What is the median household income in Wellesley, MA?

Name: Income and affordability in Wellesley, MA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The median household income in Wellesley, MA is $250,000 or more a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Paying the median gross rent of $2,886 a month would take about $115,400 a year at the common guideline of spending no more than 30% of income on rent.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Median household income: $250,000 or more
Median renter income: $108,214 (±$57,868)
Income to afford median rent: about $115,400

Income in Wellesley against Norfolk County, its state and the nation

Income, estimate (90% margin of error)
	Wellesley	Norfolk County	Massachusetts	United States
Median household income	$250,000 or more	$130,739 (±$2,551)	$103,960 (±$527)	$80,734
Median renter household income	$108,214 (±$57,868)	$74,159 (±$3,427)	$60,987 (±$576)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$250,000 or more	$166,233 (±$2,455)	$135,402 (±$770)	$100,009
Median gross rent	$2,886 (±$360)	$2,149 (±$29)	$1,762 (±$9)	$1,413

How much you need to earn to rent in Wellesley

Many landlords and housing programs use 30% of gross income as the most a household should spend on rent.

At that guideline, the median gross rent of $2,886 a month ($34,632 a year) needs an income of about $115,400 a year.

The median renting household in Wellesley earns $108,214 a year, less than that.

This is arithmetic on the published medians, not a rule any landlord must follow; screening criteria vary and some places limit how income may be weighed.

Income against housing costs since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Median gross rent	$1,938 (±$358)	$2,886 (±$360)	+48.9%	No measurable change after inflation
Median home value	$1,149,100 (±$34,361)	$1,582,700 (±$48,725)	+37.7%	Up after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Median household income in places near Wellesley

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Wellesley
Place	Distance	Median household income	Compared with this place
Wellesley	—	$250,000 or more	—
Needham (community)	2.7 mi	$214,308 (±$13,048)	—
Needham	2.7 mi	$214,308 (±$13,048)	—
Natick	3.7 mi	$138,538 (±$11,269)	—
Cochituate	3.9 mi	$192,361 (±$18,465)	—
Weston	3.9 mi	$250,000 or more	—
Dover (community)	4.2 mi	$250,000 or more	—
Newton	4.2 mi	$190,304 (±$8,593)	—
Dover	5.0 mi	$250,000 or more	—

None of the nearby places differs measurably from this one on this figure.

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Median household income across Norfolk County, place by place

Rank	Place	Median household income
1 (tie)	Dover	$250,000 or more
1 (tie)	Wellesley	$250,000 or more
3	Medfield	$235,800 (±$31,636)
4	Westwood	$223,125 (±$33,149)
5	Needham	$214,308 (±$13,048)
6	Norfolk	$200,720 (±$21,984)
7	Cohasset	$199,306 (±$53,082)
8	Sharon	$191,835 (±$18,502)

Showing 8 of 28 places in Norfolk County, ranked from highest to lowest.

The figures for Wellesley include the places inside it that have pages of their own: Wellesley (community).

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Wellesley

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Wellesley beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Wellesley, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Wellesley, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Wellesley

What is the median household income in Wellesley?

The median household income in Wellesley is $250,000 or more a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How much do you need to make to afford rent in Wellesley?

About $115,400 a year, if rent is to stay at or below 30% of income at the median gross rent of $2,886 a month.

What do renters earn in Wellesley?

The median renting household in Wellesley, MA earns $108,214 (±$57,868) a year.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for Wellesley town, Norfolk County, Massachusetts (county subdivision:74175, in state:25 county:021).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are B19013_001E, B19013_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B25077_001E, B25077_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.