SomerStat

Somerville at a Glance is an introduction to Somerville's population, housing, education, transportation, and other demographic trends over time and compared to Massachusetts as a whole. 

SomerStat maintains the City’s Open Data Portal, which hosts datasets on a variety of topics including 311 requests, city services, mobility patterns, public safety, and public health.

New datasets or major updates since January 2026 include:

• 311 Service, Information, and Feedback Requests (UPDATED): This dataset now includes request topics generated from the text comments of the request.
• Applications for Permits and Licenses (UPDATED): This dataset now includes outdoor dining and patio seating information for restaurants.   
• Afterschool Needs Assessment Survey Responses (NEW): This is a survey dataset of afterschool needs of families of PK-6th grade students. This survey and other available data led to the increase in the number of full-time afterschool slots by 23% (244 seats). 
• Arts Space Needs Assessment Survey Responses (NEW): This is a survey dataset of artists who create work in or near Somerville, to better understand the current arts space landscape and identify gaps or unmet needs. This survey will help ensure that City spaces and initiatives are meeting community needs.
• Somerville Public Library Strategic Planning Survey 2025 Responses (NEW): This is a survey dataset of library users and non-library users regarding their use and satisfaction with the Somerville Public Library. This survey and other available data guided the development of the Somerville Public Library 2026-2030 Strategic Plan.

SomerStat, in coordination with subject matter experts within the City,  develops metrics and sources data to track progress toward long-term strategic plans like Somervision 2040.  

The Somerville Happiness Survey measures residents’ overall happiness and satisfaction with various aspects of life in Somerville. SomerStat has conducted the survey every two years since 2011. Questionnaires, data, and visualizations from 2011 to 2025 surveys are available on Somerville's Open Data Portal. 

SomerStat strives to collect, evaluate, interpret, store, and share data with respect for privacy, equity, and the public trust. We do this by:

• collecting data intentionally, using standardized and problem-specific tools to minimize burden on the community;
• critically evaluating data sources for accuracy, reliability, and representativeness;  
• using data strategically and alongside other sources of information, supporting decision-making while maintaining space for context, expertise, and community insight;
• releasing clean, easy-to-use datasets with accompanying exploratory tools, to lower technical barriers and increase usability;
• storing and sharing data without compromising individual privacy; and
• giving data collected from the community back to the community whenever possible.