01702 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
01702
02128
Opportunity
60 · Top 38%
vs62 · Top 35%
Growth
54 · Top 44%
vs52 · Top 48%
Climate
63 · Bottom 31%
vs65 · Bottom 37%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 13%
vs97 · Top 2%
Housing affordability
40 · Bottom 6%
vs42 · Bottom 7%
Access
91 · Bottom 44%
vs99 · Top 15%
Economic stability
64 · Top 42%
vs61 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | 01702 | 02128 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,789 | 43,345 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $82,496 | $90,106 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $44,308 | $49,626 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,846/sq mi | 8,626/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $583,000 | $668,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,019 | $2,064 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 34.5% | 29.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.8% | 38.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.1% | 15.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 70 | 2,086 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 3.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 89.2% | 21.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 86°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.9" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 23 mi | 0 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.7 min | 34.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.8 | 34.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 1 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 9.96 | 10.57 | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
01702
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
02128
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 01702 — Framingham, MA · 02128 — Boston, MA · How this is calculated: methodology