02478 ZIP Code — Belmont, MA

Middlesex County, Massachusetts

ZIP code 02478 is located in Belmont, Massachusetts, within Middlesex County. It covers approximately 4.65 square miles and serves a population of 26,964 residents. This is a po box ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 617/857.

About ZIP code 02478

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $1,060,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 64%.

The gap between median ($164,720) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 25% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 80% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 02478 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population and a high rate of remote workers.

26,964

population

4.65

sq mi land

PO Box

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

02478 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 02478

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 02478. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Belmont	Acceptable

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	26,964
Population density	5,799 / sq mi
State FIPS	25
County FIPS	017

Geography
Land area	4.65 sq mi
Water area	0.07 sq mi
Latitude	42.3955
Longitude	-71.1821
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	617/857

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	19.6%	23.8%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	16.7%	23.1%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	30.1%	32.1%	28.5%
Over $200k	33.6%	20.9%	14.3%

Demographics & statistics

26,964

Population

5,799

People per sq mi

42.0

Median age

$164,720

Median household income

$88,807

Per capita income

$1,060,600

Median home value

$2,336

Median monthly rent

63.6%

Home ownership

3.9%

Poverty rate

4.7%

Unemployment

7,043

Housing units

79.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

648

Under 5

742

882

5–9

1,009

858

10–14

982

901

15–19

1,030

458

20–24

524

1,221

25–34

1,397

1,922

35–44

2,199

1,853

45–54

2,120

892

55–59

1,020

727

60–64

832

1,289

65–74

1,474

651

75–84

744

275

85+

314

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,555	24.3%
18 and over	20,409	75.7%
65 and over	4,747	17.6%
Median age	42.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 70%

Asian 17.5%

Two or more races 6.3%

Hispanic or Latino 3.4%

Black or African American 1.6%

Other race 1.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	19,542	70%
Asian	4,881	17.5%
Two or more races	1,751	6.3%
Hispanic or Latino	937	3.4%
Black or African American	440	1.6%
Other race	336	1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	14	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	19.6%	23.8%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	16.7%	23.1%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	30.1%	32.1%	28.5%
Over $200k	33.6%	20.9%	14.3%

Under $10k 3.8%

$10k–$15k 1.0%

$15k–$25k 3.6%

$25k–$35k 1.9%

$35k–$50k 4.4%

$50k–$75k 7.7%

$75k–$100k 6.4%

$100k–$150k 16.5%

$150k–$200k 13.4%

$200k+ 41.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.8%
$10k–$15k	1.0%
$15k–$25k	3.6%
$25k–$35k	1.9%
$35k–$50k	4.4%
$50k–$75k	7.7%
$75k–$100k	6.4%
$100k–$150k	16.5%
$150k–$200k	13.4%
$200k+	41.3%
Median income	$164,720

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.5%

$100k–$150k 0.2%

$150k–$200k 0.2%

$200k–$300k 0.3%

$300k–$500k 4.1%

$500k–$1M 38.4%

$1M+ 56.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$1,060,600
Median rent / month	$2,336
Owner occupied	63.6%
Renter occupied	36.4%
Vacant	3.9%
Single-family detached	45.8%
Large apartment buildings	6.8%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.72

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	5.1%
2000–2009	2.3%
1990–1999	1.1%
1980–1989	2.4%
1970–1979	4.0%
1960–1969	6.8%
1950–1959	10.1%
1940–1949	9.2%
1939 or earlier	58.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.0%
1 bedroom	7.9%
2 bedrooms	30.5%
3 bedrooms	29.8%
4 bedrooms	22.7%
5+ bedrooms	8.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.9%
1 vehicle	37.7%
2 vehicles	45.2%
3 or more	9.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	69.5%
Electricity	9.5%
Propane / LP gas	1.8%
Fuel oil	18.5%
Wood	0.1%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,539	62.8%
Cohabiting couple	414	4.0%
Male householder, no spouse	1,064	10.2%
Female householder, no spouse	2,397	23.0%
Households with children under 18	4,096	39.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,336	32.0%
Average household size	2.57

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.3%	25.5%
Married	68.2%	58.7%
Separated	0.5%	0.9%
Widowed	2.0%	8.2%
Divorced	4.0%	6.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.3%

Some HS, no diploma 1.3%

HS graduate 8.0%

Some college, no degree 5.9%

Associate's degree 3.9%

Bachelor's degree 27.9%

Graduate / professional 51.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	97.4%
Bachelor's or higher	79.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	660	8.7%
Kindergarten	449	5.9%
Elementary school	2,927	38.6%
High school	1,821	24.0%
College / grad school	1,723	22.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Professional & management 28.1%

Education & healthcare 28.1%

Manufacturing 10.2%

Finance & real estate 8.2%

Retail trade 6.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.1%

Information 3.1%

Public administration 3.0%

Other services 2.8%

Construction 2.7%

Transportation & utilities 1.1%

Wholesale trade 0.9%

Agriculture & mining 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	75.7%
Service	5.6%
Sales & office	13.8%
Natural resources & construction	2.3%
Production & transportation	2.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.7%
Government	8.6%
Self-employed	6.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	50.5%
Carpool	6.6%
Public transit	12.3%
Walk	2.5%
Work from home	24.8%
Other means	3.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.0

Poverty

All people 3.9%

Under 18 years 2.8%

18 and over 4.2%

Married-couple families 1.3%

Female-led households 10.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	23.7%
Retirement income	20.6%
Supplemental Security	1.7%
Cash public assistance	2.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	19.6%
High blood pressure	26.3%
High cholesterol	30.0%
Diabetes	7.0%
Heart disease	4.7%
Stroke	2.1%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	20.8%
Kidney disease	2.4%
Pulmonary disease	3.7%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	7.6%
Binge drinking	15.4%
No physical activity	13.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	26.3%
Depression	16.4%
Fair or poor health	7.0%
Poor mental health	10.8%
Poor physical health	6.3%
No health insurance	4.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.4%
Visited dentist	79.9%
Cholesterol screening	93.8%
Teeth loss	6.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	504	2.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	7.4%
Under 18	4.2%
18–64 years	3.7%
65 and over	24.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	87.6%
Public insurance	22.7%
No insurance	1.8%
Uninsured under 19	1.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	25,574	94.8%
Spanish	2,127	8.3%
Other Indo-European	157	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	683	2.7%
Other languages	1,238	4.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	20,080	74.5%
Born in same state	19,620	72.8%
Born in different state	12,087	44.8%
Foreign born	460	1.7%
Naturalized citizen	6,884	25.5%
Not a US citizen	3,712	53.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	4,311	16%
French	3,482	12.9%
German	443	1.6%
Arab	434	1.6%
Irish	253	0.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	251	0.9%
Polish	188	0.7%
English	172	0.6%
Dutch	85	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.6%
Internet access	96.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 02478

What city is ZIP code 02478 in?

ZIP code 02478 is primarily assigned to Belmont, Massachusetts.

What county is ZIP code 02478 in?

ZIP code 02478 falls within Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 02478?

80% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 02478?

The median household income in ZIP code 02478 is $164,720, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 02478?

The median home value in ZIP code 02478 is $1,060,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 02478?

ZIP code 02478 has an estimated population of 26,964 residents, with a density of 5,805 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 02478 in?

ZIP code 02478 observes the EST timezone.