Waltham, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Waltham, 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 | Waltham | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,842 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4711.8 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.43% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.2 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 25,503 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Waltham grew by 7.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 64,842 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Waltham is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 29.6% of residents. That is 8.0 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 19,167 29.6% +8.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,574 24.0% +2.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,499 17.7% -3.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,441 14.6% -2.7 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 50.1% of the people living in Waltham and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 49.9% Massachusetts 48.8%
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Economy
Waltham has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Waltham | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $118,718 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.91% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Waltham is about 14% higher than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Waltham | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $637,278 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,267 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 49.7% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Waltham is about 23.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,267 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Waltham spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 186 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Waltham | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.3 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.6 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 186 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,760 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 24.2% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 24,148 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,492 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Waltham is 22 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
Waltham has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Waltham | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.3% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.23 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Waltham has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Waltham | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.6 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 8.7% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.0% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Waltham, MA Compared With Nearby Cities
Waltham, MA is the 2nd largest of the 5 cities compared here, 64,842 residents against a local median of 34,950. The measure that sets Waltham, MA apart most is median home price: $637,278, 61% below the local median of $1,627,534.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $118,718 against a local median of $189,053, 37% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Waltham, MA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The cities themselves spread $1,196,604 on median home price, so Waltham, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Waltham, MA has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waltham, MA | 64,842 | $118,718 #5/5 | $637,278 #5/5 | 22.3 min #1/5 |
| Lexington, MA | 34,306 | $205,627 | $2,250,000 | 30.2 min |
| Belmont, MA | 27,165 | $187,422 | $2,163,043 | 30.7 min |
| Newton, MA | 88,909 | $190,683 | $1,092,024 | 25.1 min |
| Watertown, MA | 35,594 | $126,987 | $1,053,396 | 26.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Waltham, Massachusetts.
How big is Waltham, Massachusetts by population?
About 64,842 people live in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 25,503 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 33.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Waltham, Massachusetts urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Waltham, Massachusetts has 4,712 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 55 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Waltham, Massachusetts?
The median home costs 5.4 times the median household income ($637,278 against $118,718), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,267 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Waltham, Massachusetts?
Unemployment in Waltham, 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.
What share of adults in Waltham, Massachusetts have a college degree?
50.3% of adults in Waltham, 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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