Census tract · Middlesex County
Census Tract 3542, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Census Tract 3542, GEOID 25017354200, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, entirely within Cambridge. 3,395 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±481); the 2020 Census counted 3,008.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,395
±481 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,008
Median household income
$221,250
±$84,393 (90% margin)
Middlesex County: $130,847
Median home value
$2,000,000 or more
The survey's top or bottom value; no margin is published
Middlesex County: $727,800
Median gross rent
$3,375
±$453 (90% margin)
Middlesex County: $2,201
Where is Census Tract 3542?
Census Tract 3542 is one of 357 census tracts in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It covers 0.61 square miles of land, 4,956 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 25017354200, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Cambridge | 100% |
7 census tracts border Census Tract 3542: Tract 3541 ($144,479), Tract 3543 ($124,625), Tract 3544 ($176,705), Tract 3545 ($211,471), Tract 3703.01 ($128,976), Tract 3703.02 ($87,473) 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 3542?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 3542's population at 3,395 (±481) in 1,405 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,008 residents and 1,443 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 3542 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,395±481 | 118,796 |
| Households | 1,405±216 | 49,444 |
| Average household size | 2.40±0.27 | 2.05 |
| Housing units | 1,610±215 | 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 3542?
The median resident of Census Tract 3542 is 44.9 years old; 24.7% are under 18 and 29.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 64.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 11.6%. 21.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 3542 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.9±4.6 | 30.4 |
| Under 18 years | 24.7%±4.7 pts | 12.4% |
| 65 years and over | 29.3%±5.9 pts | 12.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 11.6%±6.0 pts | 8.8% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 64.8%±8.7 pts | 53.8% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.4%±2.1 pts | 10.3% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 11.1%±7.8 pts | 20.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.2 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.2 pts | 0.1% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 8.0%±6.2 pts | 5.8% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 2.1%±3.2 pts | 0.9% |
| Born outside the United States | 21.5%±6.4 pts | 29.7% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 23.5%±7.3 pts | 35.2% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.8%±1.6 pts | 1.6% |
| With a disability | 7.1%±2.6 pts | 7.5% |
| No health insurance coverage | 0.0%±1.2 pts | 1.7% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 100.0%±1.7 pts | 96.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 87.0%±7.8 pts | 80.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 61.3%±8.2 pts | 51.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.1%±8.9 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 3542 earn?
Half of the 1,405 households in Census Tract 3542 earn less than $221,250 a year (±$84,393), against $130,847 across Middlesex County: 30th highest of the county's 350 tracts with a reliable estimate. 8.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 3542 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $221,250±$84,393 | $130,748 |
| Mean household income | $342,750±$72,903 | $183,408 |
| Per capita income | $144,676±$23,219 | $78,723 |
| People below the poverty line | 8.7%±4.8 pts | 12.8% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 2.5%±2.9 pts | 15.2% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 0.0%±3.0 pts | 8.4% |
| Households with a computer | 99.7%±0.5 pts | 98.5% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 99.3%±1.1 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 3542?
Owners occupy 81.9% of Census Tract 3542's occupied homes and renters 18.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $2,000,000 or more by its owner (). The median renter pays $3,375 a month including utilities, and 43.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 3542 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $2,000,000 or more | $1,092,100 |
| Median gross rent | $3,375±$453 | $2,787 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 43.5%±17.7 pts | 35.4% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $4,000 or more | $3,505 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 81.9%±6.2 pts | 33.5% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 18.1%±6.2 pts | 66.5% |
| Housing units | 1,610±215 | 54,840 |
| Single-family detached homes | 45.2%±9.1 pts | 9.9% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±2.6 pts | 0.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.5%±1.7 pts | 2.2% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0%±2.6 pts | 10.1% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 69.0%±10.1 pts | 47.0% |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.8%±4.4 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 3542 get to work?
42.4% of Census Tract 3542's workers drive alone and 28.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.9 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.3%.
| Measure | Tract 3542 | Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 68.2%±4.7 pts | 69.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3%±3.3 pts | 3.4% |
| Drove alone to work | 42.4%±9.2 pts | 19.7% |
| Carpooled | 2.8%±2.2 pts | 2.5% |
| Public transportation | 5.2%±2.6 pts | 18.0% |
| Walked | 13.4%±10.0 pts | 19.2% |
| Worked from home | 28.7%±7.4 pts | 30.8% |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.9 min±3.8 | 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 3542 compare with the other tracts in Middlesex County?
Among Middlesex County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 3542 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Middlesex County | In Cambridge |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 270th of 354 | 16th of 33 |
| Residents per square mile | 177th of 357 | 33rd of 33 |
| Median household income | 30th of 350 | 1st of 32 |
| Per capita income | 2nd of 354 | 1st of 33 |
| Median home value | 1st of 350 | 1st of 29 |
| Median gross rent | 14th of 327 | 4th of 33 |
| Poverty rate | 106th of 223 | 20th of 30 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22nd of 354 | 11th of 33 |
| Median age | 71st of 354 | 1st of 33 |
| Owner-occupied share | 80th of 351 | 1st of 30 |
The tracts next to it on Middlesex County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 3652.01 | 27th | $225,853±$15,174 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3740 | 28th | $225,556±$30,232 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3652.02 | 29th | $222,614±$46,454 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3542 | 30th | $221,250±$84,393 |
| Tract 3231.02 | 31st | $221,146±$37,036 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3574 | 32nd | $220,357±$29,494 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 3183 | 33rd | $218,359±$11,675 · 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 3542?
2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 3542 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are 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