City safety & data profile

MedfordMA

Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Federal health, economic and safety indicators for Medford, drawn from Census, CDC and CMS data. Larger than 83% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

57K
Population
Top 17%
By size
$129,540
Median income
$755,500
Median home
7.6%
Poverty rate

The read on Medford

Medford posts a median household income higher than 87% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 13%
by median income, US cities

Where Medford income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$129,540 Top 13% higher than 87% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Medford, MA beyond the headline numbers

Medford sits inside Middlesex County, Massachusetts, at roughly 42.42°N, -71.11°W. Its population of 57,403 and $129,540 median household income are the two most quoted figures, but in isolation they hide the shape of the city. A median home value of $755,500 paired with median rent of $2,509 is the starting point for a price-to-income read that tells you how stretched a typical household is before any other cost of living factor is considered. The 7.6% poverty rate next to that income figure is the better signal, two cities with identical medians can have very different lived realities depending on the income distribution underneath.

Health and healthcare access are the next layer most residents and prospective movers actually care about. CDC PLACES indicators for Medford show the highest-prevalence measure is short sleep duration at 32.2%, followed by high blood pressure at 25.8%.

Areazine reconstructs these layers from U.S. Census ACS (place-level economics and demographics), CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare, each updated on its own cadence, and pairs them with live alerts from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC scoped to the Medford area. The comparison bars next to each metric anchor the number against a national reference, which is the fastest way to tell whether Medford is an outlier on a given dimension before drilling into the raw value.

Population
57,403
Medford
Median Income
$129,540
+91% vs avg
Median Home Value
$755,500
+232% vs avg
Median Age
35.9
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Middlesex County) - Medford's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
1.6M+8%
Median Income
$130,847+59%
Median Home Value
$727,800+83%
Poverty Rate
7.7%-5%
Unemployment
4.3%-41%

Economics

Economics indicators for Medford, MA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$2,509/mo
Poverty Rate
7.6% -46% vs avg
Unemployment 4.3%
Bachelor's Degree+ 59.8%
Work From Home 26.8%
Public Transit 11.9%

Population

White 67.9%
African American 6.7%
Asian 13.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.6%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
32.2%
High Blood Pressure
25.8%
Obesity
24.2%
Physical Inactivity
18.3%
Binge Drinking
17.7%
Frequent Mental Distress
16.4%
Current Asthma
11.8%
Frequent Physical Distress
10%
Current Smoking
9.6%
Diabetes
7.7%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 71.4%
Annual Checkup 78.4%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
4.5%
Lack of Health Insurance
4.2%
Stroke
2.4%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Medford, MA?
Medford, MA has a population of 57,403 people, located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
What is the median household income in Medford?
The median household income in Medford, MA is $129,540 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 7.6%.
What is the median home value in Medford?
The median home value in Medford, MA is $755,500. Median rent is $2,509/month.
What are the top health concerns in Medford?
The top health indicators in Medford include Short Sleep Duration (32.2%), High Blood Pressure (25.8%), Obesity (24.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Medford?
The median age in Medford, MA is 35.9 years. 59.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Medford, MA is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. With a population of 57K and a $129,540 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Safety alerts for the Medford area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

Primary source data

Nearby Cities 8

Using Medford's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Medford area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Medford against Massachusetts peers on any ranking lens. Explore Massachusetts

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Middlesex County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.