Signals
Wakefield
Boston
Climate
63 · Bottom 27%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 14%
vs97 · Top 1%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 42%
vs44 · Bottom 6%
Schools
75 · Top 20%
vs41 · Bottom 36%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
79 · Top 9%
vs55 · Bottom 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Wakefield | Boston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,793 | 666,442 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $134,306 | $97,344 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $67,454 | $61,698 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,759/sq mi | 13,786/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $723,500 | $731,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,958 | $2,147 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.7% | 35.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.7% | 54.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.9% | 16.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 82°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 44.9" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 35.6 min | 33.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.4 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 127 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.29 | 10.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 40.9% | 21.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 54.0% | 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
Wakefield
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Boston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Wakefield, MA · Boston, MA · How this is calculated: methodology