Happening, historic home of America’s largest seaport
New Bedford, Massachusetts rose to fame in the 19th century as the world capital of the whaling industry. In 1841, author Herman Melville set sail from here for the whaling expedition that inspired his novel “Moby Dick.” It’s known as “the Whaling City” even now, but there’s more to this dynamic burg’s history than its maritime heyday. The area’s first inhabitants were Wampanoag Native Americans; their language is reflected in many of the city’s place names, including the Acushnet River, which runs along New Bedford’s east side. Abolitionist Frederick Douglass once lived on Elm Street and Ray Street (now Acushnet Avenue), in the West and North ends. There’s also a Civil War-era military fort on the city’s southernmost point, overlooking Buzzards Bay.
While New Bedford’s museums and parks celebrate its rich history, the city also embraces innovation. In 2021, New Bedford business leaders formed a free news media outlet called New Bedford Light. The city also launched the country’s first large-scale offshore wind farm in 2023 and a prototype is tethered to the ocean floor in its port cove. Inland, new inter-city rail service between New Bedford and Boston is underway in 2024, as is a feasibility study to build a salt marsh from scratch, giving the North End greater water access. Employment in New Bedford is still anchored in the sea. The Port of New Bedford has been the No. 1 commercial fishing port in the country since 2001. Other major employers include Southcoast Hospitals Group, Riverside Manufacturing, an apparel company, and Titleist, which operates a golf ball production plant in the North End.
New Bedford is known for it's thriving port economy and commercial fishing.
Downtown New Bedford has a continuously growing arts and entertainment scene.
Bars, arcades and more are waiting in New Bedford for all your nightlife needs.
Music among the bones makes First Friday at the New Bedford Whaling Museum an experience.
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Buttonwood Park Zoo, beaches in the South End and more
According to the Trust for Public Land, 97% of New Bedford residents live within a 10-minute walk of one of the city's 67 parks or greenspaces. On the west side, the 97-acre Buttonwood Park is a National Historic Register District, planned in the 1890s by famed landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Charles Eliot. The park’s terrain blends active and passive recreation areas, featuring a pond, an arboretum, sports facilities, a playground and a zoo. In 2017, the Buttonwood Park Zoo began work on a master plan to upgrade its facilities and exhibits over the next 15 years. Richard Leary, president of the Friends of Buttonwood Park, a nonprofit organization devoted to preserving and maintaining the park, says it’s the most-used park in New Bedford. He adds that the central greenspace, called the Great Lawn, is used for youth football, as well as a regular farmers market and the annual Whaling City Festival. “We’re the most popular park in the city in that we get the most foot traffic on a daily basis, but the other parks are great, too,” Leary says.
At Brooklawn Park, the Whaling City Youth Baseball League plays on eight diamonds adjacent to the city’s skateboard park. Local residents can purchase half-price passes to enjoy East Beach, West Beach and Fort Taber Beach along the South End peninsula between Clark’s Cove and Buzzards Bay. The nearby New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is the only national park that offers guided whaling tours. Year-round, all ages head to Andrea McCoy Recreation Center for art, music and exercise programs, and for a wilder escape, hiking is available along the Flora B. Pierce Trail in the Acushnet Cedar Swamp on the north side of the city.
Flowers bloom each spring and summer throughout New Bedford's many parks and playgrounds.
Buttonwood Park features one of several active greenhouses throughout New Bedford.
The Victory Park Children's Garden is a public garden available for free in New Bedford.
Stop into the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford and admire the unique wildlife there.
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Dockside seafood and Portuguese fare galore
New Bedford’s rank as the country’s No. 1 commercial fishing port means fresh seafood is plentiful here, available at popular eateries such as The Black Whale, on the downtown riverfront. Realtor Christine Medeiros of Kokopelli Realty, who has more than 20 years of experience working with clients in New Bedford, says that in addition to its robust seafood scene, the city is also known for its Portuguese fare. She says Inner Bay Café and Nuno’s Restaurant & Lounge are personal favorites, but they’re just two of the many options. Whaling City locals celebrate Portuguese heritage and culture annually with the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, a days-long festival at Madeira Field in the North End. It’s the biggest Portuguese Feast in the world, drawing crowds of more than 100,000.
Museums offer cultural inspiration, whether learning techniques at the Museum of Glass or appreciating local works at the New Bedford Art Museum. On the city’s southern tip, the Fort Taber-Fort Rodman Military Museum showcases Civil War artifacts in a restored military fort complex on the Buzzard Bay waterfront. To the far north, the New Bedford Free Public Library has a “funbrary” of loanable items, from musical instruments to microscopes. And of course, the New Bedford Whaling Museum downtown is dedicated to the history, science, culture and art of the international whaling industry.
Every year thousands flock to New Bedford to enjoy the famous Feast of the Blessed Sacrament.
Downtown New Bedford has a thriving brewery scene, with Moby Dick Brewery located at the center.
New Bedford's own PLAY Barcade is a local favorite where nostalgia meets stellar drinks.
At Tia Maria's in New Bedford, classic Portuguese pastries are served up fresh every day.
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Historic homes to new construction
The Massachusetts Association of Realtors reports that the median price for single-family homes in New Bedford was $400,000 between January and August 2024. That’s nearly a 10% increase from the same period in 2023, but well under the median for Massachusetts, which is $630,000. It’s only slightly under the U.S. median, which hovers around $416,700. The median sale price for condos is closer to $224,000. MAR reports, too, that homes here typically sell after 35 days on the market, three days slower than last year.
New Bedford is the state’s ninth-largest city, population-wise, and comprises more than 30 neighborhoods. Some, such as the Bedford Landing Waterfront District, feature homes built as early as 1810. Vintage Victorian and Greek Revival architecture graces New Bedford’s West End, and homes in the North End range from single-level bungalows and split-levels to Colonial-inspired 2000s-era Modern Transitional homes. Most of the city’s condo communities are in renovated historic buildings downtown or on the South End peninsula, which also features waterfront properties on Buzzards Bay or Clarks Cove.
New Bedford has maintained it's affordability throughout the past several years.
Single family homes in New Bedford can range between $300,000 and $650,000 depending on region.
New Bedford homes along the shoreline invoke a classic cape cod aesthetic.
New Bedford Public Schools earns a C-plus from Niche. The district serves more than 12,000 students across more than 20 schools, with an average student-teacher ratio of 11-to-1. There are 18 elementary schools in the city, several of which were built more than 100 years ago. In late 2023, the City Council approved the site purchase for a new South End Elementary School, which will replace two schools built in the early 20th century. New Bedford High School, which earns a B-minus from Niche, partners with University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for a dual enrollment program. The public university is less than 5 miles west of New Bedford. Originally established as the New Bedford Textile School in 1895, UMass Dartmouth now offers 120 undergraduate and more than 40 graduate programs.
Alfred J Gomes Elementary in New Bedford serves hundreds of families each school year.
Hayden McFadden Elementary School in New Bedford offers an 11:1 student-teacher ratio.
New Bedford High School scores a B on Niche and has a 14:1 student-teacher ratio.
Roosevelt Middle School in New Bedford has a newly built campus in the city.
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60 miles south of Boston
U.S. Route 6 and Interstate 195 run parallel to each other, east-west through the north side of the city. With no traffic, the 32-mile drive northwest to Providence can take less than 40 minutes on the interstate. Boston, about 60 miles north, is a nearly 90-minute drive away. "There will be a train station that connects from here to Boston soon," says Monica Donnelly, a Realtor with The Real Estate Collaborative who grew up in New Bedford, referring to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s South Coast Rail project. It's expected to be completed and open to the public by spring 2025. Within New Bedford, the Southeast Regional Transit Authority offers bus stops along major corridors such as Mount Pleasant Street and Acushnet Avenue. The small New Bedford Regional Airport offers Cape Air flights to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
New Bedford connects commuters directly to Providence and the Cape via I-195.
Downtown New Bedford has direct connection to major commuter arteries like Rt. 6.
New Bedford Regional Airport is a local airstrip less than a 30 minute flight to TF Green.
Local residents can house their small-prop aircraft at the New Bedford Regional Airport.
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Crime on the decline, flood insurance a must
FBI data reflects that 628 violent and 2,127 property crimes were reported in New Bedford in 2019. The statistics show that more crimes occur here than in neighboring areas such as Dartmouth and Westport, but the New Bedford Police Department reports that violent and property crimes are down by more than 50% over the past decade.
Because of its coastal location, flooding can be a concern in New Bedford, especially during rainstorms. This is why it has the largest manmade hurricane barrier on the East Coast. Hurricane evacuation route signage is posted on main roads throughout the city, and flood insurance is recommended in most neighborhoods and required in certain FEMA flood zones in order to obtain a mortgage.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
