The Town Files

Stoneham, Massachusetts

Community in Middlesex County · population 23,244 (2020 Census)

Map: where Stoneham is in MassachusettsStoneham
Median home
$671,900
Household income
$113,964
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 84°
Snow a year
64 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
8
Median age
42.2

Stoneham is a community of 23,244 people in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The median home is worth $671,900, above the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). It ranks more walkable than 93% of Massachusetts towns, more vibrant than 91% of Massachusetts towns, better for young professionals than 88% of Massachusetts towns.

How Stoneham 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.

Stoneham lifestyle rankings vs other Massachusetts townsRetirement50th pctFamilies32nd pctQuiet11th pctWalkability93rd pctFirst-time buyers62nd pctYoung professionals88th pctVibrancy91st pctHip & trendy81st pctCollege town74th pctUpscale70th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling64th pctTransit88th pctDriving50th 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 Stoneham is worth $671,900, above the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). Homes cost about 5.9 times the median household income of $113,964, which is more affordable than 22% of Massachusetts towns. Median rent is $2,035 a month. 71.0% of households own their home.

Stoneham vs Middlesex County vs typical Massachusetts townStonehamMiddlesex CountyTypical Massachusetts townHome value$671,900$727,800$510,150Household income$113,964$130,847$108,622Monthly rent$2,035$2,201$1,561
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Massachusetts towns with 500+ people.
HousingStonehamTypical Massachusetts town
Median home value$671,900$510,150
Median rent$2,035$1,561
Median household income$113,964$108,622
Home value ÷ income5.9×4.5×
Homeownership71.0%80.7%
Median year built19641968
Seasonal / vacation homes0.2%—

Who lives in Stoneham

PeopleStonehamTypical Massachusetts town
Median age42.244.8
Age 65 and over20.4%20.7%
Under 1820.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher55.9%45.7%
Below the poverty line5.4%6.3%
Veterans6.2%—
Born outside the U.S.11.7%—
Work from home24.6%17.7%
Average commute27.8 min30.1 min
Homes with broadband93.7%93.9%

Weather in Stoneham

July highs average 83.8°F and January lows 18.5°F. About 50.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 63.5 inches of snow (typical Massachusetts town: 49.5 in). Expect about 12 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 134 nights at or below freezing.

Stoneham monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing38°19°Jan40°20°Feb48°27°Mar60°37°Apr70°47°May78°56°Jun84°63°Jul82°61°Aug75°53°Sep64°42°Oct53°32°Nov43°24°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.917.23.616.24.913.34.32.23.84.24.03.53.94.80.14.01.75.012.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Reading station (3.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Stoneham since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Massachusetts town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on July 28, 2014 about 6.0 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 12 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 28, 2014.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Stoneham by decade21950s11960s21970s21980s01990s02000s12010s02020s
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 41 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on August 4, 2015.

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 Stoneham itself the ACS puts it at 2.2%.

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 Stoneham

5 public schools with 2,289 students, about 11.0 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Stoneham Central Middle School5-870010.4
Stoneham High9-1258510.1
Robin HoodPK-439312.3
SouthPK-435412.2
Colonial ParkPK-425711.7

Towns near Stoneham

Stoneham questions

Is Stoneham, Massachusetts a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Stoneham scores better for retirees than 50% of Massachusetts towns and quieter than 11%. 20.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.2).

How much does a house cost in Stoneham?

The median owner-occupied home in Stoneham is valued at $671,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $113,964, so homes cost about 5.9 times income. Median rent is $2,035 a month.

What is the weather like in Stoneham?

July highs average 83.8°F and January lows 18.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 50.0 inches of precipitation a year and 63.5 inches of snow.

Does Stoneham get tornadoes?

8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Stoneham since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on July 28, 2014. The typical Massachusetts town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Stoneham's Census boundary (GEOID 2567700). 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 2026-11-12.