Cambridge is a larger medium-sized city located in the state of Massachusetts. With a population of 118,488 people and 33 associated neighborhoods, Cambridge is the fourth largest community in Massachusetts. Much of the housing stock in Cambridge was built prior to World War II, making it one of the older and more historic cities in the country.
Cambridge home prices are not only among the most expensive in Massachusetts, but Cambridge real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.
And if you like science, one thing you'll find is that Cambridge has lots of scientists living in town - whether they be life scientists, physical scientists (like astronomers), or social scientists (like geographers!). So, if you're scientific-minded, you might like it here too.
Also of interest is that Cambridge has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.
Of important note, Cambridge is also a city of artists. Cambridge has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Cambridge’s character.
A relatively large number of people in Cambridge telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 25.15% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.
Cambridge is made interesting by being both a reasonably big city and having a major college student population: students here will find that the city provides a lot of amenities, culture, and opportunities for them. Cambridge is more than just a college town, however, though the thousands of students certainly are a major part of the character of the city, as well as a contributor to the local economy.
Not only is Cambridge a city with many college students, but it also retains many recent graduates who are looking to start new careers, shaping the character of the city into a place that is geared toward, and considered attractive to, many single, educated people. Many singles consider Cambridge a good place to live without being in a really big city, with opportunities for friendships and fun with others like themselves.
Like elsewhere in America, most people in Cambridge use a private automobile to get to work. But notably, a substantial number of Cambridge‘s citizens do make use of public transit in their daily commute, primarily riding the subway. This helps more people get to work with less air pollution, and require fewer highways to get them there.
If knowledge is power, Cambridge is a pretty powerful place. 79.92% of the adults in Cambridge have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.
The per capita income in Cambridge in 2022 was $72,975, which is wealthy relative to Massachusetts and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $291,900 for a family of four. However, Cambridge contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
Cambridge is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Cambridge home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Cambridge residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Cambridge include Irish, English, German, Italian, and Polish.
Cambridge also has a high percentage of its population that was born in another country: 29.46%.
The most common language spoken in Cambridge is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Spanish.