Waltham receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Waltham
Lynn
Opportunity
65 · Top 31%
vs48 · Bottom 33%
Growth
51 · Top 48%
vs53 · Top 44%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs63 · Bottom 27%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 14%
vs78 · Top 27%
Housing affordability
60 · Bottom 20%
vs46 · Bottom 7%
Schools
67 · Top 31%
vs23 · Bottom 14%
Access
98 · Top 21%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
68 · Top 34%
vs60 · Top 50%
Measured values
| Metric | Waltham | Lynn | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,902 | 101,709 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $120,216 | $75,043 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $58,449 | $35,598 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,092/sq mi | 9,471/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $748,700 | $510,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,268 | $1,722 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.7% | 48.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 57.3% | 24.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.4% | 13.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 42 | 229 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 2.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 90.9% | 32.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.6" | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.2 min | 33.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.4 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 11 | 28 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.17 | 12.25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 35.9% | 13.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 46.0% | 25.7% | 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
Waltham
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Lynn
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake, hurricane.
Full profiles: Waltham, MA · Lynn, MA · How this is calculated: methodology