Living in Waltham, MA
Suburb in Massachusetts
Waltham is a suburb in Massachusetts, home to about 65,000 people, with 3.7 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Waltham a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 14 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Easy flying: BOS is 12 mi away
- Highly educated: 56% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 10 research universities are within 31 mi
- Safe: violent crime is 0.4× the US rate (FBI 2019)
👎 Cons
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $833k, and rent is $3,530 a month
- Cloudier than most places
- Higher taxes: about $3,502 state income tax per resident, 0.68% property tax
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Waltham ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Waltham: common questions
What is the cost of living in Waltham?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $833k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,530 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 108, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Waltham?
Massachusetts collects about $3,502 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.68% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Waltham safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.4× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Waltham?
Waltham has cold winters: winter days average around 39°F and summer days around 83°F, with roughly 59″ of snow a year.
Does Waltham get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding: 11 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.16 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Waltham?
The nearest major airport is BOS, about 12 mi away.
How Waltham scores
Each bar compares Waltham with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Waltham right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.