Tool
Compare places
Put up to four U.S. cities, towns or census-designated places side by side on 29 figures: 22 measures from the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, each with its margin, and their 2025 population estimate, growth, density, new homes and housing costs against income. A filled square marks a figure that differs from the first place by more than both margins of error allow; without it, the survey cannot tell the two apart.
How do Melrose, MA compare?
| Figure | Melrose, MA |
|---|---|
| Residents, July 2025 (estimate) | 29,597 |
| Change since April 2020 | −0.7% |
| Residents counted in the 2020 Census | 29,817 |
| Residents per square mile (2020) | 6,367 |
| Homes permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 1.8 |
| Median home value ÷ median household income | 6.1 years of income |
| A year of median rent ÷ median income of all households (renters usually earn less) | 17.6% |
| Measure | Melrose, MA |
|---|---|
| Total population | 29,650±28 |
| Median age | 43.6±1.1 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.2%±1.5 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 76.9%±4.0 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.6%±0.8 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 11.0%±3.9 pts |
| Born outside the United States | 17.6%±2.5 pts |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 62.0%±2.8 pts |
| Median household income | $133,953±$14,410 |
| Per capita income | $67,861±$3,513 |
| People below the poverty line | 3.8%±1.0 pts |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7%±1.2 pts |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $822,900±$19,886 |
| Median gross rent | $1,970±$149 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 42.3%±7.0 pts |
| Owner-occupied homes | 67.2%±3.1 pts |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.3%±0.8 pts |
| Worked from home | 29.6%±3.0 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 48.6%±2.9 pts |
| Public transportation | 12.4%±2.0 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 34.5 min±1.9 |
| No health insurance coverage | 0.9%±0.5 pts |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025; 2020 Census; Building Permits Survey 2025 · Check it at data.census.gov