Census tract · Middlesex County
Census Tract 3540, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Census Tract 3540, GEOID 25017354000, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, entirely within Cambridge. 4,869 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±553); the 2020 Census counted 4,918.
Residents, 2020-2024
4,869
±553 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 4,918
Median household income
$85,592
±$12,979 (90% margin)
Middlesex County: $130,847
Median home value
$951,800
±$85,722 (90% margin)
Middlesex County: $727,800
Median gross rent
$2,658
±$209 (90% margin)
Middlesex County: $2,201
Where is Census Tract 3540?
Census Tract 3540 is one of 357 census tracts in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It covers 0.16 square miles of land, 29,988 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 25017354000, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Cambridge | 100% |
3 census tracts border Census Tract 3540: Tract 3536 ($138,429), Tract 3541 ($144,479) and Tract 3545 ($211,471). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
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 3540?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 3540's population at 4,869 (±553) in 2,132 households; the 2020 Census counted 4,918 residents and 2,444 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 3540 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,869±553 | 118,796 |
| Households | 2,132±204 | 49,444 |
| Average household size | 1.73±0.17 | 2.05 |
| Housing units | 2,375±164 | 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 3540?
The median resident of Census Tract 3540 is 26.9 years old; 8.6% are under 18 and 12.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 62.0%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 16.2%. 24.2% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 3540 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 26.9±0.9 | 30.4 |
| Under 18 years | 8.6%±5.3 pts | 12.4% |
| 65 years and over | 12.3%±2.8 pts | 12.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 14.3%±5.1 pts | 8.8% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 62.0%±6.7 pts | 53.8% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.1%±1.4 pts | 10.3% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 16.2%±4.1 pts | 20.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.1%±0.3 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.9 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.9%±1.4 pts | 5.8% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.4%±1.4 pts | 0.9% |
| Born outside the United States | 24.2%±4.3 pts | 29.7% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 35.6%±7.1 pts | 35.2% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.8%±1.2 pts | 1.6% |
| With a disability | 6.2%±2.3 pts | 7.5% |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.0%±8.8 pts | 1.7% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 100.0%±1.5 pts | 96.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 91.5%±5.7 pts | 80.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 58.9%±6.8 pts | 51.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 74.7%±6.6 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 3540 earn?
Half of the 2,132 households in Census Tract 3540 earn less than $85,592 a year (±$12,979), against $130,847 across Middlesex County: 311th highest of the county's 350 tracts with a reliable estimate. 21.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 3540 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $85,592±$12,979 | $130,748 |
| Mean household income | $162,638±$28,948 | $183,408 |
| Per capita income | $72,968±$13,990 | $78,723 |
| People below the poverty line | 21.7%±10.3 pts | 12.8% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 48.7%±46.3 pts | 15.2% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 1.9%±1.6 pts | 8.4% |
| Households with a computer | 98.7%±1.6 pts | 98.5% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 96.0%±3.0 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 3540?
Owners occupy 36.6% of Census Tract 3540's occupied homes and renters 63.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $951,800 by its owner (±$85,722). The median renter pays $2,658 a month including utilities, and 64.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 3540 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $951,800±$85,722 | $1,092,100 |
| Median gross rent | $2,658±$209 | $2,787 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 64.3%±9.6 pts | 35.4% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,944±$373 | $3,505 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 36.6%±7.6 pts | 33.5% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 63.4%±7.6 pts | 66.5% |
| Housing units | 2,375±164 | 54,840 |
| Single-family detached homes | 4.6%±2.0 pts | 9.9% |
| Mobile homes | 1.2%±1.2 pts | 0.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5%±0.8 pts | 2.2% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.7%±1.0 pts | 10.1% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 69.6%±7.9 pts | 47.0% |
| Households with no vehicle | 38.7%±6.9 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 3540 get to work?
20.5% of Census Tract 3540's workers drive alone and 32.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 23.5 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 3540 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 60.2%±5.3 pts | 69.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8%±1.9 pts | 3.4% |
| Drove alone to work | 20.5%±6.0 pts | 19.7% |
| Carpooled | 0.8%±0.9 pts | 2.5% |
| Public transportation | 14.2%±4.8 pts | 18.0% |
| Walked | 21.7%±5.8 pts | 19.2% |
| Worked from home | 32.0%±6.5 pts | 30.8% |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.5 min±3.0 | 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 3540 compare with the other tracts in Middlesex County?
Among Middlesex County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 3540 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Middlesex County | In Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 154th of 354 | 8th of 33 |
| Residents per square mile | 11th of 357 | 8th of 33 |
| Median household income | 311th of 350 | 28th of 32 |
| Per capita income | 147th of 354 | 22nd of 33 |
| Median home value | 83rd of 350 | 21st of 29 |
| Median gross rent | 85th of 327 | 24th of 33 |
| Poverty rate | 19th of 223 | 5th of 30 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5th of 354 | 3rd of 33 |
| Median age | 342nd of 354 | 29th of 33 |
| Owner-occupied share | 287th of 351 | 14th of 30 |
The tracts next to it on Middlesex County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 3703.02 | 308th | $87,473±$24,235 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3118 | 309th | $86,518±$40,438 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3211 | 310th | $86,250±$17,711 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3540 | 311th | $85,592±$12,979 |
| Tract 3515 | 312th | $85,274±$26,106 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3834.01 | 313th | $85,000±$44,065 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3122 | 314th | $84,853±$18,541 · 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 3540?
Every figure for Census Tract 3540 on this page has a coefficient of variation under 40%, the Census Bureau's threshold for a usable estimate.
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