Cambridge, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Cambridge, MA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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B
Income Around average
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Cambridge | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 117,266 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 16508.8 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.98% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 30.9 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 48,771 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Cambridge grew by 10.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 117,266 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Cambridge is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 35.3% of residents. That is 13.8 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 41,438 35.3% +13.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 32,658 27.8% +5.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 15,317 13.1% -8.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 13,576 11.6% -5.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Massachusetts, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.2% of the people living in Cambridge and men 50.8%.
- Women 49.2% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 50.8% Massachusetts 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Cambridge
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Cambridge has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Cambridge | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $131,513 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.79% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Cambridge is about 26% higher than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Cambridge | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $678,104 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,785 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 33.5% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Cambridge is about 20.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,785 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Cambridge spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 197 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Cambridge | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.7 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.3 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 197 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,112 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 30.7% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 20,570 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,879 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Cambridge is 24 minutes, shorter than the 26 minutes in Massachusetts.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Cambridge has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Cambridge | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 69.4% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.08 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Cambridge has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Cambridge | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.1 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 6.4% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 7.7% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Cambridge, MA Compared With Nearby Cities
Cambridge, MA is the largest of the 6 cities compared here, 117,266 residents against a local median of 59,237. The measure that sets Cambridge, MA apart most is median home price: $678,104, 36% below the local median of $1,053,396.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 23.7 min against a local median of 30.1 min, 21% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 21% below the local median it puts Cambridge, MA at the better end of the local range. The cities themselves spread $1,260,430 on median home price, so Cambridge, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cambridge, MA has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge, MA | 117,266 | $131,513 #4/6 | $678,104 #4/6 | 23.7 min #1/6 |
| Somerville, MA | 81,027 | $132,942 | $545,588 | 31.2 min |
| Medford, MA | 59,237 | $130,524 | $483,160 | 30.1 min |
| Brookline, MA | 63,198 | $143,651 | $1,239,921 | 27.0 min |
| Watertown, MA | 35,594 | $126,987 | $1,053,396 | 26.2 min |
| Arlington, MA | 46,270 | $151,416 | $1,743,589 | 31.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cambridge, Massachusetts.
What is the population of Cambridge, Massachusetts?
About 117,266 people live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 48,771 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 30.9, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Cambridge, Massachusetts mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Cambridge, Massachusetts has 16,509 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 191 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Cambridge, Massachusetts?
The median home costs 5.2 times the median household income ($678,104 against $131,513), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,785 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Cambridge, Massachusetts?
Unemployment in Cambridge, Massachusetts is only 3.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Cambridge, Massachusetts?
69.4% of adults in Cambridge, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 7 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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