Compare towns
Lincoln vs Waltham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Lincoln has the most kids (24.3% under 18).
Waltham has the most affordable homes ($749k median).
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 | Lincoln | Waltham |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 6,948Lowest |
64,902Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.2%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+7.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.3±4.1Highest 6% above MA |
34.4±1Lowest 14% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 24.3%±5.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
13.6%±1.1Lowest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 21.7%±3.6Highest MA: 17.9% |
15.8%±1.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 76.2%Highest MA: 47.3% |
57.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.1%±2.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
19.1%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $175,117±$44kHighest 68% above MA |
$120,216±$7kLowest 16% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,208,200±$132kHighest 115% above MA |
$748,700±$27kLowest 33% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $3,168±$573Highest 80% above MA |
$2,268±$79Lowest 29% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
$4,766Lowest 20% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 64.6%±18.5Highest MA: 51.8% |
44.7%±4.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Lincoln and Waltham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 2.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
9.4%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 57.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
49.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972Highest 8 yrs newer than MA |
1961Lowest 3 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest 11% below MA |
25 minLowest 15% below MA |
| Work from home | 34.2%±7.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
24.2%±2.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #78 of 282 in MA | #217 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Lincoln · Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical | Waltham |
| High school in town | Minuteman Regional High | Waltham Sr High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 8.1Lowest |
10.4Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.