Melrose, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Melrose, 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 Top grade
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Melrose | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,648 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6218.0 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.84% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.8 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,400 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Melrose grew by 11.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 29,648 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Melrose is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.3% of residents. That is 2.3 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,458 15.0% -6.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,193 24.3% +2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,911 23.3% +2.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,083 17.1% -0.2 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 51.1% of the people living in Melrose and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 48.9% Massachusetts 48.8%
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Economy
Melrose has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Melrose | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $133,280 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.39% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Melrose is about 28% higher than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Melrose | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $870,192 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,969 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.2% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Melrose is about 36.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,969 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Melrose spend about 66 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 274 hours, about 11.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Melrose | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 32.9 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 65.7 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 274 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,492 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 29.6% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 30,930 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,970 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Melrose is 33 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
Melrose has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Melrose | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.5% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Melrose has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Melrose | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.8 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 7.9% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 9.3% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Melrose, MA Compared With Nearby Cities
Melrose, MA is typical in size for this group, 29,648 residents against a local median of 28,773, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Melrose, MA breaks from the cities next to it is median home price, sitting 39% above the local median of $624,999 at $870,192.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $133,280 against a local median of $102,456, 30% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 30% above the local median it puts Melrose, MA at the better end of the local range. The cities themselves spread $1,111,788 on median home price, so Melrose, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Melrose, MA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melrose, MA | 29,648 | $133,280 #2/6 | $870,192 #3/6 | 32.9 min #6/6 |
| Malden, MA | 66,048 | $100,648 | $556,837 | 32.4 min |
| Stoneham, MA | 23,334 | $117,780 | $1,224,288 | 25.4 min |
| Saugus, MA | 28,773 | $102,456 | $1,053,030 | 28.7 min |
| Wakefield, MA | 27,739 | $136,429 | $112,500 | 30.4 min |
| Everett, MA | 49,993 | $85,158 | $624,999 | 32.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Melrose, Massachusetts.
How big is Melrose, Massachusetts by population?
About 29,648 people live in Melrose, Massachusetts, in 12,400 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Melrose, Massachusetts?
Averaged over its land area, Melrose, Massachusetts has 6,218 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 72 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Melrose, Massachusetts an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 6.5 times the median household income ($870,192 against $133,280), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,969 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Melrose, Massachusetts?
Unemployment in Melrose, Massachusetts is only 3.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Melrose, Massachusetts?
58.5% of adults in Melrose, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 6 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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