Census tract · Middlesex County
Census Tract 3531.02, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Census Tract 3531.02, GEOID 25017353102, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, entirely within Cambridge. 5,848 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±154); the 2020 Census counted 6,238.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,848
±154 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 6,238
Median household income
$71,302
±$22,484 (90% margin)
Middlesex County: $130,847
Median home value
not published
Middlesex County: $727,800
Median gross rent
$2,917
±$245 (90% margin)
Middlesex County: $2,201
Where is Census Tract 3531.02?
Census Tract 3531.02 is one of 357 census tracts in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It covers 0.38 square miles of land, 16,416 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 25017353102, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Cambridge | 100% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 3531.02: Tract 3521.02 ($175,110), Tract 3523 ($171,633), Tract 3524 ($74,432), Tract 3531.01, Tract 3532 ($142,083) and Tract 9815.01 in Suffolk County*. The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income; * a special land-use tract (water, a park or an institution) with few or no residents.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 3531.02?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 3531.02's population at 5,848 (±154) in 509 households; the 2020 Census counted 6,238 residents and 1,046 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 3531.02 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,848±154 | 118,796 |
| Households | 509±89 | 49,444 |
| Average household size | 1.82±0.16 | 2.05 |
| Housing units | 564±93 | 54,840 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 3531.02?
The median resident of Census Tract 3531.02 is 20.9 years old; 2.9% are under 18 and 0.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Asian residents at 38.5%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 36.3%. 28.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 3531.02 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 20.9±0.4 | 30.4 |
| Under 18 years | 2.9%±1.0 pts | 12.4% |
| 65 years and over | 0.7%±0.4 pts | 12.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 11.4%±2.8 pts | 8.8% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 36.3%±5.3 pts | 53.8% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 7.8%±1.8 pts | 10.3% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 38.5%±5.7 pts | 20.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.7 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.4 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.5%±1.8 pts | 5.8% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.7 pts | 0.9% |
| Born outside the United States | 28.9%±5.2 pts | 29.7% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 48.1%±4.8 pts | 35.2% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 0.0%±0.7 pts | 1.6% |
| With a disability | 4.6%±1.7 pts | 7.5% |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.8%±1.1 pts | 1.7% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 99.6%±0.5 pts | 96.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 98.0%±1.8 pts | 80.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 58.8%±9.0 pts | 51.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 66.3%±4.0 pts | 74.5% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 3531.02 earn?
Half of the 509 households in Census Tract 3531.02 earn less than $71,302 a year (±$22,484), against $130,847 across Middlesex County: 330th highest of the county's 350 tracts with a reliable estimate. 26.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 3531.02 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,302±$22,484 | $130,748 |
| Mean household income | $120,474±$26,053 | $183,408 |
| Per capita income | $24,841±$5,713 | $78,723 |
| People below the poverty line | 26.4%±10.0 pts | 12.8% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 21.2%±22.6 pts | 15.2% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.3%±4.0 pts | 8.4% |
| Households with a computer | 99.4%±1.0 pts | 98.5% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.8%±5.3 pts | 94.8% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 3531.02?
The median renter pays $2,917 a month including utilities, and 55.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 3531.02 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $2,917±$245 | $2,787 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 55.7%±9.5 pts | 35.4% |
| Owner-occupied homes | 0.0%±8.0 pts | 33.5% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 100.0%±8.0 pts | 66.5% |
| Housing units | 564±93 | 54,840 |
| Single-family detached homes | 0.5%±0.9 pts | 9.9% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±7.3 pts | 0.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.2%±2.1 pts | 2.2% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 39.0%±9.0 pts | 10.1% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 6.0%±3.2 pts | 47.0% |
| Households with no vehicle | 64.6%±9.7 pts | 33.2% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 3531.02 get to work?
7.8% of Census Tract 3531.02's workers drive alone and 19.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 15.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.7%.
| Measure | Tract 3531.02 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.0%±4.6 pts | 69.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7%±2.3 pts | 3.4% |
| Drove alone to work | 7.8%±4.2 pts | 19.7% |
| Carpooled | 1.9%±1.1 pts | 2.5% |
| Public transportation | 8.5%±3.2 pts | 18.0% |
| Walked | 57.8%±6.9 pts | 19.2% |
| Worked from home | 19.8%±4.8 pts | 30.8% |
| Mean travel time to work | 15.8 min±1.9 | 25.8 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 3531.02 compare with the other tracts in Middlesex County?
Among Middlesex County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 3531.02 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Middlesex County | In Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 85th of 354 | 2nd of 33 |
| Residents per square mile | 67th of 357 | 24th of 33 |
| Median household income | 330th of 350 | 32nd of 32 |
| Per capita income | 349th of 354 | 33rd of 33 |
| Median gross rent | 37th of 327 | 11th of 33 |
| Poverty rate | 12th of 223 | 3rd of 30 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1st of 354 | 1st of 33 |
| Median age | 353rd of 354 | 33rd of 33 |
The tracts next to it on Middlesex County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 3213.01 | 327th | $72,143±$13,279 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3831.01 | 328th | $71,771±$12,970 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3113 | 329th | $71,450±$28,302 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3531.02 | 330th | $71,302±$22,484 |
| Tract 3103 | 331st | $69,297±$12,607 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3421.02 | 332nd | $68,864±$26,217 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3418 | 333rd | $67,964±$22,464 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 3531.02?
1 of the 17 figures for Census Tract 3531.02 on this page carries a coefficient of variation over 40% and is marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections