Medford, Massachusetts
Among the top 8% of US places for safety & wellbeing.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 11% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 25% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade A, better than 92% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 86% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 58% of US places
- top 2% for airport distance
- top 2% for walkability
- bottom 2% for cost of living
Medford is a mid-size city in Massachusetts with about 62,000 residents. It grades A for safety & wellbeing and D for affordability. Standout strengths include airport distance, walkability, and natural disaster risk. It rates lower on monthly rent and cost of living.
Official websitemedford.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Heavy snow
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
cold
v.cold
57%44%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.2 in3.8 in
humid 99%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$115k90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$82kbetter than 2% of US places
Home Value$670k95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 3% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 6% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.87%better than 58% of US places
Income Tax9.00%better than 17% of US places
Sales Tax6.25%better than 81% of US places
Estimated total tax burden16.16%better than 14% of US places
Unemployment4.2%better than 47% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)29°F36th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)74°F34th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation48.4 in73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall49.2 inbetter than 14% of US places
Sunny Days181 daysbetter than 9% of US places
Summer Humidity62°Fbetter than 64% of US places
Comfortable Days94 daysbetter than 78% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk21.5better than 95% of US places
Air Quality45 AQIbetter than 58% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime572/100kbetter than 60% of US places
Property Crime944/100kbetter than 50% of US places
Community
Population61,74898th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age35.424th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4982nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9030th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+641st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)67.6%28th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)7.6%81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)8.4%69th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)11.2%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.3%72nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time31 minbetter than 19% of US places
Walkability14.4/20better than 98% of US places
Airport Distance7 mibetter than 98% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access92.3%better than 73% of US places
Amenities Nearby266.89better than 74% of US places
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 17% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Medford an affordable place to live?
- Medford is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $82k, better than 2% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Medford?
- The median home value in Medford is $670k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Medford?
- Median household income in Medford is $115k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Medford?
- Median gross rent in Medford is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Medford safe?
- Medford is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 572/100k (better than 60%). Property crime is 944/100k.
- What is the weather like in Medford?
- Medford averages 74°F in July and 29°F in January, with 48.4 in of annual precipitation and about 181 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Medford?
- Public-school quality in Medford is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Medford?
- The average one-way commute in Medford is 31 min.
Other places in Suffolk County
Places near Medford
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Explore Massachusetts
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)