Population 14,249 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dorchester Center
Household size in Dorchester Center
| Period | Dorchester Center | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.86 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.22 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.34 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.07 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.21 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Dorchester Center is a place of big households: 3.07 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.86 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Only one other Boston neighborhood has 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 Dorchester Center
| Period | Dorchester Center | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.8 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.9 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.7 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 33.7 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.9 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Dorchester Center is young: half of its residents are under 33.7, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 32.8 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Dorchester Center
| Period | Dorchester Center | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.4% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.6% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 28.4% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 27.4% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head more than a quarter of households in Dorchester Center (27.4%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 4.1 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other Boston neighborhood has a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Dorchester Center
Renters in Dorchester Center
| Period | Dorchester Center | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 61.4% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 64.5% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 58.2% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 60.0% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Dorchester Center rent: 60.0% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Among homeowners, 23.8% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 1.4 points, 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 Dorchester Center
| Period | Dorchester Center | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.5% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.2% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −13.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.4% of homes in Dorchester Center are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 13.0 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Dorchester Center has the lowest vacancy rate of any Boston neighborhood.
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 Dorchester Center
| Period | Dorchester Center | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1942 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1942 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1944 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1954 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +12 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Dorchester Center is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1954, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1942 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the center, the oldest in the south.
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 Dorchester Center
| Period | Dorchester Center | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,149 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,144 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,600 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,768 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$619 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Dorchester Center runs $1,768 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Locally, though, rents here are lower than in the Boston area as a whole ($2,051). Rent has climbed $619 a month since 2006–10, up 54%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 38.4% 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 Dorchester Center
Bachelor's degrees in Dorchester Center
| Period | Dorchester Center | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.7% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.8% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.2% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.9% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Dorchester Center than nationally: 25.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 8.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only one other Boston neighborhood has a lower 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 Dorchester Center
| Period | Dorchester Center | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.2% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.5% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.6% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 79.6% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in Dorchester Center never finished high school, well above the national share: only 79.6% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has edged up 1.4 points, a smaller shift than 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 Dorchester Center
| Period | Dorchester Center | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.8% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 17.8% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.2% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.6 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Dorchester Center: 9.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Few Boston neighborhoods have higher unemployment: only two of 20. Unemployment is down 7.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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).
Dorchester Center compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester Center | 3.07 | 33.7 | 27.4% | 60.0% | 5.4% | 1954 | $1,768 | 25.9% | 79.6% | 9.2% |
| South Dorchester | 2.70 | 38.7 | 19.4% | 56.8% | 6.6% | 1943 | $1,992 | 35.4% | 82.1% | 8.8% |
| Mount Bowdoin | 3.19 | 30.8 | 32.7% | 80.3% | 6.2% | 1952 | $1,418 | 21.4% | 77.0% | 11.5% |
| Fields Corner | 2.29 | 49.7 | 9.5% | 52.1% | 9.1% | 1944 | $2,302 | 37.5% | 78.6% | 5.9% |
| Neponset | 2.51 | 37.7 | 12.3% | 44.2% | 6.6% | 1944 | $2,302 | 51.3% | 92.3% | 7.5% |
| Forest Hills | 2.26 | 40.7 | 4.4% | 57.6% | 5.0% | 1939 | $2,258 | 65.8% | 95.0% | 1.3% |
| North Dorchester | 2.27 | 34.4 | 12.8% | 64.5% | 7.7% | 1957 | $2,052 | 48.4% | 86.3% | 6.6% |
| Milton Upper Mills | 3.10 | 41.8 | 16.1% | 29.0% | 5.4% | 1945 | $1,722 | 65.8% | 95.6% | 5.1% |
| Roxbury | 2.36 | 34.2 | 16.5% | 74.9% | 9.5% | 1959 | $1,507 | 33.3% | 81.5% | 8.2% |
| East Milton | 2.81 | 40.4 | 10.2% | 14.9% | 3.2% | 1947 | $2,762 | 73.8% | 96.8% | 3.6% |
| Nubian Square | 2.21 | 36.7 | 17.3% | 78.3% | 8.2% | 1968 | $1,427 | 28.8% | 79.1% | 11.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Atwater Village, Los Angeles, CA · Mandell, Chicago, IL · Mar Lee, Denver, CO · Riverwest, Milwaukee, WI · Spanos Park, Stockton, CA · Cypress Park, Los Angeles, CA · Ballard, Seattle, WA · Green Haven, Pasadena, MD · Original Daly City, Daly City, CA · Ormewood Park-East Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
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 Dorchester Center. 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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