Population 878 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in ZIP 02542
Household size in ZIP 02542
| Period | ZIP 02542 | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.88 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.01 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.81 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.78 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in ZIP 02542 average 2.78 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Household size has dropped from 2.88 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 02542
| Period | ZIP 02542 | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.6 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 22.3 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 25.3 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 30.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +7.5 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 30.1, ZIP 02542 is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children.
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 02542
| Period | ZIP 02542 | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 2.2% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.8% of households in ZIP 02542, well below the national share of 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 02542
Renters in ZIP 02542
| Period | ZIP 02542 | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 100.0% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 99.0% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 94.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 100.0% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | ±0.0 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in ZIP 02542: 100.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Just over four in ten owners (41.8%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
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 02542
| Period | ZIP 02542 | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.9% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 42.7% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 22.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 30.5% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +14.6 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in ZIP 02542: 30.5% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 02542
| Period | ZIP 02542 | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1955 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1956 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1956 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +5 | +6 |
ZIP 02542 is a place of older homes: half were built before 1956, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 02542
| Period | ZIP 02542 | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,522 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,120 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,708 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,094 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$572 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in ZIP 02542 runs $2,094 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 34.6% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 02542
Bachelor's degrees in ZIP 02542
| Period | ZIP 02542 | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.8% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.7% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.9% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.1% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.3 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are more common in ZIP 02542 than nationally: 42.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Even so, the share is lower than in Massachusetts as a whole (47.2%).
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 02542
| Period | ZIP 02542 | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.3% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 99.0% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.6% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in ZIP 02542: 95.6% 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 02542
| Period | ZIP 02542 | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.7% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in ZIP 02542 has been strong: just 1.7% 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 02542 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 02542 | 2.78 | 30.1 | 6.8% | 100.0% | 30.5% | 1956 | $2,094 | 42.1% | 95.6% | 1.7% |
| ZIP 02534 | 2.15 | 61.0 | 6.4% | 21.9% | 43.9% | 1974 | $689 | 63.1% | 99.9% | 1.7% |
| ZIP 02559 | 2.34 | 52.3 | 7.8% | 22.3% | 36.3% | 1974 | $1,036 | 49.5% | 98.2% | 5.4% |
| ZIP 02556 | 2.33 | 54.0 | 4.0% | 12.8% | 47.0% | 1962 | $2,317 | 63.0% | 99.3% | 8.1% |
| ZIP 02644 | 2.63 | 43.0 | 4.7% | 12.2% | 6.5% | 1980 | $2,049 | 35.0% | 96.8% | 3.4% |
| ZIP 02553 | 2.58 | 37.7 | 2.9% | 8.4% | 29.0% | 1973 | $1,629 | 41.7% | 99.4% | 6.8% |
| ZIP 02536 | 2.37 | 50.8 | 6.6% | 10.6% | 21.3% | 1978 | $1,863 | 44.0% | 95.1% | 6.7% |
| ZIP 02649 | 2.12 | 54.4 | 6.2% | 18.1% | 25.3% | 1988 | $1,913 | 45.0% | 97.8% | 5.4% |
| ZIP 02532 | 2.06 | 53.3 | 9.0% | 20.9% | 17.8% | 1972 | $1,377 | 39.9% | 94.5% | 6.4% |
| ZIP 02563 | 2.37 | 54.0 | 6.1% | 11.0% | 12.5% | 1982 | $1,762 | 56.5% | 98.5% | 2.8% |
| ZIP 02558 | 2.17 | 43.5 | 10.9% | 9.9% | 38.8% | 1943 | $1,643 | 25.2% | 97.2% | 9.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Zip codes with similar populations: 33930, FL · 27960, NC · 82639, WY · 59337, MT · 38044, TN · 72384, AR · 77661, TX · 80820, CO · 25979, WV · 81525, CO
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 02542. 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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