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Massachusetts city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Cambridge?

What it costs to live in Cambridge, and how it compares with other Massachusetts cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

32

68th best value in Massachusetts

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Massachusetts cities.

Overall livability

52

36th overall in Massachusetts

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Cambridge is home to about 116,892 people. A typical home runs $888,000 and a household earns around $112,600, a price-to-income ratio of 7.9. Among Massachusetts's largest cities, it ranks 68th for value and 36th overall.

Cambridge at a glance

Median home price

$888,000

79th in MA of 80

Median rent

$2,388/mo

Median household income

$112,600

Home price to income

7.9x

Unemployment

3.7%

17th in MA of 80

School rating

10/10

8th in MA of 80

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in MA of 80

Walk score

13/100

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‹ See all top Massachusetts cities ranked  ยท  Massachusetts state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within Massachusetts only. Updated 2026.