Population 9,424 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Blackstone
Household size in Blackstone
| Period | Blackstone | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.69 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.63 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.60 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.39 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.31 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Blackstone are small: just 2.39 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. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.69, 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 Blackstone
| Period | Blackstone | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.4 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.1 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.5 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.1 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.7 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Blackstone skews older than the country: its median age is 43.1, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.4, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the southwest, the oldest in the east.
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 Blackstone
| Period | Blackstone | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.3% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Blackstone as they are nationally: 11.3%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 3.2 points since 2006–10, 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 Blackstone
Renters in Blackstone
| Period | Blackstone | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.5% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.7% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.2% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.4% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Blackstone own their homes; 27.4% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 32.7% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southwest and least common in the northeast. The renter share has fallen 2.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Blackstone
| Period | Blackstone | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Blackstone: just 4.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has fallen 5.8 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Blackstone
| Period | Blackstone | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1968 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Blackstone is a place of older homes: half were built before 1970, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Still, homes here are newer than in the Worcester area overall, where the median home dates to 1965. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the east 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 Blackstone
| Period | Blackstone | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $827 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $873 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,112 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,257 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$429 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Blackstone runs $1,257 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $429 a month from 2006–10, a 52% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 38.0% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northwest; the highest are in the center.
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 Blackstone
Bachelor's degrees in Blackstone
| Period | Blackstone | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.1% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 27.4% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.6% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 30.2% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Blackstone (30.2%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 8.1 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the east.
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 Blackstone
| Period | Blackstone | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.3% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.9% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.5% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.3% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.0 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Blackstone: 95.3% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 7.0 points from 2006–10, 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 Blackstone
| Period | Blackstone | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Blackstone has been low: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 2.4 points, in line with the national trend. 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).
Blackstone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackstone | 2.39 | 43.1 | 11.3% | 27.4% | 4.4% | 1970 | $1,257 | 30.2% | 95.3% | 2.6% |
| Woonsocket | 2.54 | 37.7 | 22.1% | 62.8% | 9.4% | 1953 | $1,223 | 19.2% | 83.0% | 6.5% |
| Millville | 2.66 | 44.6 | 4.6% | 13.4% | 2.1% | 1970 | $1,449 | 31.5% | 93.6% | 3.0% |
| North Smithfield | 2.50 | 45.5 | 8.4% | 24.2% | 5.1% | 1971 | $1,138 | 33.4% | 93.8% | 2.7% |
| Bellingham | 2.73 | 41.5 | 12.7% | 21.2% | 7.2% | 1973 | $1,734 | 39.1% | 94.5% | 7.7% |
| Mendon | 2.96 | 44.7 | 10.3% | 12.9% | 7.8% | 1984 | $1,798 | 47.6% | 94.5% | 4.3% |
| Manville | 2.72 | 40.0 | 14.7% | 34.0% | 4.7% | 1963 | $1,706 | 36.9% | 90.9% | 9.8% |
| Cumberland Hill | 2.58 | 41.5 | 7.4% | 16.5% | 2.4% | 1979 | $1,330 | 48.2% | 95.2% | 3.3% |
| Slatersville | 2.73 | 41.2 | 4.2% | 23.8% | 4.1% | 1967 | $1,160 | 25.0% | 85.6% | 3.8% |
| Uxbridge | 2.61 | 42.8 | 8.5% | 20.2% | 2.3% | 1975 | $1,402 | 37.1% | 94.5% | 4.4% |
| Hopedale | 2.73 | 44.1 | 9.0% | 20.4% | 9.4% | 1951 | $1,898 | 47.8% | 94.6% | 1.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Havana, FL · Winters, CA · Bristol, IN · Broadway, NC · Shepherdstown, WV · Shelley, ID · Buchanan, MI · Sheffield Lake, OH · Henrietta, NY · Bridgeville, DE
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 Blackstone. 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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