Medford receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Medford
Brockton
Opportunity
63 · Top 35%
vs44 · Bottom 25%
Growth
34 · Bottom 23%
vs35 · Bottom 25%
Climate
65 · Bottom 36%
vs62 · Bottom 24%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 14%
vs89 · Top 13%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 21%
vs60 · Bottom 20%
Schools
61 · Top 38%
vs12 · Bottom 3%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs93 · Top 46%
Economic stability
74 · Top 19%
vs61 · Top 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Medford | Brockton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 59,354 | 105,386 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $129,540 | $80,115 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $66,184 | $35,830 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 7,327/sq mi | 4,940/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $755,500 | $437,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,509 | $1,641 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.1% | 57.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.8% | 22.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.6% | 13.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 9 | 41 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 0.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 50.0% | -10.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 23°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.6" | 53.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.8 min | 34.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.9 | 36.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.22 | 15.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 27.1% | 10.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 47.3% | 21.3% | 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
Medford
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Brockton
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, hurricane.
Full profiles: Medford, MA · Brockton, MA · How this is calculated: methodology