Population 4,396 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in ZIP 02538
Household size in ZIP 02538
| Period | ZIP 02538 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.61 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.34 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.55 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in ZIP 02538 run a little small, averaging 2.55 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. That is in line with the rest of the Boston area.
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 02538
| Period | ZIP 02538 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.6 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.6 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.9 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.9 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.4 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of ZIP 02538 is 41.9 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. That is in line with the rest of the Boston area. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.6, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 02538
| Period | ZIP 02538 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.0% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.9% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.3% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.7 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in ZIP 02538 than nationally: 13.2%, against 11.6%.
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 02538
Renters in ZIP 02538
| Period | ZIP 02538 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.2% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.9% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.6% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 16.6% of households in ZIP 02538 rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About one in five owners (20.6%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%.
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 02538
| Period | ZIP 02538 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.4% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 35.4% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.9% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −16.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in ZIP 02538 is close to the national rate: 9.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Boston area as a whole (6.7%).
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 02538
| Period | ZIP 02538 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1961 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | −8 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in ZIP 02538 is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1961, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The Boston area as a whole looks much the same.
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 02538
| Period | ZIP 02538 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $928 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,153 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,123 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,524 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$595 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in ZIP 02538 costs $1,524 a month with utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in the wider Boston area ($2,051). The typical renter here spends 30.4% of household income on rent, 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 02538
Bachelor's degrees in ZIP 02538
| Period | ZIP 02538 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.1% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.1% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.1% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.9% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.8 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in ZIP 02538 than nationally: 25.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
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 02538
| Period | ZIP 02538 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.8% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.5% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.4% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.3% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in ZIP 02538: 95.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 02538
| Period | ZIP 02538 | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in ZIP 02538 has been low: just 1.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 02538 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 02538 | 2.55 | 41.9 | 13.2% | 16.6% | 9.3% | 1961 | $1,524 | 25.9% | 95.3% | 1.9% |
| ZIP 02558 | 2.17 | 43.5 | 10.9% | 9.9% | 38.8% | 1943 | $1,643 | 25.2% | 97.2% | 9.6% |
| ZIP 02532 | 2.06 | 53.3 | 9.0% | 20.9% | 17.8% | 1972 | $1,377 | 39.9% | 94.5% | 6.4% |
| ZIP 02571 | 2.22 | 50.0 | 11.2% | 19.5% | 14.8% | 1962 | $1,511 | 28.3% | 93.1% | 4.6% |
| ZIP 02553 | 2.58 | 37.7 | 2.9% | 8.4% | 29.0% | 1973 | $1,629 | 41.7% | 99.4% | 6.8% |
| ZIP 02366 | 2.53 | 51.2 | 1.7% | 1.5% | 13.1% | 1994 | $2,208 | 47.5% | 91.5% | 4.1% |
| ZIP 02576 | 2.48 | 53.3 | 19.1% | 13.4% | 9.3% | 1984 | $1,382 | 19.9% | 93.8% | 5.7% |
| ZIP 02561 | 2.85 | 34.8 | 9.0% | 38.4% | 8.5% | 1981 | $1,833 | 66.1% | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| ZIP 02559 | 2.34 | 52.3 | 7.8% | 22.3% | 36.3% | 1974 | $1,036 | 49.5% | 98.2% | 5.4% |
| ZIP 02562 | 2.43 | 52.8 | 9.2% | 14.1% | 18.4% | 1983 | $1,686 | 51.3% | 97.8% | 4.9% |
| ZIP 02738 | 2.39 | 52.2 | 11.6% | 9.1% | 22.4% | 1960 | $1,212 | 49.1% | 97.0% | 5.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Zip codes with similar populations: 49454, MI · 43821, OH · 13082, NY · 65051, MO · 13830, NY · 63382, MO · 17501, PA · 17841, PA · 49779, MI · 45846, OH
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 02538. 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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