Population 12,111 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Buzzards Bay
Household size in Buzzards Bay
| Period | Buzzards Bay | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.15 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.27 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.07 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Buzzards Bay are small: just 2.07 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 edged down from 2.15, in line with the national trend. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only ten have smaller households.
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 Buzzards Bay
| Period | Buzzards Bay | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.5 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.7 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 52.4 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Buzzards Bay skews older: half of its residents are older than 52.4, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 43.5 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 13 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people are older.
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 Buzzards Bay
| Period | Buzzards Bay | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.0% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Buzzards Bay than nationally: 9.0%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 2.3 points from 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 Buzzards Bay
Renters in Buzzards Bay
| Period | Buzzards Bay | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.3% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.7% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.5% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.0% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Buzzards Bay own their homes; 25.0% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 40.1% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the southeast; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share is up 2.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Buzzards Bay
| Period | Buzzards Bay | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.7% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.9% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.4% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 18.4% of the housing in Buzzards Bay, 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. Vacancy is down 7.8 points from 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 Buzzards Bay
| Period | Buzzards Bay | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1964 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1971 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Buzzards Bay is a place of older homes: half were built before 1971, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Even so, homes here are newer than in Massachusetts as a whole, where the median home dates to 1963. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the west.
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 Buzzards Bay
| Period | Buzzards Bay | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,140 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $919 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,209 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,383 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$243 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Buzzards Bay pays $1,383 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $243 a month from 2006–10, a 21% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 33.4% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the north.
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 Buzzards Bay
Bachelor's degrees in Buzzards Bay
| Period | Buzzards Bay | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.9% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 33.9% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.9% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a bit more common in Buzzards Bay than nationally: 39.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Still, the share is lower than in Massachusetts as a whole (47.2%). The share with a degree has risen 8.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Buzzards Bay
| Period | Buzzards Bay | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.6% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.0% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.4% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Buzzards Bay: 94.4% 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 down 1.2 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
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 Buzzards Bay
| Period | Buzzards Bay | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Buzzards Bay than nationally: unemployment was 6.2%, against 5.4%. Buzzards Bay has higher unemployment than the great majority of Massachusetts cities. 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).
Buzzards Bay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buzzards Bay | 2.07 | 52.4 | 9.0% | 25.0% | 18.4% | 1971 | $1,383 | 39.9% | 94.4% | 6.2% |
| Monument Beach | 2.44 | 43.8 | 5.1% | 20.2% | 16.7% | 1982 | $1,537 | 44.8% | 96.6% | 6.6% |
| Bournedale | 2.24 | 54.9 | 10.3% | 14.3% | 14.9% | 1980 | $1,802 | 52.2% | 98.4% | 10.4% |
| Onset | 2.23 | 38.0 | 11.3% | 10.4% | 41.6% | 1940 | $1,643 | 27.2% | 98.9% | 11.1% |
| Pocasset | 2.34 | 51.3 | 7.2% | 21.4% | 37.0% | 1973 | $1,072 | 48.5% | 98.5% | 5.4% |
| East Wareham | 2.45 | 46.2 | 12.5% | 13.6% | 10.5% | 1963 | $1,542 | 25.4% | 94.5% | 1.8% |
| White Island Shores | 2.56 | 45.3 | 7.5% | 14.3% | 10.3% | 1985 | $1,973 | 46.4% | 95.3% | 6.9% |
| Sagamore | 2.78 | 37.3 | 9.0% | 35.8% | 8.9% | 1981 | $1,800 | 62.9% | 99.7% | 0.5% |
| Sagamore Highlands | 2.23 | 55.4 | 10.5% | 16.3% | 25.5% | 1970 | $1,752 | 47.2% | 98.8% | 2.1% |
| South Wareham | 2.49 | 47.5 | 4.1% | 23.5% | 16.2% | 1973 | $1,521 | 32.6% | 84.4% | 7.4% |
| Sagamore Beach | 2.42 | 52.9 | 9.1% | 14.5% | 17.5% | 1983 | $1,672 | 50.3% | 97.7% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Port St. John, FL · Jefferson Hills, PA · Jericho, NY · Jupiter Farms, FL · Kalaoa, HI · Lakewood Park, FL · Lansdowne, VA · Leicester, NC · Luling, LA · Madras, OR
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 Buzzards Bay. 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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