Signals
Lexington
Boston
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 14%
vs97 · Top 1%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 44%
vs44 · Bottom 6%
Schools
99 · Top 1%
vs41 · Bottom 36%
Access
97 · Top 22%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
74 · Top 20%
vs55 · Bottom 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Lexington | Boston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,295 | 666,442 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $238,444 | $97,344 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $114,758 | $61,698 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,087/sq mi | 13,786/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,203,100 | $731,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,891 | $2,147 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 80.5% | 35.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 84.3% | 54.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.7% | 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 | 13 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 33.8 min | 33.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 47.3 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 127 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.20 | 10.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 71.3% | 21.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 75.6% | 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
Lexington
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Boston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Lexington, MA · Boston, MA · How this is calculated: methodology