02138 ZIP Code — Cambridge, MA

Middlesex County, Massachusetts

ZIP code 02138 is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, within Middlesex County. It covers approximately 2.74 square miles and serves a population of 38,006 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 617/857.

About ZIP code 02138

The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $1,053,700. Renters make up the majority at 61%, typical of denser urban areas.

The gap between median ($118,320) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 26% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 87% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 02138 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population and a high rate of remote workers.

38,006

population

2.74

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

02138 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 02138

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 02138. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Cambridge	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

02163 Boston (0.9 mi) 02163 Boston (0.9 mi) 02140 Cambridge (0.9 mi) 02134 Allston (1.6 mi) 02139 Cambridge (1.9 mi) 02135 Brighton (2.4 mi) 02141 Cambridge (2.8 mi) 02215 Boston (2.8 mi) 02142 Cambridge (2.9 mi) 02133 Boston (3.1 mi) 02115 Boston (3.2 mi) 02199 Boston (3.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	38,006
Population density	13,871 / sq mi
State FIPS	25
County FIPS	017

Geography
Land area	2.74 sq mi
Water area	0.33 sq mi
Latitude	42.3801
Longitude	-71.1330
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	25.6%	23.8%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	21.9%	23.1%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	28.6%	32.1%	28.5%
Over $200k	23.9%	20.9%	14.3%

Demographics & statistics

38,006

Population

13,871

People per sq mi

29.2

Median age

$118,320

Median household income

$72,024

Per capita income

$1,053,700

Median home value

$2,641

Median monthly rent

38.9%

Home ownership

12.0%

Poverty rate

2.7%

Unemployment

7,296

Housing units

86.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

760

Under 5

798

548

5–9

576

612

10–14

642

2,083

15–19

2,188

3,260

20–24

3,424

3,854

25–34

4,048

2,222

35–44

2,335

1,440

45–54

1,512

556

55–59

585

569

60–64

597

1,736

65–74

1,824

575

75–84

604

321

85+

337

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,677	12.3%
18 and over	33,329	87.7%
65 and over	5,397	14.2%
Median age	29.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 60.7%

Asian 16.3%

Two or more races 8.6%

Hispanic or Latino 6.4%

Black or African American 5.6%

Other race 2.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	24,624	60.7%
Asian	6,634	16.3%
Two or more races	3,490	8.6%
Hispanic or Latino	2,587	6.4%
Black or African American	2,278	5.6%
Other race	879	2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	99	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	25.6%	23.8%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	21.9%	23.1%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	28.6%	32.1%	28.5%
Over $200k	23.9%	20.9%	14.3%

Under $10k 7.2%

$10k–$15k 2.0%

$15k–$25k 4.6%

$25k–$35k 2.5%

$35k–$50k 6.8%

$50k–$75k 9.2%

$75k–$100k 11.6%

$100k–$150k 16.5%

$150k–$200k 11.2%

$200k+ 28.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.2%
$10k–$15k	2.0%
$15k–$25k	4.6%
$25k–$35k	2.5%
$35k–$50k	6.8%
$50k–$75k	9.2%
$75k–$100k	11.6%
$100k–$150k	16.5%
$150k–$200k	11.2%
$200k+	28.6%
Median income	$118,320

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.0%

$50k–$100k 0.3%

$100k–$150k 0.2%

$150k–$200k 0.3%

$200k–$300k 1.3%

$300k–$500k 6.6%

$500k–$1M 38.2%

$1M+ 52.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$1,053,700
Median rent / month	$2,641
Owner occupied	38.9%
Renter occupied	61.1%
Vacant	10.3%
Single-family detached	14.2%
Large apartment buildings	34.3%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	4.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.09

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	4.5%
2000–2009	4.9%
1990–1999	2.6%
1980–1989	3.6%
1970–1979	9.6%
1960–1969	8.4%
1950–1959	4.2%
1940–1949	3.2%
1939 or earlier	58.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	7.2%
1 bedroom	27.4%
2 bedrooms	35.7%
3 bedrooms	16.3%
4 bedrooms	7.6%
5+ bedrooms	5.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	33.2%
1 vehicle	45.9%
2 vehicles	17.4%
3 or more	3.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	66.5%
Electricity	21.1%
Propane / LP gas	2.5%
Fuel oil	7.0%
Solar	0.2%
No fuel used	1.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,359	37.0%
Cohabiting couple	1,304	9.0%
Male householder, no spouse	3,225	22.3%
Female householder, no spouse	4,592	31.7%
Households with children under 18	2,556	17.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,003	27.6%
Average household size	2.02

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	57.4%	56.0%
Married	37.2%	32.1%
Separated	0.6%	0.4%
Widowed	1.6%	4.1%
Divorced	3.3%	7.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.8%

Some HS, no diploma 0.8%

HS graduate 3.5%

Some college, no degree 6.3%

Associate's degree 1.8%

Bachelor's degree 30.5%

Graduate / professional 56.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.4%
Bachelor's or higher	86.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	449	2.8%
Kindergarten	246	1.5%
Elementary school	1,978	12.1%
High school	963	5.9%
College / grad school	12,656	77.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 47.8%

Professional & management 19.4%

Finance & real estate 6.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.3%

Manufacturing 4.8%

Retail trade 4.3%

Information 3.2%

Other services 2.6%

Public administration 2.5%

Construction 1.0%

Transportation & utilities 1.0%

Wholesale trade 0.4%

Agriculture & mining 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	80.5%
Service	6.8%
Sales & office	9.6%
Natural resources & construction	1.2%
Production & transportation	1.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	85.2%
Government	9.6%
Self-employed	5.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	23.8%
Carpool	4.3%
Public transit	16.3%
Walk	21.8%
Work from home	26.2%
Other means	7.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.0

Poverty

All people 12.0%

Under 18 years 8.4%

18 and over 12.7%

Married-couple families 3.2%

Female-led households 15.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	20.7%
Retirement income	15.1%
Supplemental Security	1.8%
Cash public assistance	1.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	17.5%
High blood pressure	17.9%
High cholesterol	20.2%
Diabetes	4.4%
Heart disease	2.8%
Stroke	1.3%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	12.9%
Kidney disease	1.6%
Pulmonary disease	2.5%
Cancer	4.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	7.2%
Binge drinking	18.5%
No physical activity	12.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.0%
Depression	17.7%
Fair or poor health	5.8%
Poor mental health	13.4%
Poor physical health	4.9%
No health insurance	5.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.2%
Visited dentist	76.7%
Cholesterol screening	87.1%
Teeth loss	6.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	663	2.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	6.1%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	4.7%
65 and over	16.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	90.1%
Public insurance	17.9%
No insurance	2.3%
Uninsured under 19	5.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	36,448	95.9%
Spanish	1,798	4.9%
Other Indo-European	257	0.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	482	1.3%
Other languages	811	2.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	28,253	74.3%
Born in same state	27,209	71.6%
Born in different state	11,380	29.9%
Foreign born	1,044	2.7%
Naturalized citizen	9,753	25.7%
Not a US citizen	3,362	34.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	3,818	10%
French	3,469	9.1%
Arab	996	2.6%
Irish	556	1.5%
German	403	1.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	271	0.7%
Norwegian	238	0.6%
English	233	0.6%
Dutch	196	0.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.1%
Internet access	98.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 02138

What city is ZIP code 02138 in?

ZIP code 02138 is primarily assigned to Cambridge, Massachusetts.

What county is ZIP code 02138 in?

ZIP code 02138 falls within Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 02138?

87% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 02138 mostly rentals?

61% of occupied units in ZIP code 02138 are renter-occupied.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 02138?

The median home value in ZIP code 02138 is $1,053,700.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 02138?

The median household income in ZIP code 02138 is $118,320, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 02138 in?

ZIP code 02138 observes the EST timezone.