What is the Best Neighborhoods USA ranking for North Dorchester?
North Dorchester is ranked #9 of 20 eligible neighborhoods in Boston; #205 of 259 eligible neighborhoods in MA; and #10,297 of 14,967 eligible neighborhoods in the United States.
Neighborhood Profile
North Dorchester
Boston, MA | Suffolk County
Scored premium profile
Best Neighborhoods USA Index
42.3
Stability and Strength
48.3
Value Opportunity
39.7
Momentum
36.3
Score note: Rankings show denominators so users always see the size of the eligible cohort.
| Context | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Boston, MA |
| County | Suffolk County |
| National rank | #10,297 of 14,967 |
| State rank | #205 of 259 |
| City rank | #9 of 20 |
| County rank | #9 of 20 |
| National percentile | 31.2 |
| National band | MIDDLE_50_PERCENT |
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Housing and local fundamentals
| Housing and market metrics | Value |
|---|---|
| Current Zillow home value | $906,193 |
| Year-over-year home value change | 0.4% |
| Month-over-month home value change | -0.60% |
| Home value to income ratio | 9.32 |
| Median household income | $97,192 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.4% |
| Civilian unemployment rate | 6.8% |
| Homeownership rate | 35.6% |
| Housing vacancy rate | 7.3% |
| Rent burden 30% or higher | 50.6% |
How to read this profile
- Ranks are always shown with denominators.
- Momentum reflects both year-over-year and month-over-month housing change.
- Stability and Strength and Value Opportunity are governed composite scores.
- Identity composition is descriptive intelligence and is not a scoring component.
Questions and Answers
Questions About Living in North Dorchester
Is North Dorchester one of the best neighborhoods in Boston?
North Dorchester has a Best Neighborhoods USA Index of 42.3 and a city ranking of #9 of 20 eligible neighborhoods in Boston.
How much are homes worth in North Dorchester?
The current Zillow Home Value Index for North Dorchester is approximately $906,193.
Are home values rising or falling in North Dorchester?
Zillow neighborhood values changed 0.4% year over year and -0.60% month over month.
What is the Neighborhood Momentum Score for North Dorchester?
North Dorchester has a Neighborhood Momentum Score of 36.3. Momentum is 70% year-over-year and 30% month-over-month Zillow housing change.
What is the median household income in North Dorchester?
The NDS-derived neighborhood median household income is approximately $97,192.
How affordable is North Dorchester relative to household income?
The current Zillow home-value-to-household-income ratio is 9.32. Price-to-income affordability is a major Value Opportunity input.
Is North Dorchester primarily homeowners or renters?
The NDS-derived homeownership rate is approximately 35.6%.
What is the unemployment rate in North Dorchester?
The NDS-derived civilian unemployment rate is approximately 6.8%.
How educated are residents of North Dorchester?
Approximately 48.4% of residents age 25 and older are estimated to have a bachelor's degree or higher.
What share of renters in North Dorchester face high rent burden?
Approximately 50.6% of the applicable renter-household universe is estimated to spend 30% or more of household income on gross rent.
How does Best Neighborhoods USA score North Dorchester?
The overall index combines 40% Stability and Strength, 35% Value Opportunity, and 25% Momentum. Race, ethnicity, and identity composition are not scoring components.
Governed ranking context
How this neighborhood ranks
HMDA Mortgage Intelligence
Neighborhood Mortgage Market
Modeled neighborhood-level mortgage activity allocated from governed HMDA tract data using Zillow neighborhood geometry. These neighborhood values are nonadditive and do not enter the Best Neighborhoods USA Index.
Activity year2024
Estimated applications443
Estimated originations256
Home-purchase applications255
Origination rate57.8%
Home-purchase share57.5%
Average application loan$571,095
Total application loan amount$253,056,845
National application rank#663 of 14,874 rankable neighborhoods
Geometry coverage98.5%
Recent trend: Applications 11.5% YoY; originations 13.8% YoY
Mortgage methodology
HMDA is natively reported at tract and other lender-reporting geographies, not Zillow neighborhood or ZIP geography. This module uses the certified NDS HMDA-to-Zillow tract-vintage crosswalk and area-weighted allocation. Rankings require governed geometry coverage. Applicant demographics are excluded. Neighborhood values may overlap and must not be summed to reconstruct ZIP or national totals.