Compare towns
Waltham vs Lincoln
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Waltham has the most affordable homes ($749k median).
Lincoln has the most kids (24.3% under 18).
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 | Waltham | Lincoln |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 64,902Highest |
6,948Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+10.2%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 34.4±1Lowest 14% below MA |
42.3±4.1Highest 6% above MA |
| Kids under 18 | 13.6%±1.1Lowest MA: 19.4% |
24.3%±5.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 15.8%±1.1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
21.7%±3.6Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 57.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
76.2%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 19.1%±1.3Highest MA: 7.9% |
6.1%±2.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $120,216±$7kLowest 16% above MA |
$175,117±$44kHighest 68% above MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $748,700±$27kLowest 33% above MA |
$1,208,200±$132kHighest 115% above MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,268±$79Lowest 29% above MA |
$3,168±$573Highest 80% above MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,766Lowest 20% below MA |
$10,000+Highest at least 67% above MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.7%±4.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
64.6%±18.5Highest 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 | 9.4%Highest MA: 10% |
2.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 49.7%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
57.3%Highest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Lowest 3 yrs older than MA |
1972Highest 8 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minLowest 15% below MA |
26 minHighest 11% below MA |
| Work from home | 24.2%±2.1Lowest MA: 18.6% |
34.2%±7.1Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #217 of 282 in MA | #78 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Waltham | Lincoln · Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical |
| High school in town | Waltham Sr High | Minuteman Regional High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 10.4Highest |
8.1Lowest |
| 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.