City safety & data profile

MelroseMA

Melrose, MA is a 28K-resident city in Middlesex County with a median household income of $133,953.

Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Melrose, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Melrose has a population larger than 60% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $822,900, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-18

28K
Population
Top 40%
By size
$133,953
Median income
$822,900
Median home
3.8%
Poverty rate

The read on Melrose

Melrose posts a median household income higher than 88% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Melrose area.

Top 12%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Melrose

Where Melrose income ranks nationally

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

$133,953 Top 12% higher than 88% 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 Melrose, MA beyond the headline numbers

Melrose sits inside Middlesex County, Massachusetts, at roughly 42.46°N, -71.07°W. Population 27,997, $133,953 median household income. Median home value $822,900, median rent $1,970. Poverty rate 3.8%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Melrose's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 30.2%, then high blood pressure at 27.6%. 1 hospital in/around Melrose, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Melrose from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
27,997
Melrose
Median Income
$133,953
+97% vs avg
Median Home Value
$822,900
+261% vs avg
Median Age
43.6
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Middlesex County) - Melrose'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 Melrose, MA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,970/mo
Poverty Rate
3.8% -73% vs avg
Unemployment 3.7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 62%
Work From Home 29.6%
Public Transit 12.4%

Population

White 77.9%
African American 1.6%
Asian 11%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.3%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
30.2%
High Blood Pressure
27.6%
Obesity
23.8%
Binge Drinking
17.3%
Physical Inactivity
16.6%
Frequent Mental Distress
14.5%
Current Asthma
11.5%
Frequent Physical Distress
9.8%
Current Smoking
8.8%
Diabetes
7.8%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 76.1%
Annual Checkup 80.6%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
4.8%
Lack of Health Insurance
3.3%
Stroke
2.5%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
MELROSEWAKEFIELD HEALTHCARE
MELROSE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Melrose, MA? ▼
Melrose, MA has a population of 27,997 people, located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
What is the median household income in Melrose? ▼
The median household income in Melrose, MA is $133,953 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 3.8%.
What is the median home value in Melrose? ▼
The median home value in Melrose, MA is $822,900. Median rent is $1,970/month.
What are the top health concerns in Melrose? ▼
The top health indicators in Melrose include Short Sleep Duration (30.2%), High Blood Pressure (27.6%), Obesity (23.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Melrose? ▼
Melrose has 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Melrose? ▼
The median age in Melrose, MA is 43.6 years. 62% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Melrose, MA is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. With a population of 28K and a $133,953 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Melrose area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Massachusetts

Real-time AQI for every monitored Massachusetts location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Malden, MA 61K Stoneham, MA 21K Wakefield, MA 25K Everett, MA 46K Saugus, MA 27K Medford, MA 57K Winter Hill, MA 13K Winchester, MA 21K
All cities in Massachusetts → Compare Melrose vs Malden → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Melrose'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 Melrose 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 Melrose 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.