What stands out worked out from the figures below

Malden has the most renters (58.7% rent).

Melrose has the most homeowners (67.2%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Malden	Melrose
People
Population	65,906Highest	29,650Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+11.5%Highest MA: +7.4%	+10.5%Lowest MA: +7.4%
Median age	35.8±1Lowest 11% below MA	43.6±1.1Highest 9% above MA
Kids under 18	18.2%±1.7Lowest MA: 19.4%	20.2%±2.1Highest MA: 19.4%
	Melrose and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	13%±1.2Lowest MA: 17.9%	20.6%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	45.1%Lowest MA: 47.3%	62%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	9.1%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9%	4.6%±1Lowest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$100,606±$6kLowest 3% below MA	$133,953±$14kHighest 29% above MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$633,500±$26kLowest 13% above MA	$822,900±$20kHighest 46% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,204±$62Highest 25% above MA	$1,970±$149Lowest 12% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,995Lowest 17% below MA	$7,578Highest 26% above MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.2%±4.6Highest MA: 51.8%	50.3%±8.1Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Malden and Melrose are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.4%Highest MA: 10%	3.8%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	41.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%	67.2%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1950Highest 14 yrs older than MA	1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	34 minLowest 18% above MA	35 minHighest 19% above MA
Work from home	19.8%±2.3Lowest MA: 18.6%	29.6%±2.7Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#184 of 282 in MA	#62 of 282 in MA
School district	Malden	Melrose
High school in town	Malden High	Melrose High
Students per teacherat that high school	16.1Highest	12.8Lowest
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.