About Somerville, MA
Somerville is a city of about 80,000 people packed into 4.2 square miles directly north of Cambridge, making it one of the most densely populated cities in the United States. It is a city of distinct neighborhood squares, each with its own character. Davis Square anchors the northwest with walkable restaurants and a Red Line T stop; Union Square has been transformed by the Green Line Extension and new development; and East Somerville retains the working-class two- and three-family character that defined the city for most of its history. The hilltop campus of Tufts University sits on the Somerville-Medford border and is visible from many parts of the city.
The housing stock here is dominated by triple-deckers built between the 1880s and the 1920s, alongside two-family homes, attached rowhouses, and a growing number of condo conversions. Most homes were built before World War II, which means original or near-original foundations, narrow lots, and exterior surfaces that have been through many decades of New England winters. Home values have risen sharply in Somerville, with the median now above $700,000, meaning owners have real equity to protect and tend to invest in proper repairs rather than short-term patches.
Somerville sits directly on the Cambridge border, and we regularly serve properties in neighboring Cambridge, MA as well. The housing stock and permit processes across that border are closely related, and our local knowledge applies on both sides of it. If your property is in Somerville and you are not sure whether a job falls within the city or crosses into Cambridge, call us and we will confirm quickly.
