PlainZIP

Waltham, MA · standard

ZIP Code 02452

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

14,238
1,485/sq mi
$118,431
Median income
$808,300
Median home value
53.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 10%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 4%
home value, US ZIPs
1,485
people per sq mi
51%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 02452 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 02452 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Waltham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, home to 14,238 residents across 9.6 square miles, a density of 1,485 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 02452 skews affluent, with a median household income of $118,431 (2% above the Massachusetts average), while per-capita income is $52,042. 11.7% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 3.7%. The typical home here is valued at $808,300 (35% above the state average); renters pay a median of $2,322 monthly, and 51.1% of units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 53.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 31.6, and the average commute is 26 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 02452, 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 02452

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Waltham, MA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 02452.

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 02452, Waltham, 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

14,238

Population

9.6

Area (sq mi)

1,485

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 02452?

31.6

Median Age

48.1%

Male

51.9%

Female

27.1%

Foreign-Born

White 64.5%
African American 10.7%
Asian 10.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.8%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 8.4%
Hispanic or Latino 12.3%

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?

$118,431

Median Household Income

+2% vs state

$52,042

Per Capita Income

11.7%

Poverty Rate

3.7%

Unemployment Rate

25.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 02452 ranks nationally

Waltham, MA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$118,431 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 70.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 53.8%

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

What does housing look like?

5,609

Total Housing Units

5,362

Occupied Units

247

Vacant Units

2.22

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 51.1%
Renter 48.9%

$808,300

Median Home Value

+35% vs state

$2,322

Median Rent

1971

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

+5.8%

YoY Change (2024)

264

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+164%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 02452 have increased 5.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +164% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +5.0% 207
2021 +4.2% 216
2022 +4.6% 226
2023 +10.5% 249
2024 +5.8% 264

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 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 417 business establishments in ZIP 02452, employing approximately 8,200 people with a combined annual payroll of $652,444,000.

417

Businesses

8,200

Employees

$652.4M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 60 14.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 53 12.7%
Construction 47 11.3%
Accommodation and food services 44 10.6%
Other services (except public administration) 43 10.3%
Retail trade 40 9.6%
Finance and insurance 24 5.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 23 5.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing 17 4.1%
Management of companies and enterprises 15 3.6%
Wholesale trade 13 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 12 2.9%
Information 8 1.9%
Manufacturing 7 1.7%
Educational services 6 1.4%
Transportation and warehousing 5 1.2%

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 02452 vs 02451 →

ZIP 02452 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 02452 ranks #7 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 02452 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 02452 ranks #null 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
02451 Waltham, MA 17,426 1.9 mi
02478 Belmont, MA 24,664 2.1 mi
02453 Waltham, MA 28,968 2.0 mi
02465 West Newton, MA 11,710 3.1 mi
02460 Newtonville, MA 8,742 2.9 mi
02421 Lexington, MA 17,342 3.3 mi
02420 Lexington, MA 14,052 4.3 mi
02472 Watertown, MA 32,014 2.7 mi
02476 Arlington, MA 16,532 2.8 mi
02458 Newton, MA 12,131 3.3 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 Waltham, MA Massachusetts

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 02452 in? ▼
ZIP code 02452 (Waltham) 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 02452? ▼
ZIP code 02452 in Waltham, MA has a population of 14,238 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 02452? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 02452 is $118,431, which is 55% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 02452? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 02452 is $808,300, which is 191% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 02452? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 02452 is White at 64.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 12.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 02452? ▼
ZIP code 02452 has 417 business establishments employing approximately 8,200 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 02452? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 02452 are: Health care and social assistance (60), Professional, scientific, and technical services (53), Construction (47). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 02452? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 02452 increased by 5.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 164%. 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 02452? ▼
In ZIP code 02452, 70.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 53.8% 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 02452? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 02452 is 25.9 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 02452? ▼
In ZIP code 02452, approximately 51.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 48.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 02452? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 02452 is 11.7% 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.