What stands out worked out from the figures below

Melrose has the most homeowners (67.2%).

Malden has the most renters (58.7% rent).

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	Melrose	Malden
People
Population	29,650Lowest	65,906Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+10.5%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+11.5%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	43.6±1.1Highest 9% above MA	35.8±1Lowest 11% below MA
Kids under 18	20.2%±2.1Highest MA: 19.4%	18.2%±1.7Lowest 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+	20.6%±2.2Highest MA: 17.9%	13%±1.2Lowest MA: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	62%Highest MA: 47.3%	45.1%Lowest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.6%±1Lowest MA: 7.9%	9.1%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$133,953±$14kHighest 29% above MA	$100,606±$6kLowest 3% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$822,900±$20kHighest 46% above MA	$633,500±$26kLowest 13% above MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,970±$149Lowest 12% above MA	$2,204±$62Highest 25% above MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,578Highest 26% above MA	$4,995Lowest 17% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	50.3%±8.1Lowest MA: 51.8%	51.2%±4.6Highest 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	3.8%Lowest MA: 10%	11.4%Highest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	67.2%Highest MA: 62.5%	41.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA	1950Highest 14 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	35 minHighest 19% above MA	34 minLowest 18% above MA
Work from home	29.6%±2.7Highest MA: 18.6%	19.8%±2.3Lowest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#62 of 282 in MA	#184 of 282 in MA
School district	Melrose	Malden
High school in town	Melrose High	Malden High
Students per teacherat that high school	12.8Lowest	16.1Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.