The Town Files

Marlborough, Massachusetts

City in Middlesex County · population 41,793 (2020 Census)

Map: where Marlborough is in MassachusettsMarlborough
Median home
$513,100
Household income
$91,968
Jan low / Jul high
15° / 87°
Snow a year
50 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
10
Median age
37.5

Marlborough is a city of 41,793 people in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The median home is worth $513,100, close to the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 89% of Massachusetts towns, better for young professionals than 87% of Massachusetts towns, more vibrant than 86% of Massachusetts towns.

How Marlborough ranks

Percentile among Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Massachusetts towns.

Marlborough lifestyle rankings vs other Massachusetts townsRetirement28th pctFamilies9th pctQuiet13th pctWalkability81st pctFirst-time buyers89th pctYoung professionals87th pctVibrancy86th pctHip & trendy70th pctCollege town31st pctUpscale37th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling62nd pctTransit62nd pctDriving29th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Marlborough is worth $513,100, close to the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $91,968, which is more affordable than 26% of Massachusetts towns. Median rent is $1,871 a month. 56.0% of households own their home.

Marlborough vs Middlesex County vs typical Massachusetts townMarlboroughMiddlesex CountyTypical Massachusetts townHome value$513,100$727,800$510,150Household income$91,968$130,847$108,622Monthly rent$1,871$2,201$1,561
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Massachusetts towns with 500+ people.
HousingMarlboroughTypical Massachusetts town
Median home value$513,100$510,150
Median rent$1,871$1,561
Median household income$91,968$108,622
Home value ÷ income5.6×4.5×
Homeownership56.0%80.7%
Median year built19741968
Seasonal / vacation homes0.6%—

Who lives in Marlborough

PeopleMarlboroughTypical Massachusetts town
Median age37.544.8
Age 65 and over14.9%20.7%
Under 1820.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher40.5%45.7%
Below the poverty line9.6%6.3%
Veterans4.0%—
Born outside the U.S.30.8%—
Work from home16.2%17.7%
Average commute29.7 min30.1 min
Homes with broadband93.2%93.9%

Weather in Marlborough

July highs average 86.9°F and January lows 14.6°F. About 49.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 49.8 inches of snow (typical Massachusetts town: 49.5 in). Expect about 22 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 147 nights at or below freezing.

Marlborough monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing37°15°Jan41°16°Feb49°24°Mar62°34°Apr73°45°May81°55°Jun87°60°Jul85°58°Aug78°49°Sep66°38°Oct54°29°Nov43°21°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.613.93.311.44.69.74.42.43.74.24.04.43.95.10.13.81.24.811.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Maynard 2 station (7.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Marlborough since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Massachusetts town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 9, 1953 about 2.8 miles from the town center and killed 90. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 90 deaths and 1,228 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on September 6, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Marlborough by decade21950s21960s01970s01980s01990s02000s02010s62020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 35 times; the largest was 2.25 inches on June 22, 1988.

Severe weather in Middlesex County since 1996

Storm events in Middlesex County since 1996 by typeHail160Flood183Drought30High Wind129Lightning63Heavy Rain27Heavy Snow200Flash Flood75
NOAA Storm Events Database, Middlesex County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 7 deaths recorded.

Middlesex County has been included in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
September 15, 2023HurricaneEM-3599: Hurricane Lee
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4496: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3438: Covid-19
July 19, 2018SnowstormDR-4379: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
April 13, 2015Severe StormDR-4214: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Middlesex County

Middlesex County had 926,104 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $113,704 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Marlborough itself the ACS puts it at 5.5%.

Largest industries in Middlesex CountyProfessional & technical serv…159,395 jobs · $198,377Health care & social assistan…125,576 jobs · $71,058Retail70,488 jobs · $46,022Manufacturing67,086 jobs · $137,097Hotels & restaurants62,812 jobs · $37,809Education57,273 jobs · $101,275
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Middlesex County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Middlesex 2.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Marlborough

9 public schools with 6,825 students, about 11.3 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Assabet Valley Vocational High School9-121,13010.0
Marlborough High9-121,01310.7
Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School (charter)6-1296611.4
1 LT Charles W. Whitcomb School6-89449.7
Goodnow Brothers Elementary SchoolK-579613.3
Charles Jaworek SchoolK-565512.4
RicherK-557812.8
Francis J KaneK-551212.2
Early Childhood CenterPK-PK23117.8

Towns near Marlborough

Marlborough questions

Is Marlborough, Massachusetts a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Marlborough scores better for retirees than 28% of Massachusetts towns and quieter than 13%. 14.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.5).

How much does a house cost in Marlborough?

The median owner-occupied home in Marlborough is valued at $513,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $91,968, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $1,871 a month.

What is the weather like in Marlborough?

July highs average 86.9°F and January lows 14.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 49.7 inches of precipitation a year and 49.8 inches of snow.

Does Marlborough get tornadoes?

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Marlborough since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 9, 1953. The typical Massachusetts town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Marlborough's Census boundary (GEOID 2538715). Comparisons use the median of Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.