Population 5,833 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in MIT
Household size in MIT
| Period | MIT | Cambridge | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.23 | 2.02 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.78 | 2.08 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.14 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.07 | 2.07 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.16 | +0.05 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
MIT is a place of small households, averaging 2.07 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.23 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the west and smallest in the northeast.
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 MIT
| Period | MIT | Cambridge | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.3 | 33.4 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 21.5 | 32.7 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 22.0 | 32.0 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 22.3 | 32.1 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.0 | −1.4 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
MIT is young: half of its residents are under 22.3, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults in their twenties. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 24.3, even as the national median rose. No other Cambridge neighborhood is younger.
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 MIT
| Period | MIT | Cambridge | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 7.4% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 6.3% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 5.9% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 6.3% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.2% of households in MIT, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 3.1 points, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 MIT
Renters in MIT
| Period | MIT | Cambridge | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.3% | 64.1% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 96.1% | 63.9% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 92.7% | 65.2% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 100.0% | 66.6% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +2.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in MIT rent: 100.0% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. The renter share has risen 2.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. MIT has the highest share of renters of any Cambridge neighborhood.
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 MIT
| Period | MIT | Cambridge | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 9.1% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 8.7% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 37.8% | 12.3% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 11.0% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +1.9 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in MIT as nationally: 10.3%, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 4.8 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 MIT
| Period | MIT | Cambridge | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1950 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1950 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1955 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1977 | 1959 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +14 | +9 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in MIT are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1977, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Cambridge overall, where the median home dates to 1959. The median year built has moved up from 1963 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Only one other Cambridge neighborhood has newer 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 MIT
| Period | MIT | Cambridge | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,373 | $1,429 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,915 | $1,610 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $3,041 | $2,241 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,752 | $2,761 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,379 | +$1,332 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in MIT pays $2,752 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,379 a month since 2006–10, up 100%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 43.5% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. 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 MIT
Bachelor's degrees in MIT
| Period | MIT | Cambridge | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.2% | 72.5% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 93.6% | 76.0% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 82.6% | 79.3% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 97.0% | 81.4% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +8.9 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in MIT: 97.0% 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. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.8 points, in line with the national trend. MIT has the highest share of college graduates of any Cambridge neighborhood.
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 MIT
| Period | MIT | Cambridge | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.8% | 94.5% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.7% | 94.5% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 99.1% | 95.9% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 99.8% | 96.4% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +1.9 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in MIT: 99.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 1.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. No other Cambridge neighborhood has a higher share of high school graduates.
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 MIT
| Period | MIT | Cambridge | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.6% | 5.9% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 5.8% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 4.1% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 3.3% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in MIT runs below the national rate: 3.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The picture is much the same across Cambridge. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
MIT compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIT | 2.07 | 22.3 | 4.2% | 100.0% | 10.3% | 1977 | $2,752 | 97.0% | 99.8% | 3.8% |
| Area IV | 2.24 | 30.4 | 12.5% | 77.8% | 4.8% | 1962 | $2,366 | 71.0% | 92.0% | 4.2% |
| Cambridgeport | 2.01 | 32.9 | 8.4% | 64.5% | 7.1% | 1964 | $2,822 | 84.0% | 96.3% | 3.3% |
| Back Bay | 1.57 | 37.8 | 3.4% | 67.6% | 19.3% | 1950 | $2,565 | 84.2% | 96.6% | 4.1% |
| Wellington-Harrington | 2.28 | 31.1 | 10.9% | 73.9% | 4.5% | 1942 | $2,652 | 64.4% | 90.8% | 2.2% |
| Fenway-Kenmore | 1.72 | 25.4 | 4.7% | 89.2% | 18.9% | 1959 | $2,266 | 76.9% | 94.7% | 9.1% |
| East Cambridge | 1.83 | 31.8 | 3.4% | 78.1% | 15.6% | 1984 | $3,165 | 82.0% | 96.5% | 3.3% |
| Mid-Cambridge | 2.00 | 32.2 | 3.7% | 61.6% | 11.9% | 1942 | $2,727 | 86.8% | 97.3% | 2.8% |
| Riverside | 2.01 | 27.0 | 8.4% | 77.9% | 16.3% | 1956 | $2,788 | 76.0% | 97.3% | 4.0% |
| North Brookline | 2.24 | 32.4 | 5.1% | 60.6% | 5.7% | 1951 | $2,823 | 78.4% | 98.3% | 7.3% |
| Union Square | 2.07 | 32.4 | 2.9% | 72.0% | 6.7% | 1947 | $2,522 | 75.1% | 92.8% | 2.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Indian Hills, Grand Prairie, TX · Southside, Huntington, WV · Southeast Como, Minneapolis, MN · Southeast, Brentwood, TN · South Westnedge, Kalamazoo, MI · South Los Altos, Los Altos, CA · Los Cerritos, Long Beach, CA · Las Positas, Santa Barbara, CA · Interlake, Bellevue, WA · St Jean, Detroit, MI
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 MIT. 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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