New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Out of 39 cities and 312 towns in Massachusetts (351 total), New Bedford finished with the 7th lowest income in the state.
According to the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2013-17) via The Boston Globe, the median household income in New Bedford was $40,626 – beating out only Lawrence ($39,627), Fall River ($39,328), North Adams ($38,774), Holyoke ($37,954), Springfield ($37,118) and Monroe ($31,458).
One has to wonder how the city with the highest valued fishing port for 17 straight years can barely beat out Fall River and other towns with no comparable major industry. New Bedford brings in well over $300 million a year through its port, but as I’ve mentioned before, clearly the money doesn’t stay in the city.
According to the Census ACS 1-year survey, the median household income for Massachusetts was $77,385 in 2017. That means New Bedford households barely earn more than half the household income of the rest of the state.
The U.S. Census defines Median Household Income as “income of the householder and all other individuals 15 years old and over in the household, whether they are related to the householder or not.” Full definition here.
“Money goes to money” . That’s the saying.
Too bad it wasn’t written, “Some goes to the poor and needy, not all to the entitled and greedy.”