Electricity rates in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, MA ranks 1st of 48 Massachusetts cities for homes in buildings of 5+ units (54%). Cambridge, Massachusetts has 117,794 residents in 49,592 households; 27.8% heat with electricity.
Households in Cambridge, MA can pick a supplier. See how to compare suppliers.
Cambridge on the map
Middlesex County, with Cambridge marked
Who supplies Cambridge
Middlesex County lists 6 utilities for Cambridge, MA, a city of 117,794: no plan prices, and retail supplier plans are not in public data; which listed utility delivers to your street depends on the address. Middlesex County page.
Housing and heating in Cambridge
Cambridge, MA: 37,805 of 54,612 homes were built before 1980 and 10,127 in 2000 or later. Cambridge, MA has 5,574 detached houses, 29,703 homes in 5+ unit buildings and 28 mobile homes.
Age of homes in Cambridge, MA
% of homes by decade built, Cambridge, MA
- 47pre-40
- 340s
- 450s
- 560s
- 1070s
- 880s
- 590s
- 800s
- 910s
- 120+
Heating fuel in Cambridge, MA
| Cambridge, MA | Value | County | Gap | Rank (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge, MA, median year built | 1948 | 1961 | -13 years | 32 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, built before 1980 | 69.2% | 69.1% | +0.2 points | 33 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, built 2000 or later | 18.5% | 14.5% | +4.1 points | 4 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, detached houses | 10.2% | 46.9% | -36.7 points | 47 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, apartments in 5+ unit buildings | 54.4% | 25.1% | +29.3 points | 1 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, mobile homes | 0.1% | 0.4% | -0.4 points | 42 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, renter households | 66.3% | 38.4% | +27.9 points | 3 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, median home value | $1,040,500 | $687,200 | +$353,300 | 5 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, median gross rent a month | $2,742 | $2,126 | +$616 | 3 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, people per household | 2.06 | 2.48 | -0.42 | 48 of 48 |
Facts about Cambridge
- Residents of Cambridge, MA, ACS 2023
- 117,7944 of 48 Massachusetts cities with 30,000+
- Median household income in Cambridge, MA
- $126,4698 of 48 of those cities
- Households in Cambridge, MA
- 49,5922.38 people each
- Owner-occupied homes in Cambridge, MA
- 33.7%16,718 owners and 32,874 renter households
- Housing units in Cambridge, MA
- 54,6125,020 vacant or seasonal
- Homes heated by electricity in Cambridge, MA
- 27.8%13,802 of 49,592 homes
- Land area of Cambridge, MA
- 6.4 sq mi18,413.9 people per sq mi
- Bill as share of income in Cambridge, MA
- 1.6%at 570 kWh a month over the $126,469 median household income
- Wind and tornado reports within 15 miles of Cambridge, MA
- 343NWS point reports 2015 to 2025, 291.2 per 100,000 residents
- Median year homes were built in Cambridge, MA
- 194837,805 of 54,612 homes (69.2%) before 1980
- Median home value and rent in Cambridge, MA
- $1,040,500$2,742 gross rent a month, 3.16% of value a year
Electricity price since 2015 around Cambridge
Cambridge has no price series of its own. Cambridge: the Massachusetts average was 19.83 ¢/kWh in 2015. Cambridge: 29.35 ¢ in 2024, 48% up. Cambridge: against 30% up for the U.S. average.
Cambridge: a 570 kWh month at the Massachusetts price. Cambridge: $113 in 2015, $167 in 2024. Cambridge: $2,006 a year, 1.6% of the $126,469 median income.
Cambridge: 10 yearly prices
| Year | Massachusetts average | Cambridge: Gap to U.S. average |
|---|---|---|
| 2015, Cambridge | 19.83 | +7.18 |
| 2016, Cambridge | 19.00 | +6.45 |
| 2017, Cambridge | 20.06 | +7.17 |
| 2018, Cambridge | 21.61 | +8.74 |
| 2019, Cambridge | 21.92 | +8.91 |
| 2020, Cambridge | 21.97 | +8.82 |
| 2021, Cambridge | 22.89 | +9.23 |
| 2022, Cambridge | 25.97 | +10.93 |
| 2023, Cambridge | 29.61 | +13.61 |
| 2024, Cambridge | 29.35 | +12.87 |
Cambridge, MA: EIA-861 home prices, 2015 to 2024, not a Cambridge, MA price.
CSVBill and heat pump calculator, Cambridge
Compare Cambridge with nearby cities
| City near Cambridge, MA | Distance from Cambridge | Residents | Median income | Median year built | Median home value | Storm reports within 15 miles | Work from home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge, MA (this page) | 0 mi | 117,794 | $126,469 | 1948 | $1,040,500 | 343 | 28.3% |
| Somerville, MA | 1.3 mi northeast | 80,549 (-37,245) | $127,056 (+$587) | 1938 (-10 yr) | $899,400 (-$141,100) | 352 (+9) | 29.0% (+0.7 pts) |
| Watertown Town, MA | 3.1 mi west | 35,270 (-82,524) | $123,422 (-$3,047) | 1945 (-3 yr) | $737,600 (-$302,900) | 349 (+6) | 26.6% (-1.7 pts) |
| Medford, MA | 3.3 mi north | 59,062 (-58,732) | $118,089 (-$8,380) | 1944 (-4 yr) | $715,500 (-$325,000) | 330 (-13) | 22.2% (-6.1 pts) |
| Arlington, MA | 3.7 mi northwest | 46,015 (-71,779) | $141,440 (+$14,971) | 1943 (-5 yr) | $885,000 (-$155,500) | 350 (+7) | 30.5% (+2.2 pts) |
| Brookline, MA | 3.8 mi south | 62,822 (-54,972) | $140,631 (+$14,162) | 1938 (-10 yr) | $1,233,100 (+$192,600) | 350 (+7) | 27.0% (-1.3 pts) |
Who lives in Cambridge: income, cars, homes
In Cambridge, MA, 16,724 households own no vehicle and 8,925 own two or more; home EV charging depends on that. Cambridge, MA homes: 15,420 have 3+ bedrooms, 18,881 none or one, median 4.1 rooms. In Cambridge, MA, 14,026 of 31,433 renter households pay 30% or more of income in rent; 25,357 households moved in since 2018 and 6,825 before 2000, so electric accounts turn over quickly. Of 69,475 workers in Cambridge, MA, 19,666 work from home, 14,517 drive alone, 13,472 ride transit and 13,402 walk. In Cambridge, MA, 7,887 of 49,592 households earn under $35,000, 7,413 $35,000-$75,000, 12,948 $75,000-$150,000 and 21,344 $150,000 or more. 12,783 residents of Cambridge, MA live below the poverty line, and the median age is 30.5.
Household income in Cambridge, MA
| Cambridge, MA | Value | Rank in Massachusetts (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge, MA, households under $35,000 | 15.9% | 32 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, households $150,000 or more | 43.0% | 7 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, residents below poverty | 12.4% | 20 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, median age | 30.5 | 47 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, homes with 3+ bedrooms | 28.2% | 48 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, households without a vehicle | 33.7% | 1 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, households with 2+ vehicles | 18.0% | 48 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, workers at home | 28.3% | 6 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, cost-burdened renters | 44.6% | 41 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, moved in since 2018 | 51.1% | 1 of 48 |
| Cambridge, MA, moved in before 2000 | 13.8% | 45 of 48 |
Outage risk around Cambridge
Cambridge, MA, NWS reports within 15 miles of the center, 2015 to 2025: 342 wind and 1 tornado, 291.2 per 100,000 residents of 117,794. Top gust near Cambridge, MA: 65 knots, 75 mph. Damage near Cambridge, MA: $2.9M.
Reports within 15 miles of Cambridge, MA
wind and tornado reports, Cambridge, MA
- 30'15
- 70'16
- 42'17
- 14'18
- 27'19
- 60'20
- 38'21
- 29'22
- 13'23
- 5'24
- 15'25
| Cambridge, MA | Wind | Tornado | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge, MA, 2015 | 30 | 0 | 30 |
| Cambridge, MA, 2016 | 69 | 1 | 70 |
| Cambridge, MA, 2017 | 42 | 0 | 42 |
| Cambridge, MA, 2018 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Cambridge, MA, 2019 | 27 | 0 | 27 |
| Cambridge, MA, 2020 | 60 | 0 | 60 |
| Cambridge, MA, 2021 | 38 | 0 | 38 |
| Cambridge, MA, 2022 | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| Cambridge, MA, 2023 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Cambridge, MA, 2024 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Cambridge, MA, 2025 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
Cost of living with electricity in Cambridge
Cambridge, MA: 49,592 households at $1,636 a year per home for electricity (Middlesex County average, DOE LEAD) come to about $81.1 million, an estimate; all home energy is $3,250 a year per household.
| Group in Cambridge, MA | Households | Power per home | Power bill of the group | Share of Cambridge, MA median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge, MA, all households | 49,592 | $1,636 | $81.1 million | 1.29% |
| Cambridge, MA, homeowners | 16,718 | $2,034 | $34.0 million | 1.61% |
| Cambridge, MA, renters | 32,874 | $1,000 | $32.9 million | 0.79% |
Climate and electric heating around Cambridge
Cambridge is in Middlesex County, MA. Cambridge: degree days are county values.
Cambridge: 6,213 heating degree days a year. Cambridge: 569 cooling degree days a year.
| Cambridge | County value |
|---|---|
| Cambridge, heating degree days, 1991-2020 normal | 6,213 |
| Cambridge, heating degree days, 2016-2025 mean | 5,789 |
| Cambridge, cooling degree days, 1991-2020 normal | 569 |
| Cambridge, cooling degree days, 2016-2025 mean | 691 |
| Cambridge, homes heated with electricity, ACS 2019-2023 | 17.0% |
Cambridge: NOAA nClimDiv 7 Oct 2026; ACS B25040.
Analyst note on Cambridge
Cambridge, MA counts 117,794 residents in 49,592 households, on 6.4 square miles. Household income in Cambridge, MA is $126,469; 16,718 of its 49,592 households own. 13,802 of the 49,592 occupied homes in Cambridge, MA heat with electricity.
Cambridge, MA has 54,612 housing units, 5,020 of them vacant or seasonal. Cambridge, MA ranks 1st of 48 Massachusetts cities for households without a vehicle (33.7%). Cambridge, MA ranks 2nd of 48 Massachusetts cities for the youngest residents (median age 30.5).
Cambridge, MA ranks 3rd of 48 Massachusetts cities for the highest median rent ($2,742 a month).
ZIP codes in Cambridge
| ZIP area touching Cambridge, MA | Share of the ZIP's land inside Cambridge | Share of Cambridge's land in the ZIP |
|---|---|---|
| 02138 (Cambridge, MA) | 99.8% | 42.8% |
| 02139 (Cambridge, MA) | 100.0% | 24.3% |
| 02140 (Cambridge, MA) | 99.9% | 18.1% |
| 02141 (Cambridge, MA) | 100.0% | 9.5% |
| 02142 (Cambridge, MA) | 100.0% | 4.9% |
Census 2020 ZCTA to place land-area overlap. Look up any ZIP.
Massachusetts: home prices since 2001, planned plants.
Questions on Cambridge
Cambridge: what is the electricity rate?
No single rate in Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts households pick a supplier and plan, and Middlesex County lists 6 utilities.
Cambridge: how does it rank among Massachusetts cities?
Cambridge, MA: rank 4 of 48 by its 117,794 residents, rank 8 of 48 by $126,469 median income.
Cambridge: how many homes heat with electricity?
Cambridge, MA: 13,802 of 49,592 occupied homes, 27.8%; Middlesex County 17.0%.
Cambridge: how much income goes to electricity?
At 570 kWh a month, 1.6% of the $126,469 median income in Cambridge, MA.
Cambridge: can I choose a supplier?
In most of Massachusetts yes; municipal and co-op areas around Cambridge, MA may be closed.
Cambridge: damaging storms reported nearby?
343 NWS wind and tornado reports within 15 miles of the center of Cambridge, MA, 2015 to 2025, 291.2 per 100,000 residents.
How old are the homes in Cambridge?
Cambridge, MA: median home built 1948; 37,805 of 54,612 homes (69.2%) predate 1980, 5,574 are detached and 29,703 sit in buildings of 5+ units.
How many Cambridge, MA households have no car?
16,724 households; 8,925 have two or more.
How big are the homes in Cambridge, MA?
15,420 of 54,612 homes have 3+ bedrooms; median 4.1 rooms.
How many Cambridge, MA renters struggle with rent?
14,026 of 31,433 renter households pay 30% or more of income in rent.