Population 29,650 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Melrose
Household size in Melrose
| Period | Melrose | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.45 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.48 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Melrose run small, averaging 2.44 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the north.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Melrose
| Period | Melrose | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.0 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.6 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.1 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.6 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.6 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.6, Melrose is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 42.0, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the north.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Melrose
| Period | Melrose | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.4% of households in Melrose, well below the national share of 11.6%. Melrose has a lower share of single-parent households than most Massachusetts cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Melrose
Renters in Melrose
| Period | Melrose | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.7% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.8% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.2% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.8% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Melrose is about as common as it is nationally: 32.8% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in the wider Boston area (38.4%). About three in ten owners (29.9%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 1.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Melrose
| Period | Melrose | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Melrose: just 4.0% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 1.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Melrose has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Massachusetts cities.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Melrose
| Period | Melrose | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1945 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1946 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1949 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1947 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Melrose is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1947, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the northwest has the oldest housing. Only 12 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Melrose
| Period | Melrose | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,119 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,217 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,629 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,138 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,019 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Melrose costs $2,138 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,019 a month from 2006–10, a 91% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 28.0% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the west; the highest are in the northeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Melrose
Bachelor's degrees in Melrose
| Period | Melrose | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.6% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 50.6% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 62.0% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 63.2% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +14.6 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Melrose: 63.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree has risen 14.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Melrose
| Period | Melrose | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.8% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.6% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.2% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.6% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Melrose: 95.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has barely moved since 2006–10, while the national rate rose.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Melrose
| Period | Melrose | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.6% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.3% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Melrose has been strong: just 3.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.2 points, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Melrose compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melrose | 2.44 | 44.6 | 6.4% | 32.8% | 4.0% | 1947 | $2,138 | 63.2% | 95.6% | 3.3% |
| Malden | 2.57 | 36.9 | 10.4% | 58.7% | 8.9% | 1955 | $2,246 | 46.0% | 85.9% | 4.7% |
| Stoneham | 2.46 | 43.1 | 8.0% | 29.0% | 5.2% | 1963 | $2,014 | 56.8% | 95.6% | 2.0% |
| Saugus | 2.60 | 45.1 | 4.8% | 28.2% | 6.5% | 1964 | $2,164 | 30.4% | 90.9% | 3.7% |
| Wakefield | 2.46 | 42.2 | 5.5% | 28.6% | 6.2% | 1956 | $2,117 | 59.7% | 96.2% | 4.3% |
| Everett | 2.95 | 36.8 | 16.4% | 62.8% | 9.1% | 1949 | $2,022 | 24.7% | 77.7% | 5.0% |
| Medford | 2.42 | 38.0 | 7.9% | 45.4% | 7.1% | 1950 | $2,421 | 59.6% | 94.1% | 3.9% |
| Winchester | 2.82 | 43.4 | 6.6% | 18.3% | 3.0% | 1952 | $2,573 | 79.9% | 97.0% | 3.9% |
| Revere | 2.77 | 39.8 | 13.1% | 54.6% | 9.2% | 1963 | $2,057 | 23.9% | 81.3% | 6.1% |
| Chelsea | 3.11 | 34.8 | 19.9% | 74.0% | 5.3% | 1955 | $1,958 | 21.3% | 69.9% | 9.3% |
| Somerville | 2.27 | 32.9 | 3.9% | 65.7% | 6.6% | 1945 | $2,529 | 70.5% | 93.3% | 3.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Westfield, NJ · Burton, MI · Cave Creek, AZ · Cayey, PR · Clearfield, UT · Cloverleaf, TX · Coraopolis, PA · Dade City, FL · West Linn, OR · West Springfield Town, MA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Melrose. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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