Boston MA vs Quincy MA — Cost of Living, Crime & Income Comparison 2026

Updated May 2026 · Source: US Census ACS 5-Year (2023), FBI CDE (2023), BLS OEWS (2024)

Boston, MA

Massachusetts · Population: 663,972

Median HH Income$94,755
Median Home Price$793,154
Unemployment6.0%
Bachelor's+54.1%

Quincy, MA

Massachusetts · Population: 101,361

Median HH Income$95,711
Median Home Price$679,883
Unemployment7.1%
Bachelor's+48.6%

Detailed Comparison

Demographics

Population

Boston

663,972

Boston +

Quincy

101,361

Pop. Density / sq mi

Lower = more space

Boston

N/A

Quincy

N/A

Median Age

Boston

33.2

Boston +

Quincy

39.0

Foreign Born

Boston

27.5%

Quincy

32.7%

Quincy +

White

Boston

47.8%

Quincy

55.6%

Quincy +

Black

Boston

21.5%

Boston +

Quincy

6.5%

Asian

Boston

10.0%

Quincy

29.2%

Quincy +

Hispanic

Boston

18.9%

Boston +

Quincy

5.8%

Spanish at Home

Boston

N/A

Quincy

N/A

Metric	Boston, MA	Quincy, MA	Better
Population	663,972	101,361	Boston +
Pop. Density / sq miLower = more space	N/A	N/A	-
Median Age	33.2	39.0	Boston +
Foreign Born	27.5%	32.7%	Quincy +
White	47.8%	55.6%	Quincy +
Black	21.5%	6.5%	Boston +
Asian	10.0%	29.2%	Quincy +
Hispanic	18.9%	5.8%	Boston +
Spanish at Home	N/A	N/A	-

Economy

Median HH Income

Boston

$94,755

Quincy

$95,711

Quincy +

Per Capita Income

Boston

$60,001

Boston +

Quincy

$53,273

Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)

BEA MSA-level

Boston

$85,405

Quincy

$85,405

Tie

Unemployment Rate

Boston

6.0%

Boston +

Quincy

7.1%

Poverty Rate

Boston

16.9%

Quincy

11.4%

Quincy +

Bachelor's Degree+

Boston

54.1%

Boston +

Quincy

48.6%

Metric	Boston, MA	Quincy, MA	Better
Median HH Income	$94,755	$95,711	Quincy +
Per Capita Income	$60,001	$53,273	Boston +
Per Capita Personal Income (MSA)BEA MSA-level	$85,405	$85,405	Tie
Unemployment Rate	6.0%	7.1%	Boston +
Poverty Rate	16.9%	11.4%	Quincy +
Bachelor's Degree+	54.1%	48.6%	Boston +

Housing

Median Home Value

Zillow ZHVI / Census ACS

Boston

$793,154

Quincy

$679,883

Quincy +

Homeownership Rate

Boston

35.4%

Quincy

45.0%

Quincy +

Metric	Boston, MA	Quincy, MA	Better
Median Home ValueZillow ZHVI / Census ACS	$793,154	$679,883	Quincy +
Homeownership Rate	35.4%	45.0%	Quincy +

Safety

Violent Crime / 100K

FBI CDE (state-level est.)

Boston

326

Quincy

326

Tie

Property Crime / 100K

FBI CDE (state-level est.)

Boston

1086

Quincy

1086

Tie

Metric	Boston, MA	Quincy, MA	Better
Violent Crime / 100KFBI CDE (state-level est.)	326	326	Tie
Property Crime / 100KFBI CDE (state-level est.)	1086	1086	Tie

Health

Obesity Rate

CDC PLACES

Boston

23.4%

Quincy

22.9%

Quincy +

Diabetes Rate

CDC PLACES

Boston

8.6%

Boston +

Quincy

10.1%

Poor Mental Health

CDC PLACES — 14+ days/month

Boston

18.0%

Quincy

15.5%

Quincy +

No Health Insurance

CDC PLACES

Boston

6.3%

Quincy

4.9%

Quincy +

Binge Drinking

CDC PLACES

Boston

20.7%

Quincy

15.6%

Quincy +

Current Smokers

CDC PLACES

Boston

10.7%

Boston +

Quincy

11.0%

Metric	Boston, MA	Quincy, MA	Better
Obesity RateCDC PLACES	23.4%	22.9%	Quincy +
Diabetes RateCDC PLACES	8.6%	10.1%	Boston +
Poor Mental HealthCDC PLACES — 14+ days/month	18.0%	15.5%	Quincy +
No Health InsuranceCDC PLACES	6.3%	4.9%	Quincy +
Binge DrinkingCDC PLACES	20.7%	15.6%	Quincy +
Current SmokersCDC PLACES	10.7%	11.0%	Boston +

Climate

Avg Annual Temp

NOAA 1991–2020 normal

Boston

51.5°F

Quincy

N/A

Annual Precipitation

NOAA 1991–2020 normal

Boston

43.8 in

Quincy

N/A

Metric	Boston, MA	Quincy, MA	Better
Avg Annual TempNOAA 1991–2020 normal	51.5°F	N/A	-
Annual PrecipitationNOAA 1991–2020 normal	43.8 in	N/A	-

Air Quality

PM2.5 Annual Avg

EPA AQS (state-level est.)

Boston

7.2 µg/m³

Quincy

7.2 µg/m³

Tie

Good Air Days

AQI ≤ 50

Boston

75.0%

Quincy

75.0%

Tie

Metric	Boston, MA	Quincy, MA	Better
PM2.5 Annual AvgEPA AQS (state-level est.)	7.2 µg/m³	7.2 µg/m³	Tie
Good Air DaysAQI ≤ 50	75.0%	75.0%	Tie

Commute

Mean Commute Time

Census ACS

Boston

33.1 min

Boston +

Quincy

37.6 min

Metric	Boston, MA	Quincy, MA	Better
Mean Commute TimeCensus ACS	33.1 min	37.6 min	Boston +

Which City is Right for You?

Quincy leads in median household income at $95,711, while quincy offers more affordable housing with a median home price of $679,883. On public safety, Quincy is safer with a violent crime rate of 326 per 100,000 residents, compared to 326 in Boston. Boston has a lower unemployment rate at 6.0%, and Quincy has cleaner air (PM2.5 avg 7.2 µg/m³). For overall health outcomes, Quincy scores better with a lower obesity rate of 22.9%.

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