Cambridge, MA
Census place 2511000 · pop 118,796
Home of both Harvard University and MIT, making it one of the world's densest concentrations of higher education.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
33.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$1,092,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$3,621/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.50 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
96/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2051 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
321 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+1.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
12.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.5% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.0% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
37 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$130,748 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.44% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
15.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
7.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
21.9% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
3.8% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
80.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Frequently asked
- Is Cambridge, MA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Cambridge scores 52/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is bachelor's degree or higher and its weakest is homeownership. Massachusetts overall ranks #34 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Cambridge, MA?
- Cambridge reports 321 violent crimes per 100k and 2051 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Cambridge, MA expensive to live in?
- Cambridge has a median home value of $1,092,100 and typical rent around $3,621/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Cambridge, MA?
- Its weakest measured area is homeownership (33.5%) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Cambridge, MA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is bachelor's degree or higher (80.8%) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of both Harvard University and MIT, making it one of the world's densest concentrations of higher education.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.