North Cambridge, the northernmost pocket of the City of Cambridge, is an area that maintains a true neighborhood feel. It’s an area lined with inviting residential corridors that place its residents close to a couple of important transportation hubs, an assortment of outdoor recreation areas and a range of shopping and dining options.
Most of North Cambridge’s housing dates back to the late 1800s and early 1900s era in Victorian and Colonial Revival styles. There is a smattering of new builds in the area, too. Area Realtor Charles Cherney, of the Charles Cherney Team at Compass, says that North Cambridge contains a mix of condominiums, single-family homes and multi-family homes, but that most of the sales in the neighborhood are for condos. Those condos are converted spaces, within the area’s classic homes. Renovation work on North Cambridge’s inventory of classic houses is common, too. “There’s always activity,” Cherney says. Sale prices for residences in North Cambridge vary by type — a two-bedroom condo typically goes for at least $650,000, Cherney says. A single-family home in North Cambridge may sell for north of $1 million, he adds. Demand can be high, too. “North Cambridge and Cambridge, collectively, remain a solid market,” Cherney says.
Two of the focal points of North Cambridge are the pair of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority stations in the vicinity. The Alewife station is situated on the northeast end of North Cambridge, the northernmost subway stop on the Red Line. Alewife also offers MBTA bus service, in addition to train access. Alternatively, Porter Station is located on the southern end of North Cambridge, a hub that is also on the subway’s Red Line. Porter also is a spot to catch the MBTA’s commuter rail train. “People do like access to the commuter rail and, more importantly, the Red Line, from these stations,” Cherney says.
The Porter station sits adjacent to the Porter Square Shopping Center, a more-than 175,000-square-foot complex whose tenants include a Star Market grocery store, a CVS Pharmacy and a Michaels. A Target is nearby, too, as are multiple eateries, lining Massachusetts Avenue, one of the neighborhood’s primary thoroughfares. “That’s sort of ground zero for the neighborhood,” Cherney says, of the Porter Square area. Sugar & Spice Thai Restaurant is among the nearby eateries, known in part for its expansive selection of vegan options. Or try Frank's Steak House, farther up Massachusetts Avenue. Established in 1938, Frank’s is the oldest steakhouse in Greater Boston, and its prime rib is among patrons’ favorites.
After fueling up on Massachusetts Avenue, perhaps hit up one of the public outdoor spaces in North Cambridge. Go for a run or a walk along the Alewife Linear Park trail, which stretches some 2 miles, connecting to the Alewife MBTA station. Or hike the trails within the Alewife Brook Reservation, an urban forest with opportunities for bird watching. Another option is to spark up a game of tennis or shoot some hoops at the Pemberton courts, by Rindge Field, a neighborhood baseball diamond.
Peabody School and Rindge Avenue Upper School are a pair of North Cambridge’s public schools. Peabody School features prekindergarten through fifth grade and gets an A grade from Niche, while Rindge Avenue Upper School services students in grades six to eight with an A-minus. Both institutions are outpacing state averages in terms of the numbers of their students meeting state testing benchmarks in English, science and math. Students may then attend Somerville High School, which also has an A-minus grade, for grades nine to 12.
Rachel Hillman Foy
Hillman Homes
(774) 806-8325
139 Total Sales
1 in North Cambridge
$885,000 Price
Jennifer Schneider
Century 21 Elite Realty
(781) 549-9402
106 Total Sales
1 in North Cambridge
$1,090,000 Price
Wei Wang
WW Real Estate LLC
(351) 666-8861
77 Total Sales
1 in North Cambridge
$1,550,000 Price
Minka vanBeuzekom
Coldwell Banker Realty - Cambridge
(617) 657-2667
55 Total Sales
3 in North Cambridge
$1.6M - $1.7M Price Range
Diane Cadogan Hughes
Barrett Sotheby's International Realty
(781) 776-5452
73 Total Sales
1 in North Cambridge
$880,000 Price
Alina Wang
Coldwell Banker Realty - Lexington
(774) 458-7979
255 Total Sales
1 in North Cambridge
$810,000 Price
Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International
20 min drive
Subway
Alewife Station
Train
Porter Square
Subway
Porter Square Station
Bus
Rindge Ave Opp Middlesex St
Bus
Alewife
Bus
Alewife Station
Bus
Rindge Ave & Clay St
On average, homes in North Cambridge, Cambridge sell after 35 days on the market compared to the national average of 55 days. The median sale price for homes in North Cambridge, Cambridge over the last 12 months is $1,150,000, down 3% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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Median List Price
$1,030,000
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Median Sale Price
$1,150,000
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Median Single Family Sale Price
$1,512,500
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Median Townhouse Sale Price
$1,571,000
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Median 2 Bedroom Sale Price
$839,500
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Median Change From 1st List Price
2%
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Last 12 months Home Sales
73
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Median Home Sale Price YoY Change
-3%
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Average Price Per Sq Ft
$872
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Number of Homes
2,243
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Number of Homes for Sale
12
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Median Year Built
1911
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Months of Supply
2.00
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Average Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
1,726
Below the national average
1,935
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Average Townhouse Size Sq Ft
2,506
|
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Average 2 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
1,096
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Average 1 Bedroom Size Sq Ft
729
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Average Studio Size Sq Ft
533
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Median Lot Size Sq Ft
3,484
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$2,881 - $5,631 per month
$3,000 - $3,850 per month
$3,098 - $5,650 per month
$2,637 - $3,999 per month
$3,326 - $4,360 per month
$4,100 - $4,950 per month
$2,300 per month
$7,525 per month
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Number of Homes for Rent
91
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Median Rent
$3,573
|
|
Median Single Family Home Rent
$4,100
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Median 4 Bedroom Single Family Home Rent
$7,950
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Median Townhouse Rent
$3,763
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Median 3 Bedroom Townhouse Rent
$5,450
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Median Condo Rent
$3,400
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Median 2 Bedroom Condo Rent
$3,587
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Total Population
15,311
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Median Age
37
|
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Population Density
31 ppl/acre
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Population under 18
21.7%
On par with the national average
23.8%
|
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Population over 65
13.9%
Below the national average
19.1%
|
|
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Median Household Income
$134,004
Significantly above the national average
$79,597
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Average Household Income
$161,916
|
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High School Graduates
94.6%
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College Graduates
74.2%
Significantly above the national average
34.1%
|
|
Advanced Degrees
45.7%
Significantly above the national average
13.3%
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% Population in Labor Force
77.5%
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Annual Precipitation
43''
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Average Winter Low Temperature
23°F
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Average Summer High Temperature
82°F
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Annual Snowfall
15''
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Bikeability
Walkability
Transit
Local Logic measures the walkability, access to public transit and bikeability of any address. CAP Index provides objective, accurate, and consistent data to help measure, compare, and mitigate crime risks.
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