lastly, the overall atmosphere, encompassing the vibe, aesthetics, and lifestyle offerings, contributes to a fulfilling living experience. Considering these elements helps identify the ideal neighborhood for your needs and preferences. With useful information like amenities, commute, health & safety, housing and other key data points, finding the best places to live in New Bedford and in the areas around New Bedford is a much easier task.
With a livability score of 65 out of 100, New Bedford is ranked #11,820 in the United States and #177 in Massachusetts. If we dig a little deeper into each category within the livability score, we see that New Bedford has higher than average scores for the following: housing (B+). There are some categories that New Bedford ranks poorly for, including: amenities (F), crime (F), education (D) and employment (D). It might be worth taking a closer look to figure out why.
A healthy real estate market serves as a key economic indicator. It could signify overall local economic strength, stability and reflects consumer confidence in the area. Based on multiple factors including: median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability, New Bedford has received high marks in the housing category. Based on these calculations, the apartment rental and real estate market appears to be very healthy.
Being close to public transit, grocery stores, parks and other conveniences are all important when weighing your options for a new home in New Bedford. Before you determine if any of these amenities are available in the area, you will also want to know if the real estate prices in New Bedford are affordable. The median home price for New Bedford homes is $418,440, which is 33% lower than the Massachusetts average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in New Bedford, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 5.8, which is 1.7% lower than the Massachusetts average.
| Statistic | New Bedford | Massachusetts | National |
| Average one way commute | 26min | 29min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 74.0% | 71.1% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 14.3% | 7.5% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 2.5% | 9.9% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 0.1% | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 4.6% | 4.9% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 3.2% | 4.7% | 4.6% |
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