Somerset is a somewhat small coastal town (ie. on the ocean or tidally-influenced rivers) located in the state of Massachusetts. With a population of 18,234 people and two constituent neighborhoods, Somerset is the 97th largest community in Massachusetts.

Unlike some towns where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, Somerset is neither predominently one or the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Somerset is a town of sales and office workers, professionals, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Somerset who work in office and administrative support jobs (16.03%), sales jobs (13.08%), and management occupations (7.56%).

In addition, Somerset is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates." Urban sophisticates are educated, wealthy, executives and professionals, who have urbane tastes in books, food, and travel, whether they actually live in a big city, or choose to reside in a small town. In big or medium-sized cities, urban sophisticates tend to frequent art institutions such as opera, symphonies, ballet, live theatre, and museums.

Because of many things, Somerset is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Somerset a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The town's good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Somerset has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Somerset's overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

The town is also nautical, which means that parts of Somerset are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and tidal rivers. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

For most residents of Somerset, getting to work requires a car. In fact, 98.3% of people in Somerset drive alone to work on most days, making Somerset a very car-oriented town. In general, car-oriented communities tend to emphasize streets, highways, and ease of parking, often to the detriment of walkability. Strip centers are a feature of Somerset's landscape.

Somerset Information and Demographics

The overall education level of Somerset is somewhat higher than in the average US city of 14.96%: 19.69% of adults 25 and older in the town have at least a bachelor's degree.

The per capita income in Somerset in 2000 was $22,420, which is lower middle income relative to Massachusetts, and upper middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $89,680 for a family of four.

The people who call Somerset home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Somerset is White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Somerset include Portuguese, Irish, French, English, French Canadian, Italian, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in Somerset is English. Other important languages spoken here include Portuguese and French.