Malden receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Lawrence
Malden
Opportunity
28 · Bottom 5%
vs61 · Top 40%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs51 · Top 49%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
78 · Top 27%
vs88 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
34 · Bottom 2%
vs51 · Bottom 11%
Schools
26 · Bottom 18%
vs59 · Top 40%
Access
92 · Top 50%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs66 · Top 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Lawrence | Malden | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 88,736 | 65,906 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,433 | $100,606 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,249 | $48,581 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 12,805/sq mi | 13,064/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $415,200 | $633,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,662 | $2,204 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 28.1% | 41.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 45.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.6% | 11.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 12 | 25 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 9.1% | 92.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.9" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 21 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.3 min | 37.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.6 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 35 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.79 | 14.35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 16.1% | 33.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 28.1% | 47.8% | 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
Lawrence
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake, hurricane.
Malden
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Lawrence, MA · Malden, MA · How this is calculated: methodology