Melrose, Massachusetts
Among the top 6% of US places for safety & wellbeing.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 12% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 22% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade A, better than 94% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 80% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 63% of US places
- top 2% for airport distance
- top 2% for walkability
- bottom 2% for cost of living
Melrose is a mid-size city in Massachusetts with about 29,000 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 commute time and cost of living.
Official websitecityofmelrose.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Wet · Heavy snow
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
cold
v.cold
57%44%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.4 in3.9 in
humid 98%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$126k93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$82kbetter than 2% of US places
Home Value$732k96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 8% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 6% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.92%better than 55% of US places
Income Tax9.00%better than 17% of US places
Sales Tax6.25%better than 81% of US places
Estimated total tax burden16.39%better than 13% of US places
Unemployment3.9%better than 50% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)29°F37th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)73°F33rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation50.5 in80th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall63.5 inbetter than 8% of US places
Sunny Days181 daysbetter than 9% of US places
Summer Humidity62°Fbetter than 64% of US places
Comfortable Days95 daysbetter than 79% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk38.9better than 83% of US places
Air Quality44 AQIbetter than 62% of US places
School Quality74.9better than 71% of US places
Violent Crime248/100kbetter than 79% of US places
Property Crime496/100kbetter than 70% of US places
Community
Population29,47795th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age43.159th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.3468th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9542nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+641st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)78.4%39th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)2.7%69th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)5.1%58th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)9.5%95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.3%65th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time37 minbetter than 5% of US places
Walkability14.4/20better than 98% of US places
Airport Distance7 mibetter than 98% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access93.0%better than 76% of US places
Amenities Nearby274.45better than 75% of US places
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 23% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Melrose an affordable place to live?
- Melrose is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $82k, better than 2% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Melrose?
- The median home value in Melrose is $732k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Melrose?
- Median household income in Melrose is $126k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Melrose?
- Median gross rent in Melrose is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Melrose safe?
- Melrose is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 248/100k (better than 79%). Property crime is 496/100k.
- What is the weather like in Melrose?
- Melrose averages 73°F in July and 29°F in January, with 50.5 in of annual precipitation and about 181 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Melrose?
- Public-school quality in Melrose is above average, scoring better than 71% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Melrose?
- The average one-way commute in Melrose is 37 min.
Other places in Suffolk County
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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)