Should I Move To
Roughly 65,463 people live in Malden, Massachusetts. Living here costs expensive relative to the rest of the country, 26% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,962/mo; the typical household pulls in $90,295. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 61/100 — a C+, putting it at #123 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Malden sits at 126 — expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,962/mo against $90,295 median household income), housing eats roughly 26% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $570,600.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 80°F in summer, 26°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 44 inches. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car. Air quality reads good (AQI 34).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Malden isn't the strongest match. It earns 53/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Strongest on environmental quality (91/100); weakest on affordability (17/100).
For retirees, Malden is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 56/100 (grade C) on the retirees profile. Strongest on environmental quality (91/100); weakest on affordability (17/100).
For remote workers, Malden isn't the strongest match. It earns 52/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on environmental quality (91/100); weakest on affordability (17/100).
For young professionals, Malden isn't the strongest match. It earns 55/100 (grade C-) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on environmental quality (91/100); weakest on affordability (17/100).
Malden, Massachusetts pulls a 61/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C+), currently ranked #123 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Malden's cost-of-living index is 126 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 26% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,962/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 80°F, winter averages around 26°F, with about 44 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 89/100. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car.
Malden has about 65,463 residents, 44% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 35.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Malden head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Malden stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Malden with other Massachusetts cities scored on UrbRank.
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