Somerset is a medium-sized coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Massachusetts. With a population of 18,375 people and three associated neighborhoods, Somerset is the 110th largest community in Massachusetts.Unlike some towns where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Somerset is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Somerset is a town of professionals, sales and office workers, and managers. There are especially a lot of people living in Somerset who work in sales jobs (12.30%), healthcare (11.07%), and management occupations (10.61%). Also of interest is that Somerset has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US. One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 11.97% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes. Somerset is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, Somerset’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country. One of the nice things about Somerset is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities. In Somerset, however, the average commute to work is quite long. On average, people spend 30.98 minutes each day getting to work, which is significantly higher than the national average. The population of Somerset is very well educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation, where the average community has 21.84% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 37.57% of adults in Somerset have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree. The per capita income in Somerset in 2022 was $54,376, which is middle income relative to Massachusetts, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $217,504 for a family of four. The people who call Somerset home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Somerset residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Somerset include Portuguese, Irish, English, French, and Italian. The most common language spoken in Somerset is English. Other important languages spoken here include Portuguese and French.
