Population 31,496 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in ZIP 02038
Household size in ZIP 02038
| Period | ZIP 02038 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.81 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.90 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.74 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.64 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
At 2.64 people per household, ZIP 02038 sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in the Boston area as a whole, where it has 2.55 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.81, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in ZIP 02038
| Period | ZIP 02038 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.6 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.9 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.1 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.7 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.1 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in ZIP 02038 are younger than 40.7 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 36.6, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the northeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in ZIP 02038
| Period | ZIP 02038 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.9% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in ZIP 02038 than nationally: 8.9%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across the Boston area. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.7 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in ZIP 02038
Renters in ZIP 02038
| Period | ZIP 02038 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.1% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.5% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.0% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.4% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.4% of households in ZIP 02038 rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 27.1% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the east; owners are most common in the north. The renter share has risen 3.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in ZIP 02038
| Period | ZIP 02038 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.6% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in ZIP 02038 than nationally: 6.7%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The picture is much the same across the Boston area. Vacancy is up 2.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in ZIP 02038
| Period | ZIP 02038 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in ZIP 02038 are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1978, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in the wider Boston area, where the median home dates to 1964. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in ZIP 02038
| Period | ZIP 02038 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,166 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,104 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,376 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,896 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$731 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in ZIP 02038 costs $1,896 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in the Boston area as a whole ($2,051). Rent has climbed $731 a month since 2006–10, up 63%, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 31.2% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in ZIP 02038
Bachelor's degrees in ZIP 02038
| Period | ZIP 02038 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.5% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 51.3% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 56.0% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 58.1% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.6 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
ZIP 02038 is highly educated: nearly six in ten adults 25 and older (58.1%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 11.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in ZIP 02038
| Period | ZIP 02038 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.1% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.1% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.4% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.7% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in ZIP 02038: 97.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 1.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. ZIP 02038 has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of Massachusetts ZIP codes.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in ZIP 02038
| Period | ZIP 02038 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.2%, unemployment in ZIP 02038 is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 0.7 points, a smaller shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
ZIP 02038 compared with nearby ZIP codes
| ZIP code | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZIP 02038 | 2.64 | 40.7 | 8.9% | 22.4% | 6.7% | 1978 | $1,896 | 58.1% | 97.7% | 5.2% |
| ZIP 02093 | 2.77 | 47.3 | 7.3% | 17.6% | 6.5% | 1984 | $1,281 | 55.6% | 92.0% | 6.3% |
| ZIP 02019 | 2.73 | 41.5 | 13.1% | 21.2% | 7.8% | 1973 | $1,738 | 38.9% | 94.4% | 7.5% |
| ZIP 02056 | 2.94 | 43.2 | 3.2% | 5.1% | 3.3% | 1982 | $1,915 | 68.3% | 96.2% | 4.6% |
| ZIP 02053 | 2.82 | 42.0 | 5.7% | 13.4% | 1.1% | 1975 | $1,587 | 62.8% | 96.1% | 3.9% |
| ZIP 02054 | 2.69 | 45.5 | 5.4% | 16.8% | 4.9% | 1972 | $1,585 | 55.9% | 95.9% | 4.5% |
| ZIP 02762 | 2.38 | 44.2 | 11.8% | 29.6% | 7.7% | 1977 | $1,788 | 44.8% | 96.1% | 6.3% |
| ZIP 02071 | 3.29 | 37.0 | 2.3% | 18.3% | 2.6% | 1979 | $1,475 | 68.5% | 97.7% | 4.8% |
| ZIP 01747 | 2.74 | 44.0 | 9.1% | 20.4% | 9.4% | 1952 | $1,895 | 47.8% | 94.5% | 1.7% |
| ZIP 01756 | 2.96 | 45.1 | 10.4% | 13.1% | 8.1% | 1984 | $1,825 | 46.8% | 94.4% | 4.3% |
| ZIP 01757 | 2.73 | 40.5 | 11.4% | 34.7% | 5.8% | 1965 | $2,033 | 34.5% | 87.2% | 5.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Zip codes with similar populations: 78418, TX · 92881, CA · 43402, OH · 02136, MA · 76092, TX · 02062, MA · 41051, KY · 92679, CA · 75238, TX · 95131, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up ZIP 02038. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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