Signals
Arlington
Boston
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 14%
vs97 · Top 1%
Housing affordability
71 · Bottom 35%
vs44 · Bottom 6%
Schools
89 · Top 4%
vs41 · Bottom 36%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
81 · Top 5%
vs55 · Bottom 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Arlington | Boston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 46,350 | 666,442 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $150,701 | $97,344 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $91,718 | $61,698 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 9,014/sq mi | 13,786/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $933,800 | $731,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,082 | $2,147 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.6% | 35.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 76.1% | 54.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.4% | 16.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 85°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.6" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.2 min | 33.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.6 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 127 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.73 | 10.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 59.5% | 21.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 70.4% | 34.8% | 2019-20 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
Arlington
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Boston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Arlington, MA · Boston, MA · How this is calculated: methodology