# Where Should You Live in Somerville: Davis, Union, Porter, or Another Square?
Key Takeaways
•The short answer: Choose Davis or Porter for existing Red Line access and established neighborhood life. Choose Union Square only if you will own long term, can live through construction, and price the home on what exists today.
•The myth: Davis and Porter are clearly worth paying more for.
•The reality: Published market reports cover Somerville as a whole, not individual squares, so any Davis/Porter premium comes from residents' opinions. Your agent can pull nearby sales for a specific address.
•The bottom line: Compare recent sales near each address, and walk each square at commute hour before you offer.
Which Somerville Square Fits Your Life?
Comparing Davis, Porter, and Union Square means weighing established convenience against possible future change. It is a quality-of-life decision, not a flip.
Locals often rank Davis and Porter first for commute and restaurants, though some residents call homes there run-down and overpriced. A late-September Apartments.com listing for a three-bedroom condo at 20 Belmont St described itself as "near Porter, Davis and Union Square." Buyers clearly compare all three at once.
According to Repliers / MLSPIN, Somerville's median condo sold for $764,000 in August. Single-family homes had a median sale price of $1,515,250. Your home type may shape your budget more than the square.
Median Sold Price by Property Type — Somerville, August 2026
Comparison of median sold prices across Somerville property types using MLS-derived August 2026 market data.
| Series | Label | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Median sold price | Single-family | $1,515,250 |
| Median sold price | Condo | $764,000 |
| Median sold price | Mixed | $1,002,500 |
Source:Repliers / MLSPIN
What Do Davis and Porter Offer?
Pros
•The Red Line is already running, so you are not waiting on future transit.
•Davis Square is one of the city's most walkable areas.
•Daily life is established, from the Crystal Ballroom to Spoke Wine Bar, a 2026 James Beard semifinalist noted by The Boston Home Team.
Cons
•Older homes may need work. Weak curb appeal (how a home looks from the street) can point to bigger repair costs.
•Commutes vary. One Reddit local said, "It can be a 15 minute ride or a 45 minute ride at worst."
What this means for you: Davis and Porter suit buyers who want transit and neighborhood life from day one. That case rests on quality of life, not proof that homes there hold more value.
What Has Union Square's $2 Billion Redevelopment Delivered?
Pros
•The Somerville Times reports the first phase of the $2 billion plan is complete, including the Green Line Extension station.
•The Somerville Times also reports a $36 million one-time public benefit and about $4 million a year in new taxes.
•According to The Somerville Times, Prospect Union Square added 450 apartments, 20% of them affordable.
Cons
•The Somerville Times reports the 196,500 square foot lab building at 10 Prospect is still vacant.
•According to The Somerville Times, the finished block covers 25.3% of the master plan, which is about 60% commercial. Most of the plan is unbuilt, and much of it is not housing.
What this means for you: Union Square has a working station and new homes, but most of its build-out is still a plan. Expect years of construction.
What Should You Check Beyond the Square Name?
Before you offer, confirm which school serves the exact address with Somerville Public Schools.
Compare a home's assessed value (the city's estimate for taxes) with its market value (what buyers are actually paying). The two can be far apart.
What Are the Strongest Arguments Against This Advice?
•"The Davis/Porter premium is opinion." Fair. It comes from resident reports, not square-by-square sales data. Ask your agent to pull recent sales from the MLS (the listing database agents use) near each address.
•"Union Square's upside is already priced in, or may stall." Both are possible. Without sales data by square, a buyer can't tell whether prices already include the upside. The station and 450 apartments are finished, but the vacant lab shows commercial demand is unproven. Price a Union Square home on what exists today.
•"Dining is moving east." New openings in Teele and near Union suggest so. But restaurants make a neighborhood nicer to live in; they don't reliably push home prices up. East Somerville still has poor walking access to Assembly Row.
How Should You Choose?
Choose Davis or Porter if you want existing Red Line access and established neighborhood life right away, knowing commute times still vary.
Choose Union Square if you plan to own long term and accept that most of the master plan is unbuilt. You are paying for today's station and homes, not promises.
Consider Teele or Magoun if you want options beyond the three main squares; Teele suits buyers drawn to its newer restaurants.
Older homes may have another angle. Mass.gov says the Affordable Homes Act allows accessory dwelling units (ADUs), small extra units on the same lot, in many cases. Confirm Somerville's current rules and any financing options for a specific property with the city or your agent.
As of August, condos had 8.7 months of supply (how long it would take to sell every listing at the current pace). Other property types, which the MLS groups as "mixed," had 8.6 months, versus 6.7 months for single-family homes. That gives buyers of condos and other property types more room to negotiate.
Months of Supply by Property Type — Somerville, August 2026
Inventory depth by Somerville property segment, measured in months of supply as of August 2026.
| Series | Label | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Months of supply | Single-family | 6.7 months |
| Months of supply | Condo | 8.7 months |
| Months of supply | Mixed | 8.6 months |
Source:Repliers / MLSPIN
