PlainZIP

Cambridge, MA · standard

ZIP Code 02138

Middlesex County, Massachusetts - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

36,314
5,116/sq mi
$119,967
Median income
$1,212,400
Median home value
85.6%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Cambridge pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a suburban-density, mixed-tenure area.

Top 10%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 1%
home value, US ZIPs
5,116
people per sq mi
42%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 02138 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 02138 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with 36,314 residents across 7.1 square miles, a density of 5,116 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 02138 skews affluent, with a median household income of $119,967 (4% above the Massachusetts average), while per-capita income is $75,496. Poverty here runs at 13.5%, with unemployment measured at 3.3%. The typical home here is valued at $1,212,400 (102% above the state average); renters pay a median of $2,772 monthly, and 41.9% of units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 85.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 28.3, and the average commute is 24 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 02138, plus 6 more within Middlesex County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 02138

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Cambridge, MA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 02138.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 02138, Cambridge, MA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

36,314

Population

7.1

Area (sq mi)

5,116

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 02138?

28.3

Median Age

48.1%

Male

51.9%

Female

24.7%

Foreign-Born

White 60.8%
African American 7.0%
Asian 17.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 12.1%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$119,967

Median Household Income

+4% vs state

$75,496

Per Capita Income

13.5%

Poverty Rate

3.3%

Unemployment Rate

23.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 02138 ranks nationally

Cambridge, MA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$119,967 Top 10% higher than 90% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. 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, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 89.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 85.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

16,043

Total Housing Units

14,169

Occupied Units

1,874

Vacant Units

2.04

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 41.9%
Renter 58.1%

$1,212,400

Median Home Value

+102% vs state

$2,772

Median Rent

1938

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+1.9%

YoY Change (2021)

262

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+162%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 02138 have increased 1.9% over the past year (2021). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +162% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2017 +6.2% 233
2018 +8.8% 253
2019 +6.1% 269
2020 -4.5% 257
2021 +1.9% 262

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2021. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 1,072 business establishments in ZIP 02138, employing approximately 46,771 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,706,071,000.

1,072

Businesses

46,771

Employees

$3.7B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 215 20.1%
Accommodation and food services 159 14.8%
Health care and social assistance 139 13.0%
Other services (except public administration) 113 10.5%
Retail trade 107 10.0%
Real estate and rental and leasing 65 6.1%
Finance and insurance 47 4.4%
Educational services 46 4.3%
Information 43 4.0%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 31 2.9%
Manufacturing 27 2.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 25 2.3%
Construction 22 2.0%
Wholesale trade 17 1.6%
Transportation and warehousing 8 0.8%
Management of companies and enterprises 6 0.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 02138 vs 02140 →

ZIP 02138 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 02138 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 02138 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 02138 ranks #8 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
02140 Cambridge, MA 17,607 0.9 mi
02134 Allston, MA 21,503 1.6 mi
02163 Boston, MA 2,582 1.2 mi
02144 Somerville, MA 23,891 1.6 mi
02143 Somerville, MA 24,514 1.9 mi
02139 Cambridge, MA 36,349 2.0 mi
02446 Brookline, MA 29,311 2.6 mi
02135 Brighton, MA 42,780 2.3 mi
02472 Watertown, MA 32,014 2.3 mi
02445 Brookline, MA 20,679 3.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Middlesex County

02148 standard
Malden, MA
Pop: 59,503
02155 standard
Medford, MA
Pop: 57,964
02149 standard
Everett, MA
Pop: 41,550
01801 standard
Woburn, MA
Pop: 38,903
01752 standard
Marlborough, MA
Pop: 38,499
01702 standard
Framingham, MA
Pop: 37,206

Related Areas

Middlesex County Cambridge, MA Massachusetts

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 02138 in? ▼
ZIP code 02138 (Cambridge) is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Middlesex County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/middlesex-ma.
What is the population of ZIP code 02138? ▼
ZIP code 02138 in Cambridge, MA has a population of 36,314 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 02138? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 02138 is $119,967, which is 57% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 02138? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 02138 is $1,212,400, which is 336% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 02138? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 02138 is White at 60.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 02138? ▼
ZIP code 02138 has 1,072 business establishments employing approximately 46,771 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 02138? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 02138 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (215), Accommodation and food services (159), Health care and social assistance (139). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 02138? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 02138 increased by 1.9% in 2021. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 162%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 02138? ▼
In ZIP code 02138, 89.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 85.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 02138? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 02138 is 23.6 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 02138? ▼
In ZIP code 02138, approximately 41.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 58.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 02138? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 02138 is 13.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.