Population 24,748 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Canton
Household size in Canton
| Period | Canton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.54 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.56 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.58 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
At 2.58 people per household, Canton sits close to the national average of 2.65. Household size has crept up from 2.54 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the center and smallest in the southeast.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.0 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.3 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.8 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.5 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Canton is 42.8 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 41.3 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the west.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.6% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Canton than nationally: 10.6%, against 11.6%. The Boston area as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share has risen 3.3 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 Canton
Renters in Canton
| Period | Canton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.1% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.7% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.6% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.4% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Canton rent their homes (26.4%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 31.2% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southeast and least common in the north.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.2% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Canton: just 3.9% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 1.0 points, in line with the national trend. Canton has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Massachusetts cities.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Canton are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in the Boston area overall, where the median home dates to 1964. The median year built has moved up from 1973 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the west, the oldest in the center.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,318 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,402 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,735 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,415 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,097 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Canton pays $2,415 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,097 a month since 2006–10, up 83%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 33.2% 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 northeast; the most affordable 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 Canton
Bachelor's degrees in Canton
| Period | Canton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 48.4% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 52.5% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 55.3% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 66.8% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +18.5 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Canton: 66.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. The share with a degree has risen 18.5 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Canton
| Period | Canton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.9% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.1% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.4% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.1% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Canton: 96.1% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is little changed from 2006–10, while 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 Canton
| Period | Canton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Canton runs below the national rate: 3.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 2.5 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Canton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canton | 2.58 | 42.8 | 10.6% | 26.4% | 3.9% | 1979 | $2,415 | 66.8% | 96.1% | 3.4% |
| Stoughton | 2.57 | 45.6 | 11.9% | 27.3% | 4.6% | 1967 | $2,012 | 41.8% | 90.3% | 4.4% |
| Norwood | 2.37 | 41.8 | 9.2% | 46.0% | 4.2% | 1961 | $1,895 | 55.2% | 93.4% | 3.7% |
| Randolph | 2.77 | 42.1 | 14.1% | 28.7% | 3.5% | 1968 | $1,965 | 36.5% | 87.9% | 7.5% |
| Sharon | 2.96 | 42.4 | 5.9% | 12.4% | 4.4% | 1971 | $2,696 | 77.5% | 98.7% | 2.9% |
| East Walpole | 2.89 | 38.8 | 4.9% | 19.0% | 11.8% | 1969 | $2,447 | 68.6% | 98.1% | 4.5% |
| Avon | 2.94 | 38.6 | 16.7% | 22.5% | 0.8% | 1955 | $1,622 | 30.1% | 86.3% | 2.4% |
| Westwood | 2.95 | 43.7 | 5.2% | 12.6% | 4.7% | 1970 | $2,595 | 72.8% | 95.7% | 1.9% |
| Dedham | 2.34 | 45.6 | 8.3% | 27.0% | 4.3% | 1960 | $2,117 | 55.7% | 93.7% | 3.5% |
| Walpole | 2.79 | 41.7 | 5.6% | 15.9% | 5.6% | 1979 | $1,820 | 67.4% | 98.2% | 5.3% |
| Hyde Park | 2.82 | 39.0 | 19.8% | 45.5% | 4.5% | 1955 | $1,967 | 36.7% | 89.2% | 6.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Steubenville, OH · Hazel Dell, WA · Helena, AL · Highland, IN · Hillside, NJ · Hingham, MA · Tipp City, OH · Holt, MI · Hopewell Junction, NY · Taylorsville, NC
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 Canton. 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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