Signals
Wellesley
Cambridge
Climate
63 · Bottom 30%
vs65 · Bottom 36%
Physical resilience
92 · Top 9%
vs88 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 34%
vs41 · Bottom 5%
Schools
98 · Top 1%
vs74 · Top 21%
Access
96 · Top 32%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
68 · Top 33%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Wellesley | Cambridge | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,347 | 118,796 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $250,000+ | $130,748 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $111,798 | $78,723 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,028/sq mi | 18,571/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,582,700 | $1,092,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,886 | $2,787 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 84.4% | 33.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 89.0% | 80.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.0% | 12.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 86°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 23°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.9" | 43.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 15 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.4 min | 28.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.1 | 30.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 25 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.57 | 9.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 64.7% | 37.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 76.4% | 54.6% | 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
Wellesley
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, coastal flooding.
Cambridge
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Wellesley, MA · Cambridge, MA · How this is calculated: methodology