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Cambridge

General Information
Population: 118,997
Land Area: 6.39 square miles
Median Family Income: $95,404
2021 Property Tax Rate: $5.85 per $1,000 assessed
2020 Median Single Family Sale Price: $1,700,000
2020 Median Condo Sale Price: $820,000
2018-2019 Average SAT Score: 1016

Commuity Cambridge inter

About

Perhaps one of the most well-known Boston suburbs, Cambridge, MA is located directly north of the city of Boston, just across the Charles River. Thanks to nearby Harvard and MIT, the city of Cambridge is a diverse, bustling hub of thought, innovation, and excitement. Cambridge is consistently ranked as one of the most liberal cities in America and has been regarded as a cradle for technology and innovation since as far back as the mid-1840s.

Cambridge has three district public high school programs, as well as several private schools making raising a family in Cambridge a wonderful option for those who need to commute to Boston for work. Available properties for sale in Cambridge range from Cambridge single-family townhomes to Cambridge apartments to detached single-family homes in Cambridge.

For those looking to sell a home in Cambridge, MA, our Cambridge real estate experts boast the familiarity and knowledge needed to make a quick and successful transaction. Our team’s holistic approach to selling a home in Cambridge means we work to help stage your home, market, and bring qualified buyers to ensure a smooth experience.

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Market Data

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Neighborhoods

Cambridge is very walkable and bike friendly with a land area of only 6.4 square miles. In spite of its relatively small size, Cambridge encompasses 13 distinct neighborhoods, each with its own character often marked by the well-known universities and unique commercial squares, including Porter Square, Harvard Square, Central Square, and Kendall Square, all of which are serviced by the MBTA Red Line, which links directly into Boston.

Strawberry Hill

The smallest neighborhood in Cambridge by land mass, Strawberry Hill is primarily a residential area with the majority of the real estate being classic, Cambridge 2-3 family homes. It has convenient access to Fresh Pond Reservation and the Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Municipal Golf Course, a public nine-hole golf course.

Closest Square: Harvard Square

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• Sofra Bakery for warm Mediterranean hospitality, meze, and specialty foods
• Sophia’s Greek Pantry for a wide selection of imported and freshly baked goods

Housing Snapshot:
• Persons Per Acre: 9.6
• Single Families: 31.7%
• Multi-families: 66%
• Owner Occupants: 35.6%
• Renter Occupants: 56.7%

Cambridge Highlands

Located in north east edge Cambridge on the opposite side of Fresh Pond from Strawberry Hill, Cambridge Highlands is comprised of commercial and light industrial use areas, which include a couple of strip malls and grocery stores, and a residential section that is further west, bordering Belmont.

Closest Square: Porter Square

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• Cambridge Wine & Spirits for top wine and spirit selection

Housing Snapshot:
• Persons Per Acre: 7
• Single Families: 61%
• Multi-families: 31.2%
• Apartment complexes: 5.7%
• Owner Occupants: 30.3%
• Renter Occupants: 56%

West Cambridge

Bordered by the Charles River and Fresh Pond, and encompassing the retail centers of Harvard Square, Observatory Hill, and Huron Village, this neighborhood is bustling with restaurants, local shops and outdoor activities.

Closest Square: Harvard Square

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• Formaggio Kitchen for a European shopping experience, focused on specialty cheese and unique and delicious wine
• Felipe’s Taqueria for frozen margaritas on the rooftop in the heart of Harvard Square
• Hi-Rise for a killer sandwich

Housing Snapshot:
• Persons Per Acre: 12.7
• Single Families: 50.2%
• Multi-families: 46.3%
• Owner Occupants: 56.7%
• Renter Occupants: 35%

North Cambridge

In the northernmost corner of the city, bordering Arlington and Somerville, North Cambridge is a primarily residential neighborhood with businesses dotting the street along Massachusetts Avenue and a commercial center at Porter Square.

Closest Square: Porter Square

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• Cambridge Naturals for the best in natural wellness products
• Porter Square Books for a good read
• Joe Sent Me for the best fried pickles in Boston

Housing Snapshot:
• Persons Per Acre: 25.4
• Single Families: 34.7%
• Multi-families: 58.8%
• Owner Occupants: 30.8%
• Renter Occupants: 63.9%

Neighborhood 9

Neighborhood 9 is a moderately dense area of Cambridge with Harvard and Porter Squares bookending its southern border, which is lined with local retail shops, restaurants and neighborhood bars. It also includes parts of Avon Hill.

Closest Square: Porter Square

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• Berry Line for fresh fro-yo
• Guilia for authentic Italian food, warm hospitality, and a bomb wine list
• Danehy Park for 50 acres of athletic and recreational space

Housing Snapshot:
• Persons Per Acre: 29.4
• Single Families: 43.7%
• Multi-families: 45.7%
• Owner Occupants: 37.5%
• Renter Occupants: 51%

Agassiz

On the north side of Massachusetts Avenue, Agassiz is a moderately dense residential neighborhood with a large presence from the Universities, including Harvard and Lesley.

Closest Square: Porter & Harvard Squares

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• Cambridge Common for nachos and a brew
• Petsi Pies for all your year-round pie needs (and other delish baked goods)

Housing Snapshot:
• Persons Per Acre: 28
• Single Families: 36.9%
• Multi-families: 49.8%
• 5–12 Units: 9.7%
• Owner Occupants: 34.8%
• Renter Occupants: 59.3%

Mid Cambridge

Mid Cambridge is a large, highly dense neighborhood with around 13,000 residents and three of the vibrant Cambridge squares: Harvard, Central, and Inman, at its borders.

Closest Square: Inman & Harvard Squares

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• Life Alive for creative, organic food to fuel your body and soul
• The Cambridge Public Library for a good read
• Darwin’s Cafe for great sandwiches and a fun lunch vibe

Housing Snapshot:
• Persons Per Acre: 45.9
• Single Families: 24.7%
• Multi-families: 55.2%
• 5–12 Units: 11.8%
• Owner Occupants: 32.4%
• Renter Occupants: 53.9%

Riverside

One of the oldest settled parts of Cambridge and the densest, Riverside runs along the river between Harvard and Central Squares, both of which serve as this area’s retail hubs. This neighborhood has no shortage of walkable amenities.

Closest Square: Harvard & Central Squares

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• Pammy’s for American with Italian trattoria inspiration
• The Oberon for emerging theatre and art
• Charles River Reservation for a run with a view of the city’s skyline
• The Plough and Stars or the People’s Republik for solid neighborhood dives

Housing Snapshot:
• Persons Per Acre: 61.2
• Single Families: 24.4%
• Multi-families: 57.8%
• 5-12 Units: 11.8%
• Owner Occupants: 21.1%
• Renter Occupants: 67.7%

Cambridgeport

East of Riverside, bordering the Charles River, is Cambridgeport. This very dense neighborhood served by Central Square has seen significant development, including new retail and campuses of big biotechs and pharmaceuticals, such as Takeda and Novartis.

Closest Square: Central Square

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• Naco Taco for delicious Mexican street food and margaritas
• Andala Coffee House for all-natural arabic coffee
• Little Donkey for cocktails, craft brews, and international fare

Housing Snapshot:
• Single Families: 23.7%
• Multi-families: 62.1%
• 5–12 Units: 10.4%
• Owner Occupants: 31.8%
• Renter Occupants: 58.7%

The Port

Formally known as Area 4, this highly dense residential neighborhood features Central Square as its main commercial center. Certain parts are also served by Inman Square. The South Eastern edge of this neighborhood, though once very industrial, now houses quite a bit of lab space, MIT buildings and offices.

Closest Square: Central Square

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• Lamplighter Brewing Company for New England IPA’s
• Oleana for some of the best Mediterranean food in Bostone

Housing Snapshot:
• Persons Per Acre: 36.9
• Single Families: 24.8%
• Multi-families: 54.7%
• 5–12 Units: 15.8%
• Owner Occupants: 26.4%
• Renter Occupants: 54.7%

Wellington/Harrington

Bordering Somerville and Boston, the Wellington/Harrington neighborhood has the second highest density population in Cambridge. It includes most of Inman Square, a funky little Square full of coffee shops, eateries, bars, and a Whole Foods Market.

Closest Square: Inman & Kendall Squares

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• Similans: a great casual, hole-in-the-wall Thai spot where the food will not disappoint!
• Lone Star Taco Bar: because this Group loves our tacos!
• The Glass House has some great outdoor trivia nights!

Housing Snapshot:
• Persons Per Acre: 43.3
• Single Families: 26.3%
• Multi-families: 56.9%
• 5-12 Units: 14.8%
• Owner Occupants: 28%
• Renter Occupants: 66.5%

East Cambridge

Since the 1980’s this area has seen a major shift in land use, marked by retail developments such as the Galleria Mall, apartments and restaurants on 3rd Street, and a major 45 acre re-development project—Cambridge Crossing—currently underway at North Point. Read more about Cambridge Crossing here.

Closest Square: Kendall Square

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• State Park for creative cocktails and comfort food
• Kendall Square Cinema for independent films
• Christina’s Homemade Ice Cream

Housing Snapshot:
• Persons Per Acre: 25.5
• Single Families: 28.2%
• Multi-families: 56.2%
• 5-12 Units: 11.6%
• 26 Units or More: 3.4%
• Owner Occupants: 26.6%
• Renter Occupants: 56.6%

Area 2 / MIT

Bordering Somerville and Boston, the Wellington/Harrington neighborhood has the second highest density population in Cambridge. It includes most of Inman Square, a funky little Square full of coffee shops, eateries, bars, and a Whole Foods Market.

Closest Square: Kendall Square

Coleman Group Favorite Local Gems:
• Mead Hall for an afterwork drink
• Champions to watch Boston Sports teams crush the competition

Housing Snapshot:
• Persons Per Acre: 20.1
• Single Families:  0%
• Multi-families: 14.3%
• 26 Units or More: 85.7%
• Owner Occupants: <1%
• Renter Occupants: 75.6%

Education

Public Education

Cambridge assigns schools based on ‘controlled choice.’ The school system has used this system for over 30 years, and its primary purpose is to integrate and diversify all schools and programs. Integration is not based on race or ethnicity, but on the basis of socioeconomic status (SES), as measured by the percentage of students who do and do not qualify for the federal Free or Reduced Price Meals Program. The goal of Controlled Choice Plan is to help achieve a diverse student body that reflects the diversity of the city in every school. Parents are asked to submit a form with their top three school choices ranked. Once all the applications are in, the SRC compiles the data and sends it off to an outside lottery consultant whose computerized system assigns random numbers to all applications. This is very similar to any other lottery system, in which the higher your number, the better. However, there are a number of complex features integrated into the system via the addition of “bonus points”, which are allotted based sibling placement, proximity to school, and language programs.

Niche reviews & analysis

PRESCHOOLS
There are a number of preschool options in Cambridge, including:

The Special Start program is the Cambridge Public Schools pre-school option for children ages 3-5 who have a disability. The program also enrolls non-disabled peers in many of the classrooms, so that students with disabilities can benefit from peer role models and inclusion opportunities as they are able.

The Home-Based Early Childhood Education program is for Cambridge residents who have children between the ages of 18 months and 3.5 years. The program sends a trained home visitor to spend 1 hour a week at home playing with the child and providing parents with strategies, resources, and activities based on the curriculum. Cambridge is certified by the Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP)*, a research-based, nation-wide program.

Fletcher Maynard Academy Scholar College Preschool Program starts in pre-school and goes through grade 5. The Fletcher Maynard Scholar College Preschool serves one class of about 18 students. Scholar College uses an active, participatory, learning curriculum that is student-directed, involving hands-on experiences with people, objects, events, and ideas.

Tobin Montessori
Unlike other Cambridge Public schools, the age of entry for Tobin Montessori is 3 Years Old. Children who will be age 3 by August 31st may apply for a seat at Tobin Montessori School through the 3-year-old lottery, which is held every year in the fall. As a result of its unique program and early age of entry, the Montessori program is very popular among families with 3 year-olds, despite limited seat availability.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
There are 12 elementary Schools in Cambridge.

MIDDLE/UPPER SHOOLS
There are 5 upper schools in Cambridge.

HIGH SCHOOLS
There are 3 high schools in Cambridge: Cambridge Rindge and Latin, The High School Extension Program, and the Rindge School of Technical Arts. All schools work with the office of curriculum and instruction that strives to create rigorous, joyful, culturally responsive learning experiences for all students, and develop curriculum in alignment with this vision for teaching and learning and the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. They believe that assessment is the process of gathering evidence of student understanding to inform instructional decisions, and that assessments support the work of effective educators in continually observing, probing, investigating, analyzing and responding to their students’ thinking and performance. Effective professional learning is student-centered, collaborative and transformative for educators and their students.

Cambridge Rindge and Latin is a comprehensive high school divided into four learning communities, each with approximately 485 students. The curriculum is designed to promote high levels of learning and achievement for all students. Honors courses are offered in all core subjects (english, history, mathematics, science, and world languages) and Advanced Placement courses are available to 11th and 12th grade students. The school has won multiple awards in athletics, academics, and visual and performing arts and boasts over 55 clubs and extracurricular activities.

The High School Extension Program provides students with an alternative option for pursuing a high school diploma. It serves up to 70 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Cambridge Public School District. The school is located at the former Longfellow School at 359 Broadway. Modeled on other successful, non-traditional high school programs in the nation, this program allows students to learn in an alternative setting, which focuses on academic skill building, critical thinking, and authentic, project-based learning experiences.

The Rindge School of Technical Arts, or RSTA (say “Rista”), is the Career & Technical Education (CTE) department of the Cambridge Rindge & Latin School. CRLS students may enroll in any RSTA course or program (a sequence of multiple courses). RSTA offers twelve different CTE programs of study that are Massachusetts DESE Chapter 74-approved, plus offers a Chapter 74-approved Exploratory course for 9th graders and several non-Chapter 74 courses.

Cambridge School Stats:
• 2019-2020 Enrollment: 7,091
• 2019 Four year adjusted cohort graduation rate: 95.5%
• 2018-2019 Percent of students completing advanced courses: 61.4%
• 2018-2019 Average SAT Score: 1120
• 2018 Total expenditures per pupil: $29,519.54

Private Education

There are a number of private schools in Cambridge, including:
Shady Hill (pre-K through 8)
Cambridge Friends School (pre-K through 8)
Buckingham Browne & Nichols (pre-K through 12)
Matignon High School (Catholic, grades 9-12)
International School of Boston (pre-K through 12)
Wild Rose Montessori (ages 2.9: 12)
Fayerweather Street School (pre-K through 8)
Henry Buckner School (pre-k, infants and after school programs)

Amenities

Parks, Recreation, Sports Facilities

Danhey Park is a 50 acre recreational facility that was built by the city of Cambridge. Once landfill in the early 1970s, it is now a fantastic park with baseball diamonds, tennis courts, dog parks, playgrounds, basketball courts, a foot ball field, a track, scenic parks, wetlands, and a excellent ‘tot lot.’

Fresh Pond Reservation is a 162-acre space that surrounds and protects the Fresh Pond Reservoir. The trails around the reservoir are great for running, dog walking, or just to escape the city. The reservation offers events and programs to the public, including water treatment tours.

Fresh Pond Golf Course (Thomas P. O’Neill Jr. Golf Course) is a 9-hole public golf course, challenging all abilities with well defined hazards, water coming into play on 4 holes, and two Par 5s. The course operates early spring through early December, and offers a variety of affordable daily fees and season memberships, as well as free weekly summer junior golf lessons.

The War Memorial Recreation Center provides residents access to a state-of-the-art, fully accessible, and climate-controlled facility that houses: a six lane lap pool; a diving tank (both 80 degrees); a round instruction pool (85 degrees); a gymnasium; basketball, volleyball and tennis courts; a weight room and classrooms. Cambridge is currently working on upgrading the current pools and tennis courts.

The Charles River Reservation spans both banks of the Charles River — the Boston side and Cambridge side — and spans out into Watertown and Waltham. The Cambridge side offers both running and bike paths and is dotted with parks and playgrounds, many providing very pretty views of the Boston skyline. In the summers, Cambridge closes off a section of Memorial Drive every Sunday for bicycles, walkers, and joggers.

The Cambridge Common is a major city park as well as a National Historic Landmark. The 16-acre park is centrally located outside of Harvard Square, and is bordered by Massachusetts Avenue, Garden Street and Waterhouse Street. With a rich and colorful history, it is now an important local resource and popular tourist attraction. The Common contains the popular Alexander W. Kemp Playground (re-built in 2009), a playing field, lawns, historic monuments, and pathways. The park provides a haven for neighborhood people looking for a place to relax outside in green space, and accommodates over 10,000 pedestrians and cyclists on a daily basis.

Museums, Libraries & Attractions

Harvard University is a renowned university that attracts tourists from around the world looking to rub the left toe of the John Harvard Statue for good luck. It also runs three art museums in the community, all housed at 32 Quincy Street: The Fogg Museum, The Busch-Reisinger Museum and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum. In addition, it houses a National History Museum and the Peabody Museum of Archeology, both located in the Agassiz neighborhood. Last but not least, the A.R.T (see below) is also owned by Harvard, as are many public open spaces around Cambridge.

The MIT Museum’s galleries, exhibitions, demos, workshops, performances, conversations, and debates invite visitors to participate in the ongoing adventure of research and innovation. The Museum displays objects from it vast collection and features rotating exhibitions on a wide range of STEAM-based topics. The Museum also presents regular programs, events, and festivals including guided gallery tours, demonstrations by MIT faculty and students, workshops in its educational classroom, hands-on activities in its Idea Hub, and the annual Cambridge Science Festival.

The Cambridge Public Library has a beautiful main public library, which received the 2010 Harleston Parker Medal for the “Single Most Beautiful Building” built in the metropolitan Boston, as well as six smaller branches. The libraries offer residents free museum passes that are useable at museums all over the state. In addition, it offers literacy and language programs, assistive technology, computer access, meeting rooms for Cambridge-run non-profits, tax assistance, book groups, and events for residents throughout the year.

Theater

The American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.) is a leader in the American Theater industry and has won countless Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, and many more awards for its excellence. Not only does it offer the public accessibility to the theater, it also engages more than 5,000 community members and local students annually in project-based partnerships, workshops, conversations with artists, and other enrichment activities both at the theater and across the Greater Boston area.

The Oberon is the A.R.T’s second stage and is a go to for theater and nightlife, at the forefront of innovative theater and as an incubator for emerging artists. The Oberon regularly features local performers including aerialists, beat poets, food artists, tap dancers, gender-bending sketch troupes, comedians, hula-hooping burlesquers, pop-and-lock human statues, and more, on the outskirts of Harvard Square.

Parking

Parking Stickers
Cambridge offers any resident a resident permit parking sticker that is good for use throughout Cambridge. The cost is $25 per year, per sticker, with one visitor pass given out per household.

Larger Grocery Stores

• Whole Foods
• Trader Joe’s
• Star Market

Coleman Group Tip

Book in advance at Guilia's for authentic Italian food, warm hospitality, and a bomb wine list. Hit the Harvard Museum of Natural History with the kids and then head to Naco Taco for delicious Mexican street food and fresh margaritas for the grown-ups.