What is the Best Neighborhoods USA ranking for South Dorchester?
South Dorchester is ranked #15 of 20 eligible neighborhoods in Boston; #224 of 259 eligible neighborhoods in MA; and #11,589 of 14,967 eligible neighborhoods in the United States.
Neighborhood Profile
South Dorchester
Boston, MA | Suffolk County
Scored premium profile
Best Neighborhoods USA Index
38.0
Stability and Strength
42.1
Value Opportunity
33.1
Momentum
38.3
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 | #11,589 of 14,967 |
| State rank | #224 of 259 |
| City rank | #15 of 20 |
| County rank | #15 of 20 |
| National percentile | 22.6 |
| National band | LOWER_25_PERCENT |
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Housing and local fundamentals
| Housing and market metrics | Value |
|---|---|
| Current Zillow home value | $822,346 |
| Year-over-year home value change | 0.2% |
| Month-over-month home value change | -0.32% |
| Home value to income ratio | 10.36 |
| Median household income | $79,387 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.2% |
| Civilian unemployment rate | 7.5% |
| Homeownership rate | 42.9% |
| Housing vacancy rate | 5.8% |
| Rent burden 30% or higher | 52.5% |
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 South Dorchester
Is South Dorchester one of the best neighborhoods in Boston?
South Dorchester has a Best Neighborhoods USA Index of 38.0 and a city ranking of #15 of 20 eligible neighborhoods in Boston.
How much are homes worth in South Dorchester?
The current Zillow Home Value Index for South Dorchester is approximately $822,346.
Are home values rising or falling in South Dorchester?
Zillow neighborhood values changed 0.2% year over year and -0.32% month over month.
What is the Neighborhood Momentum Score for South Dorchester?
South Dorchester has a Neighborhood Momentum Score of 38.3. Momentum is 70% year-over-year and 30% month-over-month Zillow housing change.
What is the median household income in South Dorchester?
The NDS-derived neighborhood median household income is approximately $79,387.
How affordable is South Dorchester relative to household income?
The current Zillow home-value-to-household-income ratio is 10.36. Price-to-income affordability is a major Value Opportunity input.
Is South Dorchester primarily homeowners or renters?
The NDS-derived homeownership rate is approximately 42.9%.
What is the unemployment rate in South Dorchester?
The NDS-derived civilian unemployment rate is approximately 7.5%.
How educated are residents of South Dorchester?
Approximately 36.2% of residents age 25 and older are estimated to have a bachelor's degree or higher.
What share of renters in South Dorchester face high rent burden?
Approximately 52.5% 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 South 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 applications1,348
Estimated originations702
Home-purchase applications575
Origination rate52.0%
Home-purchase share42.6%
Average application loan$452,701
Total application loan amount$610,318,003
National application rank#103 of 14,874 rankable neighborhoods
Geometry coverage100.0%
Recent trend: Applications 15.4% YoY; originations 12.9% 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.