Melrose, MA vs Reading, PA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Melrose

67.3

#1438 nationally

Reading

74.9

#536 nationally

Melrose leads in crime level (2.8 vs 9.2). Melrose leads in median household income ($126,305 vs $42,852). Reading leads in cost of living index (88 vs 167).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Melrose, MA	Reading, PA
WhereAtHome Score	67.3 (#1438)	74.9 (#536)
Population	29,357	94,903
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$930,823	$268,328
Median Household Income	$126,305	$42,852
Average Commute	37.1 min	24.3 min
Walk Score	62	72
Crime Level	2.8	9.2
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	167	88
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+39.5	R+12.2