Population 5,193 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Carlisle
Household size in Carlisle
| Period | Carlisle | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.97 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.88 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.79 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.98 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.00 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Carlisle is a place of big households: 2.98 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Only eight of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have larger 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 Carlisle
| Period | Carlisle | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.8 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.3 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 50.4 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.2 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.4 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.2, Carlisle is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 44.8, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Carlisle
| Period | Carlisle | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 2.4% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.3% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.3% of households in Carlisle, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 1.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Carlisle has a lower share of single-parent households than at least four in five 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 Carlisle
Renters in Carlisle
| Period | Carlisle | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.7% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 6.4% of households in Carlisle rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 41.1% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 3.0 points, even as the national share rose. Only 11 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of renters.
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 Carlisle
| Period | Carlisle | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.7% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 2.3% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Carlisle: just 2.3% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 1.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 17 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 Carlisle
| Period | Carlisle | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Carlisle are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1976, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in the wider Boston area, where the median home dates to 1964.
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 Carlisle
| Period | Carlisle | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,609 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $2,001 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,087 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,354 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$745 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Carlisle costs $2,354 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $745 a month from 2006–10, a 46% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 49.5% of household income on rent, 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 south; the highest are in the northeast.
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 Carlisle
Bachelor's degrees in Carlisle
| Period | Carlisle | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.0% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 81.1% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 82.1% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 87.4% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Carlisle: 87.4% 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 is up 1.4 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only three 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 Carlisle
| Period | Carlisle | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 98.7% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.8% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.7% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.9% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Carlisle: 98.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only six have a higher share of high school graduates.
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 Carlisle
| Period | Carlisle | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 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 | −3.9 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Carlisle than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 3.9 points since 2006–10, as it has 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).
Carlisle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle | 2.98 | 45.2 | 5.3% | 6.4% | 2.3% | 1976 | $2,354 | 87.4% | 98.9% | 4.1% |
| Riverside | 3.15 | 45.3 | 6.8% | 2.1% | 1.6% | 1978 | $3,501 | 88.7% | 98.2% | 2.4% |
| Village Of Nagog Woods | 2.52 | 42.7 | 3.7% | 28.2% | 3.8% | 1982 | $2,295 | 81.8% | 98.6% | 5.4% |
| Chelmsford | 2.75 | 42.8 | 5.9% | 17.7% | 6.7% | 1969 | $2,251 | 55.5% | 93.9% | 6.6% |
| North Billerica | 2.59 | 40.0 | 11.7% | 28.7% | 1.0% | 1982 | $2,125 | 40.9% | 92.1% | 5.7% |
| Bedford | 2.51 | 45.0 | 4.1% | 31.3% | 2.8% | 1973 | $2,394 | 68.7% | 96.1% | 5.1% |
| Concord | 2.76 | 48.3 | 7.1% | 18.1% | 7.3% | 1964 | $2,071 | 84.3% | 98.4% | 4.0% |
| Billerica | 2.65 | 44.4 | 8.7% | 21.8% | 1.8% | 1973 | $2,337 | 40.6% | 95.0% | 3.1% |
| Acton | 2.58 | 44.6 | 5.2% | 24.8% | 2.9% | 1975 | $1,810 | 79.6% | 98.0% | 4.1% |
| West Concord | 2.57 | 47.2 | 8.2% | 36.2% | 9.3% | 1975 | $2,624 | 73.8% | 94.9% | 3.8% |
| Westford | 2.84 | 43.8 | 7.1% | 14.2% | 6.2% | 1979 | $2,806 | 73.9% | 97.7% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Peshtigo, WI · Pixley, CA · Pisgah Forest, NC · French Island, WI · Friona, TX · Pipe Creek, TX · Pioneer, CA · Fulton, IL · Fussels Corner, FL · Gainesboro, TN
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 Carlisle. 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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