Population 1,667 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Devens
Household size in Devens
| Period | Devens | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.96 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.51 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.93 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.62 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Devens is a place of small households, averaging 2.33 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.96, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Devens
| Period | Devens | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.4 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.2 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.0 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.9 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Devens skews older: half of its residents are older than 48.0, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Devens
| Period | Devens | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 32.1% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −9.0 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Devens: 3.6% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Devens
Renters in Devens
| Period | Devens | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.2% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.3% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.7% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.0% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over three in ten households in Devens rent their homes (31.0%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 48.9% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Devens
| Period | Devens | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.1% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +9.4 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 17.1% of the housing in Devens, 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.
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 Devens
| Period | Devens | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1944 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1944 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1952 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Devens is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1952, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Devens
| Period | Devens | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,238 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,422 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,183 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,421 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$183 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Devens pays $1,421 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 48.3% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Devens
Bachelor's degrees in Devens
| Period | Devens | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.4% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.8% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.9% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Devens have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.9%, against 35.6% 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 Devens
| Period | Devens | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.2% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.1% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.1% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 76.0% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly a quarter of adults in Devens never finished high school, well above the national share: only 76.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 Devens
| Period | Devens | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.2% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Devens than nationally: unemployment was 4.2%, against 5.4%. 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).
Devens 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devens | 2.33 | 48.0 | 3.6% | 31.0% | 17.1% | 1952 | $1,421 | 18.9% | 76.0% | 4.2% |
| Harvard Station | 2.98 | 36.7 | 3.2% | 5.8% | 9.8% | 1965 | $2,712 | 80.9% | 97.3% | 9.0% |
| Shirley | 2.47 | 41.9 | 7.7% | 22.0% | 7.1% | 1970 | $1,594 | 37.3% | 89.0% | 4.6% |
| Still River | 2.75 | 46.1 | 3.4% | 9.4% | 14.3% | 1968 | $2,811 | 79.5% | 99.8% | 7.5% |
| Harvard | 2.93 | 43.4 | 2.5% | 9.3% | 7.8% | 1975 | $2,301 | 76.9% | 99.6% | 4.7% |
| Ayer | 2.31 | 40.5 | 13.1% | 30.6% | 7.6% | 1972 | $1,717 | 42.3% | 91.9% | 6.5% |
| Shirley Center | 2.70 | 46.1 | 11.7% | 20.6% | 7.5% | 1987 | $1,947 | 46.0% | 95.6% | 5.8% |
| Ponakin Mill | 2.32 | 39.5 | 1.0% | 14.7% | 2.0% | 1978 | $2,344 | 47.0% | 88.7% | 1.7% |
| Boxborough | 2.47 | 44.7 | 8.4% | 26.4% | 4.1% | 1986 | $2,247 | 80.7% | 96.8% | 4.9% |
| South Bolton | 2.82 | 40.9 | 4.9% | 5.5% | 2.1% | 1983 | $1,895 | 84.6% | 99.8% | 7.3% |
| Groton | 2.94 | 42.5 | 6.6% | 11.7% | 3.7% | 1987 | $1,481 | 70.2% | 97.4% | 5.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Akutan, AK · New Rockford, ND · Richburg, SC · Randle, WA · Rainbow, TX · Pleasantville, PA · Pleasant City, OH · Plains, GA · Pine Bluffs, WY · Pembine, WI
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 Devens. 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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