Compare towns
Cambridge vs Sutton vs Belmont
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 renters (66.5% rent).
Sutton has the most affordable homes ($523k median).
Belmont has the highest household income ($183k).
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 | Sutton | Belmont |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 118,796Highest |
9,452Lowest |
27,175 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +12.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+4.4%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+10.4% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 30.4±0.4Lowest 24% below MA |
44.3±2.5Highest 11% above MA |
42.9±1 7% above MA |
| Sutton and Belmont 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% |
19.6%±3.3 MA: 19.4% |
24.2%±2Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Belmont and Sutton 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% |
18.8%±3.2 MA: 17.9% |
19.3%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Belmont and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 80.8% MA: 47.3% |
52.8%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
80.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 25.1%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.9%±1.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
5.8%±1 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $130,748±$4kLowest 26% above MA |
$147,125±$25k 42% above MA |
$183,137±$14kHighest 76% above MA |
| Belmont and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,092,100±$42k 94% above MA |
$523,100±$47kLowest 7% below MA |
$1,159,000±$33kHighest 106% above MA |
| Belmont and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,787±$48Highest 58% above MA |
$1,190±$401Lowest 32% below MA |
$2,527±$105 43% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,802Lowest 20% below MA |
$6,763 13% above MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45%±2.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
47.5%±24.4Highest MA: 51.8% |
45.6%±6.2 MA: 51.8% |
| Sutton and Belmont 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% |
5.8% MA: 10% |
3.6%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 33.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
89.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
64.7% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950 14 yrs older than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minLowest 11% below MA |
30 minHighest about the MA average |
29 min about the MA average |
| Work from home | 30.8%±1.5 MA: 18.6% |
22.7%±4.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
31.5%±3.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Belmont 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 | #105 of 282 in MA | #3 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Cambridge | Sutton | Belmont |
| High school in town | Cambridge Rindge and Latin | Sutton High School | Belmont High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.3Lowest |
12.6 |
15.8Highest |
| 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.