Compare towns
Boston vs Milton vs Cambridge
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Boston has the most affordable homes ($732k median).
Milton has the most homeowners (85.2%).
Cambridge has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.6%).
Cambridge is a college town. 25.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Boston | Milton | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 666,442Highest |
28,587Lowest |
118,796 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% MA: +7.4% |
+6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+12.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.3±0.2 17% below MA |
41.1±1.8Highest about the MA average |
30.4±0.4Lowest 24% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 15.1%±0.3 MA: 19.4% |
25.3%±2.2Highest MA: 19.4% |
12.4%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 13%±0.3 MA: 17.9% |
16.1%±1.8Highest MA: 17.9% |
12.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 54.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
71.9% MA: 47.3% |
80.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 15%±0.3 MA: 7.9% |
9.7%±1.1Lowest MA: 7.9% |
25.1%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA |
$188,529±$15kHighest 81% above MA |
$130,748±$4k 26% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $731,700±$10kLowest 30% above MA |
$933,200±$31k 66% above MA |
$1,092,100±$42kHighest 94% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,147±$25 22% above MA |
$1,474±$281Lowest 16% below MA |
$2,787±$48Highest 58% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,456Lowest 26% below MA |
$9,677Highest 61% above MA |
$4,802 20% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
45.7%±20.9 MA: 51.8% |
45%±2.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Boston and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 16.6%Highest MA: 10% |
4.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
12.8% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 35.7% MA: 62.5% |
85.2%Highest MA: 62.5% |
33.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1947 17 yrs older than MA |
1945Lowest 19 yrs older than MA |
1950Highest 14 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 4% above MA |
31 minHighest 8% above MA |
26 minLowest 11% below MA |
| Work from home | 21.3%±0.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
29.7%±2.9 MA: 18.6% |
30.8%±1.5Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Cambridge and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #258 of 282 in MA | #55 of 282 in MA | #122 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston | Milton | Cambridge |
| High school in town | Boston Latin School | Milton High | Cambridge Rindge and Latin |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 18.7Highest |
12.4 |
9.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.