Population 22,980 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Acton: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Acton
Household size in Acton
| Period | Acton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.75 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.68 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.69 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.58 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Acton average 2.58 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Household size has dropped from 2.75 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the north.
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 Acton
| Period | Acton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.5 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.3 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.1 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.6 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.2 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.6, Acton is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 40.5 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the east, the oldest in the north.
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 Acton
| Period | Acton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.8% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.2% of households in Acton, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 1.7 points, in line with the national trend. Acton has a lower share of single-parent households than the great majority of Massachusetts cities.
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 Acton
Renters in Acton
| Period | Acton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.1% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.2% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.8% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.8% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Acton is largely a place of homeowners: only 24.8% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About a third of owners (32.4%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 4.7 points, a much bigger shift than 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 Acton
| Period | Acton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.0% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.6% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Acton: just 2.9% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 4.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 24 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have a lower vacancy rate.
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 Acton
| Period | Acton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1973 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Acton run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. Locally, though, homes here are newer than in the Boston area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1964. The median year built has moved up from 1969 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the northwest 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 Acton
| Period | Acton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,058 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,145 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,541 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,810 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$753 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Acton costs $1,810 a month with utilities, above the national median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in the wider Boston area ($2,051). Rent has climbed $753 a month since 2006–10, up 71%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 32.2% 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 Acton
Bachelor's degrees in Acton
| Period | Acton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.9% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 74.8% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 75.2% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 79.6% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Acton is highly educated: about eight in ten adults 25 and older (79.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 5.7 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only 21 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of college graduates.
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 Acton
| Period | Acton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.8% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.2% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.5% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.0% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Acton: 98.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has edged up 1.2 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Acton has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of Massachusetts cities.
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 Acton
| Period | Acton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.2% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Acton runs below the national rate: 4.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. 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).
Acton compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acton | 2.58 | 44.6 | 5.2% | 24.8% | 2.9% | 1975 | $1,810 | 79.6% | 98.0% | 4.1% |
| Village Of Nagog Woods | 2.52 | 42.7 | 3.7% | 28.2% | 3.8% | 1982 | $2,295 | 81.8% | 98.6% | 5.4% |
| West Concord | 2.57 | 47.2 | 8.2% | 36.2% | 9.3% | 1975 | $2,624 | 73.8% | 94.9% | 3.8% |
| Maynard | 2.22 | 45.9 | 6.2% | 24.4% | 6.0% | 1960 | $1,821 | 65.1% | 95.0% | 5.5% |
| Boxborough | 2.47 | 44.7 | 8.4% | 26.4% | 4.1% | 1986 | $2,247 | 80.7% | 96.8% | 4.9% |
| Concord | 2.76 | 48.3 | 7.1% | 18.1% | 7.3% | 1964 | $2,071 | 84.3% | 98.4% | 4.0% |
| Littleton | 2.67 | 43.8 | 7.1% | 16.6% | 4.8% | 1977 | $2,012 | 58.2% | 95.5% | 5.7% |
| Stow | 2.62 | 45.1 | 8.9% | 14.7% | 2.0% | 1971 | $2,248 | 76.5% | 98.4% | 3.6% |
| Pine Lake | 2.81 | 44.9 | 6.4% | 21.3% | 5.0% | 1982 | $1,712 | 80.2% | 97.7% | 4.8% |
| Carlisle | 2.98 | 45.2 | 5.3% | 6.4% | 2.3% | 1976 | $2,354 | 87.4% | 98.9% | 4.1% |
| Harvard | 2.93 | 43.4 | 2.5% | 9.3% | 7.8% | 1975 | $2,301 | 76.9% | 99.6% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Nogales, AZ · Pleasant Prairie, WI · Jesup, GA · Panama City Beach, FL · Boaz, AL · North Salt Lake, UT · Middletown, PA · Lucedale, MS · Lemont, IL · Lebanon, MO
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 Acton. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.