Austin, TX vs Melrose, MA

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.

Austin

68.3

#1322 nationally

Melrose

67.3

#1438 nationally

Melrose leads in walk score (62 vs 42). Austin leads in average commute (26.8 min vs 37.1 min). Melrose leads in median household income ($126,305 vs $91,461).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Austin, TX	Melrose, MA
WhereAtHome Score	68.3 (#1322)	67.3 (#1438)
Population	967,862	29,357
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$504,148	$930,823
Median Household Income	$91,461	$126,305
Average Commute	26.8 min	37.1 min
Walk Score	42	62
Crime Level	Moderate	2.8
School Rating	7.2	N/A
Cost of Living Index	129	167
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+39.3	D+39.5