Jobs, pay and daily life in Melrose, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Melrose is a city in Massachusetts with 29,650 residents. The median household earns $133,953 a year and the median rent is $1,970 a month, which is 17.6% of the median household income. It is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area, where BLS counts 2,703,890 jobs.
How Melrose compares. Among the 80 largest places in Massachusetts, Melrose is #50 by population, #77 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #14 for remote work (#1 = most), #20 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Middlesex County, is #2 of 14 counties for average pay ($113,704).
Melrose has 29,650 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Massachusetts. It covers 5 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 6,331 people per square mile. The median age is 43.6, 9% older than the state median (43.6 against 40.0).
The median gross rent is $1,970 a month (rent plus utilities), 12% above the state median ($1,970 against $1,762). Over a year that is 17.6% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $822,900, which is 6.1 times the median household income ($133,953); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 67.2% of households own their home, 7% above the state average (67.2% against 62.5%).
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area has 2,703,890 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $66,620 a year, 31% above the national median ($66,620 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (265,830 jobs, median $56,580); management (254,700 jobs, median $166,580); business and financial operations (242,960 jobs, median $102,660). The area is most specialised in life, physical, and social science (2.6 times) and architecture and engineering (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($166,580) and legal ($135,160). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Middlesex County was 3.8%. 68.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Middlesex County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 48.6% drive alone, 12.4% use public transit, 1.8% walk, 29.6% work from home. 34.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 58% above the state average (34.0% against 21.5%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
62.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 31% above the state share (62.0% against 47.3%). 17.6% of residents were born outside the United States, about the same as the state share (17.6% against 18.1%). The poverty rate is 3.8%, 62% below the state rate (3.8% against 10.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 72°F (22.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 26°F (-3.5°C). About 1,206 mm (47 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Oct is the wettest month (123 mm) and Jan the driest (80 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Malden (2 miles, rent 12% higher); Stoneham (2 miles, rent 3% higher); Saugus (2 miles, rent 14% higher); Wakefield (3 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Melrose; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Massachusetts (896) →State guide: MassachusettsCountry guideMiddlesex CountyMassachusetts rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 896 federal postings open in Massachusetts (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Massachusetts →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 72,420 | 0.97 | $40,910 | $36,810 | $47,410 | +14% |
| General and Operations Managers | 70,950 | 1.16 | $133,800 | $63,020 | $329,130 | +27% |
| Registered Nurses | 64,240 | 1.09 | $106,180 | $81,880 | $188,670 | +9% |
| Retail Salespersons | 64,150 | 0.95 | $36,850 | $34,000 | $48,260 | +4% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 60,130 | 0.90 | $36,290 | $31,520 | $39,440 | +16% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 43,160 | 1.12 | $46,550 | $35,680 | $60,570 | +26% |
| Cashiers | 42,920 | 0.80 | $36,040 | $32,180 | $45,820 | +10% |
| Software Developers | 42,310 | 1.44 | $166,090 | $102,950 | $214,100 | +22% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 41,570 | 1.05 | $39,270 | $31,930 | $64,150 | +11% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 37,780 | 0.84 | $49,920 | $35,720 | $75,950 | +12% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 37,150 | 1.47 | $100,150 | $72,450 | $161,450 | +20% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 35,770 | 0.73 | $37,700 | $32,960 | $49,220 | +1% |
| Office Clerks, General | 34,480 | 0.80 | $50,710 | $36,030 | $71,770 | +13% |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 32,310 | 2.07 | $102,390 | $59,730 | $167,440 | +30% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 28,540 | 0.96 | $59,330 | $42,930 | $79,050 | +25% |
| Management Analysts | 26,450 | 1.69 | $135,640 | $83,380 | $218,830 | +33% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 26,350 | 1.07 | $40,930 | $31,200 | $60,730 | +11% |
| Nursing Assistants | 26,130 | 1.04 | $47,590 | $40,190 | $59,450 | +13% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 25,630 | 1.03 | $77,990 | $52,290 | $112,060 | +12% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 25,310 | 1.16 | $83,420 | $49,990 | $164,020 | +19% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surgeons, All Other | 520 | 1.19 | $386,300 | $75,980 | $561,250 | -7% |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 620 | 1.09 | $356,230 | $92,410 | $530,920 | +6% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 9,570 | 5.06 | $291,000 | $164,570 | $330,050 | +74% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 2,950 | 1.58 | $284,010 | $107,650 | $374,630 | +16% |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,220 | 1.05 | $243,230 | $84,750 | $340,410 | -5% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 530 | 0.58 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | n/a |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 500 | 1.35 | $235,460 | $96,960 | $435,010 | -20% |
| Physicians, All Other | 6,350 | 1.07 | $229,870 | $79,690 | $440,660 | -14% |
| Pediatricians, General | 1,860 | 2.72 | $221,170 | $125,170 | $324,950 | +5% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 20,530 | 1.76 | $214,960 | $136,800 | $310,450 | +23% |
| Marketing Managers | 11,940 | 1.74 | $213,910 | $131,130 | $312,910 | +28% |
| Financial Managers | 21,650 | 1.48 | $209,780 | $126,450 | $335,150 | +26% |
| Sales Managers | 11,540 | 1.04 | $206,610 | $106,220 | $323,670 | +39% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 6,690 | 1.75 | $205,130 | $138,960 | $290,440 | +20% |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | 590 | 1.47 | $185,590 | $129,490 | $285,030 | +24% |
| Human Resources Managers | 6,480 | 1.69 | $184,990 | $99,990 | $317,690 | +24% |
| Managers, All Other | 9,120 | 0.84 | $184,250 | $114,920 | $309,990 | +30% |
| Lawyers | 20,080 | 1.53 | $183,350 | $84,280 | $379,350 | +15% |
| Dentists, General | 1,920 | 0.89 | $181,150 | $95,550 | $370,580 | +6% |
| Public Relations Managers | 1,810 | 1.39 | $176,390 | $98,170 | $320,050 | +20% |
These figures are for the whole Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $66,620 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.9% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.8% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 22.4% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 11.2% |
| Retail trade | 9.5% |
| Manufacturing | 7.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 5.7% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Public administration | 4.5% |
| Construction | 3.6% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.8% |
| Information | 2.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.2% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Melrose lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County | 1,638,365 | $240,665 million | $146,894 | 926,104 | 58,457 | $113,704 | -0.5% | 3.8% | 932,913 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and technical services | 159,395 | 19.1% | $198,377 | 2.47 |
| Health care and social assistance | 125,576 | 15.1% | $71,058 | 0.95 |
| Retail trade | 70,488 | 8.5% | $46,022 | 0.76 |
| Manufacturing | 67,086 | 8.0% | $137,097 | 0.88 |
| Accommodation and food services | 62,812 | 7.5% | $37,809 | 0.75 |
| Educational services | 57,273 | 6.9% | $101,275 | 2.99 |
| Administrative and waste services | 46,985 | 5.6% | $82,635 | 0.86 |
| Construction | 42,904 | 5.1% | $103,224 | 0.88 |
| Management of companies | 38,391 | 4.6% | $173,443 | 2.46 |
| Information | 37,193 | 4.5% | $238,881 | 2.14 |
| Wholesale trade | 29,190 | 3.5% | $137,429 | 0.80 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 25,224 | 3.0% | $58,069 | 0.90 |
| Finance and insurance | 22,442 | 2.7% | $155,188 | 0.60 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 18,969 | 2.3% | $60,576 | 0.48 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 12,554 | 1.5% | $34,559 | 0.81 |
| Real estate and rental | 11,930 | 1.4% | $107,513 | 0.83 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 3,606 | 0.4% | $76,313 | 0.48 |
| Utilities | 1,918 | 0.2% | $136,687 | 0.54 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 116 | 0.0% | $94,049 | 0.03 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 48.6% |
| Public transit | 12.4% |
| Walk | 1.8% |
| Work from home | 29.6% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 34.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $133,953 |
| Income per person | $67,861 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,970 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.6% |
| Median home value | $822,900 |
| Homeowners | 67.2% |
| Poverty rate | 3.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 108.3 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $66,620 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 9.00%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 43.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 95.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 62.0% |
| Born abroad | 17.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 68.4% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3.5 | 26 | 80 |
| Feb | -2.6 | 27 | 86 |
| Mar | 1.3 | 34 | 110 |
| Apr | 7.4 | 45 | 106 |
| May | 13.4 | 56 | 95 |
| Jun | 18.6 | 65 | 113 |
| Jul | 22.4 | 72 | 94 |
| Aug | 22.1 | 72 | 93 |
| Sep | 18.2 | 65 | 92 |
| Oct | 11.5 | 53 | 123 |
| Nov | 5.3 | 42 | 98 |
| Dec | 0.0 | 32 | 116 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malden | MA | 2 mi | 65,906 | $100,606 | $2,204 |
| Stoneham | MA | 2 mi | 23,355 | $113,964 | $2,035 |
| Saugus | MA | 2 mi | 28,773 | $101,539 | $2,241 |
| Wakefield | MA | 3 mi | 27,793 | $134,306 | $1,958 |
| Medford | MA | 3 mi | 59,354 | $129,540 | $2,509 |
| Everett | MA | 3 mi | 50,045 | $85,218 | $2,076 |
| Revere | MA | 4 mi | 60,012 | $86,969 | $2,076 |
| Chelsea | MA | 4 mi | 39,908 | $72,179 | $1,956 |
| Winchester | MA | 4 mi | 23,406 | $230,198 | $2,279 |
| Somerville | MA | 5 mi | 81,036 | $132,572 | $2,517 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
29,650 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,970 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.6% of the median household income.
$133,953 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.8% (BLS county, Middlesex County (latest month 2026M09)).
Massachusetts. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.