Compare towns
Cambridge vs Acton vs Boston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cambridge has the most expensive homes ($1092k median).
Acton has the most homeowners (74.9%).
Boston has the most affordable homes ($732k median).
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 | Cambridge | Acton | Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 118,796 |
24,155Lowest |
666,442Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +12.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+9.6% MA: +7.4% |
+9.4%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 30.4±0.4Lowest 24% below MA |
44.5±0.8Highest 11% above MA |
33.3±0.2 17% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 12.4%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23.2%±2.5Highest MA: 19.4% |
15.1%±0.3 MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 12.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
17.6%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
13%±0.3 MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 80.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
79.5% MA: 47.3% |
54.9%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 25.1%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
4.9%±1.2Lowest MA: 7.9% |
15%±0.3 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $130,748±$4k 26% above MA |
$158,230±$14kHighest 52% above MA |
$97,344±$2kLowest 6% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,092,100±$42kHighest 94% above MA |
$807,300±$20k 44% above MA |
$731,700±$10kLowest 30% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,787±$48Highest 58% above MA |
$1,986±$155Lowest 13% above MA |
$2,147±$25 22% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,802 20% below MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$4,456Lowest 26% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45%±2.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
47.7%±11.3 MA: 51.8% |
51.2%±1.2Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Boston and Acton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.8% MA: 10% |
3.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
16.6%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 33.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
74.9%Highest MA: 62.5% |
35.7% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950 14 yrs older than MA |
1974Highest 10 yrs newer than MA |
1947Lowest 17 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
35 minHighest 19% above MA |
30 min 4% above MA |
| Work from home | 30.8%±1.5 MA: 18.6% |
35.9%±4.6Highest MA: 18.6% |
21.3%±0.5Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Acton and Cambridge 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 | #122 of 282 in MA | #13 of 282 in MA | #258 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Cambridge | Acton-Boxborough | Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston |
| High school in town | Cambridge Rindge and Latin | Acton-Boxborough Regional High | Boston Latin School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.3Lowest |
13.5 |
18.7Highest |
| 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.