Medford, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Medford, 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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A
Income Above average
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Medford | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 59,237 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6839.5 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.45% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.9 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 24,298 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Medford grew by 5.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 59,237 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Medford is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 26.3% of residents. That is 4.4 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 15,079 25.5% +3.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,591 26.3% +4.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,186 18.9% -2.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,703 14.7% -2.6 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 52.0% of the people living in Medford and men 48.0%.
- Women 52.0% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 48.0% Massachusetts 48.8%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Medford
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Economy
Medford has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Medford | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $130,524 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.40% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Medford is about 25% higher than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Medford | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $483,160 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,507 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 54.0% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Medford is about 16.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,507 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Medford spend about 60 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 251 hours, about 10.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Medford | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.1 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.2 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 251 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,775 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 26.8% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 25,396 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,258 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Medford is 30 minutes, longer 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
Medford has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Medford | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.9% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Medford has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Medford | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.5 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 8.9% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Medford, MA Compared With Nearby Cities
Medford, MA is typical in size for this group, 59,237 residents against a local median of 66,048, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Medford, MA apart most is median home price: $483,160, 29% below the local median of $678,104.
The cities themselves spread $704,411 on median home price, so Medford, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Medford, MA has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medford, MA | 59,237 | $130,524 #4/6 | $483,160 #6/6 | 30.1 min #3/6 |
| Somerville, MA | 81,027 | $132,942 | $545,588 | 31.2 min |
| Winchester, MA | 23,377 | $205,856 | $1,250,000 | 31.2 min |
| Cambridge, MA | 117,266 | $131,513 | $678,104 | 23.7 min |
| Malden, MA | 66,048 | $100,648 | $556,837 | 32.4 min |
| Stoneham, MA | 23,334 | $117,780 | $1,224,288 | 25.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Medford, Massachusetts.
How big is Medford, Massachusetts by population?
About 59,237 people live in Medford, Massachusetts, in 24,298 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 36.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Medford, Massachusetts urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Medford, Massachusetts has 6,839 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 79 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Medford, Massachusetts an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.7 times the median household income ($483,160 against $130,524), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,507 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Medford, Massachusetts?
52.9% of adults in Medford, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 5 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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