Census place 2540115

Melrose

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Melrose city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Melrose.

According to the 2025 estimate, Melrose has a population of 29,597 and 6,320 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 58 covered Massachusetts places are: population density is 6,320/sq mi, above the comparison median of 2,853/sq mi; median home value is $822,900, above the comparison median of $498,050; and median household income is $133,953, above the comparison median of $87,361. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

population density
6,320/sq mi
Above the comparison median of 2,853/sq mi
median home value
$822,900
Above the comparison median of $498,050
median household income
$133,953
Above the comparison median of $87,361

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Melrose's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
29,597
2025 estimate
Annual change
-0.2%
Population estimate
Density
6,320/sq mi
4.7 sq mi land area
Median age
43.6 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$133,953
Median home value
$822,900
Median gross rent
$1,970
Bachelor’s degree or higher
62%
Typical commute
34.5 min
Drive-alone commute
48.6%
Public transit commute
12.4%
Walked to work
1.8%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
32.8%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
50.3%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
65.9%
Unemployed residents 16+
2.6%
Working from home
29.6%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
93.8%
Homes built 2020+
1.3%
Households without a vehicle
10.3%
Households with children
29.9%
Residents with a disability
10.5%
Residents without insurance
0.9%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Middlesex County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
22
Severe Storm declarations
9
Snowstorm declarations
6
Hurricane declarations
5

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: BOSTON (7 mi from place center)
Average high
59.3°F
Average low
44.5°F
Annual rainfall
43.6"
Annual snowfall
49.2"

Month by month

A year in Melrose.

Typical high and low °F
20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Wilmette, IL

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
27,459
Median home
$810,600

Mountlake Terrace, WA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
25,430
Median home
$667,300

Rockville Centre, NY

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
25,770
Median home
$818,700

Keep exploring

Compare Melrose with Wilmette