Compare towns
Cambridge vs Hadley vs Maynard
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).
Hadley has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Maynard has the most kids (16.9% under 18).
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 | Hadley | Maynard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 118,796Highest |
5,306Lowest |
10,712 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +12.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+1.4%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+6.3% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 30.4±0.4Lowest 24% below MA |
45.8±7.1Highest 15% above MA |
45.3±4.3 13% above MA |
| Hadley and Maynard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12.4%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
16.2%±4.6 MA: 19.4% |
16.9%±4.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Maynard and Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 12.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
24.2%±4.8Highest MA: 17.9% |
18.2%±3.3 MA: 17.9% |
| Hadley and Maynard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 80.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
61.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
64.2% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 25.1%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
10.9%±5.7 MA: 7.9% |
3.5%±1.5Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $130,748±$4kHighest 26% above MA |
$119,259±$12kLowest 15% above MA |
$124,067±$16k 19% above MA |
| Cambridge and Maynard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,092,100±$42kHighest 94% above MA |
$511,000±$43kLowest 9% below MA |
$527,400±$31k 6% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,787±$48Highest 58% above MA |
$1,402±$132Lowest 20% below MA |
$1,800±$148 about the MA average |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,802Lowest 20% below MA |
$5,271 12% below MA |
$8,266Highest 38% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45%±2.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
38.6%±18.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
44.9%±9.6 MA: 51.8% |
| Cambridge and Maynard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.8%Highest MA: 10% |
6.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
8.3% MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 33.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
73.4% MA: 62.5% |
75%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA |
1971Highest 7 yrs newer than MA |
1963 1 yr older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min 11% below MA |
20 minLowest 33% below MA |
32 minHighest 9% above MA |
| Work from home | 30.8%±1.5Highest MA: 18.6% |
20.1%±7.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
22.9%±7.7 MA: 18.6% |
| Cambridge and Maynard 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 | #116 of 282 in MA | #166 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Cambridge | Hadley | Maynard |
| High school in town | Cambridge Rindge and Latin | Hopkins Academy | Maynard High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.3 |
7.3Lowest |
9.7Highest |
| 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.