Woburn and Waltham receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Woburn
Waltham
Opportunity
66 · Top 30%
vs65 · Top 31%
Growth
39 · Bottom 30%
vs51 · Top 48%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs62 · Bottom 20%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 14%
vs88 · Top 14%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 18%
vs60 · Bottom 20%
Schools
66 · Top 32%
vs67 · Top 31%
Access
98 · Top 20%
vs98 · Top 21%
Economic stability
76 · Top 15%
vs68 · Top 34%
Measured values
| Metric | Woburn | Waltham | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,939 | 64,902 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $111,185 | $120,216 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $58,435 | $58,449 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,315/sq mi | 5,092/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $673,500 | $748,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,221 | $2,268 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.7% | 49.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.5% | 57.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 9.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 16 | 42 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -52.9% | 90.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 42.6" | 42.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.8 min | 27.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 34.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.16 | 10.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 35.7% | 35.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 47.0% | 46.0% | 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
Woburn
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Waltham
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Woburn, MA · Waltham, MA · How this is calculated: methodology