Population 6,154 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bemis
Household size in Bemis
| Period | Bemis | Watertown Town | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.36 | 2.20 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.34 | 2.26 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.32 | 2.27 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.28 | 2.17 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.02 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Bemis are small: just 2.28 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Locally, though, the typical household here is bigger than in Watertown Town as a whole, where it has 2.17 people. Household size has edged down from 2.36 in 2006–10, as it has 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 Bemis
| Period | Bemis | Watertown Town | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.8 | 40.8 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.5 | 39.8 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.8 | 39.2 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.2 | 40.8 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.6 | −0.0 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 40.2, the median age in Bemis is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has dropped from 42.8 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the south, the 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 Bemis
| Period | Bemis | Watertown Town | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 5.5% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.9% | 5.5% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 6.5% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 5.7% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +0.1 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.3% of households in Bemis, well below the national share of 11.6%. Even so, single parents are more common here than in Watertown Town as a whole (5.7%).
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 Bemis
Renters in Bemis
| Period | Bemis | Watertown Town | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.0% | 47.5% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 39.8% | 47.5% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.4% | 48.2% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 56.5% | 52.3% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +12.5 pts | +4.8 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Bemis: 56.5% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Just over a quarter of owners (26.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 12.5 points since 2006–10, 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 Bemis
| Period | Bemis | Watertown Town | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 8.2% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 7.0% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 5.9% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −2.3 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Bemis: 6.6% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of Watertown Town. Vacancy has fallen 2.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Bemis
| Period | Bemis | Watertown Town | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1943 | 1943 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1953 | 1950 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1953 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1952 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +17 | +9 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Bemis is a place of older homes: half were built before 1960, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Still, homes here are newer than in Watertown Town overall, where the median home dates to 1952. The median year built has moved up from 1943 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 Bemis
| Period | Bemis | Watertown Town | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,251 | $1,366 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,536 | $1,551 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,904 | $1,883 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,529 | $2,543 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,278 | +$1,177 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Bemis runs $2,529 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,278 a month from 2006–10, a 102% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 26.3% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the north; the highest are in the southwest.
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 Bemis
Bachelor's degrees in Bemis
| Period | Bemis | Watertown Town | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.7% | 52.6% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 54.0% | 57.9% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 62.2% | 66.3% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 67.7% | 66.5% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +22.0 pts | +13.9 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Bemis is highly educated: about two-thirds of adults 25 and older (67.7%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 22.0 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the north.
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 Bemis
| Period | Bemis | Watertown Town | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.6% | 92.2% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.0% | 94.1% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.3% | 94.9% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.9% | 94.5% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Bemis: 95.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Watertown Town. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 6.3 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Bemis
| Period | Bemis | Watertown Town | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 5.8% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 7.4% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 3.7% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.7% | 4.8% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −1.0 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.7%, unemployment in Bemis is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Watertown Town as a whole (4.8%). 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).
Bemis compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bemis | 2.28 | 40.2 | 7.3% | 56.5% | 6.6% | 1960 | $2,529 | 67.7% | 95.9% | 5.7% |
| Warrendale | 2.39 | 41.8 | 7.7% | 28.7% | 4.8% | 1960 | $2,046 | 54.7% | 92.5% | 5.8% |
| Nonantum | 2.48 | 43.6 | 5.5% | 50.3% | 5.2% | 1946 | $2,032 | 70.0% | 94.6% | 4.5% |
| Waverley Square | 2.47 | 41.8 | 9.0% | 42.1% | 5.8% | 1946 | $2,439 | 73.8% | 95.5% | 4.2% |
| Cushing Square | 2.54 | 43.1 | 5.8% | 40.2% | 6.1% | 1939 | $2,818 | 76.6% | 96.9% | 3.0% |
| Bleachery | 2.05 | 39.0 | 6.9% | 64.4% | 5.5% | 1972 | $2,507 | 54.4% | 90.8% | 4.5% |
| Newton Corner | 2.61 | 38.1 | 7.3% | 39.3% | 8.5% | 1938 | $2,696 | 79.6% | 97.0% | 4.8% |
| East Watertown | 2.21 | 39.4 | 4.5% | 55.9% | 3.6% | 1945 | $2,531 | 64.0% | 91.6% | 5.6% |
| South Side | 2.21 | 34.3 | 8.4% | 66.4% | 4.9% | 1953 | $2,036 | 62.1% | 93.1% | 4.3% |
| West Newton | 2.64 | 43.3 | 6.8% | 34.4% | 6.1% | 1942 | $2,347 | 80.4% | 98.2% | 3.0% |
| Strawberry Hill | 2.30 | 42.0 | 8.5% | 55.2% | 4.2% | 1947 | $2,714 | 80.7% | 97.8% | 1.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Eagle Point District, Dubuque, IA · Modello, Leisure City, FL · Piqua Historic District, Piqua, OH · Oak Park, Overland Park, KS · Downtown Troy, Troy, MI · Briarcliffe, Glenolden, PA · Southwest, San Antonio, TX · Town and Country North, Cockeysville, MD · Viola, Monsey, NY · Wailua, Kapaa, HI
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 Bemis. 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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