Compare towns
Pelham vs Cambridge vs Wendell
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pelham has the most kids (21% under 18).
Cambridge has the most expensive homes ($1092k median).
Wendell has the most affordable homes ($290k median).
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 | Pelham | Cambridge | Wendell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,335 |
118,796Highest |
850Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+12.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+9% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45±8.4 13% above MA |
30.4±0.4Lowest 24% below MA |
47.1±8.8Highest 18% above MA |
| Wendell and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21%±4.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
12.4%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
16%±3.5 MA: 19.4% |
| Pelham and Wendell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.7%±6.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
12.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
22.7%±5.7 MA: 17.9% |
| Pelham and Wendell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 64.8% MA: 47.3% |
80.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
51.2%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
25.1%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.1%±2.9 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $113,750±$24k 9% above MA |
$130,748±$4kHighest 26% above MA |
$65,288±$14kLowest 37% below MA |
| Cambridge and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $447,600±$33k 20% below MA |
$1,092,100±$42kHighest 94% above MA |
$290,300±$31kLowest 48% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,205±$560Lowest 32% below MA |
$2,787±$48Highest 58% above MA |
$1,239±$519 30% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,472Highest 25% above MA |
$4,802 20% below MA |
$4,519Lowest 25% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.7%±35.2Lowest MA: 51.8% |
45%±2.3 MA: 51.8% |
55.6%±40.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Wendell and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
12.8% MA: 10% |
21.3%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.1% MA: 62.5% |
33.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
86.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958 6 yrs older than MA |
1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA |
1981Highest 17 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 21% below MA |
26 min 11% below MA |
33 minHighest 13% above MA |
| Work from home | 32.8%±7.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
30.8%±1.5 MA: 18.6% |
16.8%±7.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Pelham 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 | — |
| School district | Pelham | Cambridge | New Salem-Wendell |
| High school in town | None in town | Cambridge Rindge and Latin | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.3 |
— |
| 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.