ZIP Code 02478 — Belmont CDP, MA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 02478 covers Belmont, MA in Middlesex County with a population of about 26,966.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 42.4 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 617, 857; U.S. House district MA-5; the BOSTON (MANCHESTER) media market.

Belmont, MA sits in a university / college context (near bentley university (2.3 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 02478 is about $177,790 — about 137% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 3.5%; unemployment rate near 4.5%; 80.1% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 46.4 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Professional services, Education, and Healthcare; about 28.4% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 13.2 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $1,108,800 — about 219% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $2,239 (about 93% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 64.4% (about 1.0 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 02478 in Belmont, MA, a household would need roughly $305,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $7,123. That is about 72% above the local median household income ($177,790), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Belmont CDP, MA as Relatively High (composite score 96.9), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (98.5) and hurricane (95.5). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Belmont CDP, MA show little to no average snow and around 49.4 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,273 for ZIP 02478 (Belmont CDP, MA) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.