The Community Profiles Project uses data from the 1990 U.S. Census to describe some of the population characteristics of Asian Pacific Americans in selected Massachusetts cities and towns. The profiles include basic statistics relating to income, employment, education, and housing. This information can assist policy makers and practitioners in developing programs and policies affecting Asian Pacific Americans that are appropriate, sensitive, and effective. This profile focuses on Cambridge. The 8,176 Asian Pacific Americans recorded as living in Cambridge represented 8.5% of the city's residents, an increase of 25% from the 1980 Census. Chinese accounted for nearly one-half of this group. nearly one-half of the Asian Pacific Americans over 65 years of age were not proficient in English, but only about 20% of those aged 5 to 17 years were not proficient. Household incomes of Asian Pacific Americans in Cambridge reflected wide disparities. The percentage of Asian Pacific Americans in the lowest income category was nearly two and one-half times that of Whites and nearly twice as large as Blacks and Latinos, and the percentage of Asian Pacific Americans in the highest income categories was much less than one-half that of Whites and comparable to that of Blacks and Latinos. Employment figures were consistent with income figures. About 60% of the Asian Pacific Americans in Cambridge were enrolled in school. This was, by a considerable margin, the highest percentage of school enrollment of any racial and ethnic group in the city. The proportion of the group enrolled in elementary through college was particularly high. When Asian Pacific Americans over 25 were considered, a considerably lower percentage than that of Whites had a ninth-grade education, while a significantly higher percentage had secured graduate or professional degrees compared with all other groups and the total population. These findings reflect the diversity of Asian Pacific Americans in Cambridge. (Contains nine figures and eight tables.) (SLD)