Medford: heat pumps and Mass Save
Medford mixes both: 3,543 homes (15%) heat with oil and 34% of homes are in two-to-four-unit buildings.
- Facts checked: November 3, 2026
How Medford homes heat today
| Main heating fuel | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 15,034 | 62% |
| Electricity | 4,723 | 19% |
| Fuel oil or kerosene | 3,543 | 15% |
| Propane or bottled gas | 528 | 2% |
| Other or none | 511 | 2% |
24,339 occupied homes: 13,159 owned and 11,180 rented. Median year built: 1942. Of 25,587 housing units, 8,761 (34%) are in buildings of two to four units, 6,388 (25%) in buildings of five or more, and 10,438 (41%) in single-family homes and other types.
How Medford compares
Out of the 23 towns we cover, Medford ranks 16th for oil heat (15% against an average of 20%), 7th for natural gas (62% against 57%) and 11th for electric heat (19% against 19%). Other towns on the list, for reference:
| Town | Oil | Gas | Electric | Median built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington | 18% | 59% | 18% | 1945 |
| Everett | 12% | 67% | 18% | 1938 |
| Watertown | 13% | 67% | 15% | 1947 |
| Salem | 17% | 55% | 25% | 1938 |
| Revere | 12% | 58% | 25% | 1965 |
| Belmont | 18% | 70% | 10% | 1938 |
In figures: Medford is the 7th largest of the 23 towns by occupied homes (24,339). For every home on oil there are 4.2 on natural gas. Its median home year of 1942 is 10 years older than the 1952 average across these towns. 4,723 homes (19%) are electric, and 528 (2%) use propane or bottled gas.
Heating tune-up in Medford
Natural gas heats 62% of Medford (15,034 homes), which makes the gas furnace or boiler the usual job: flame, heat exchanger, venting and safety devices.
Across the three burner fuels, 19,105 of 24,339 homes (78%) burn gas, oil or propane: 15,034 gas, 3,543 oil and 528 propane. 11,180 homes (46%) are rented, which means the landlord, not the tenant, books the visit. Homes here are old: the median was built in 1942. Basements often hold equipment from several different decades.
Ready to book? Request a Medford tune-up. What gets checked: furnaces, boilers.
Replacing a boiler or furnace in Medford
Gas is the default in Medford (62%), and the rebate only follows if a Mass Save gas sponsor serves you. The gas bill tells you who that is. Rates and the January 1, 2027 drop are on the 2027 rebate page.
For a number you can use, send two photos of the old unit and the panel, and see what moves a boiler price.
What next
Estimate your rebate. Most homes here burn gas, so read the gas guide. If you have an oil tank, see oil to heat pump. Landlords: heat pumps for two- and three-families. A heat pump adds load, so check your panel.