Population 23,320 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dorchester Heights
Household size in Dorchester Heights
| Period | Dorchester Heights | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.00 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.13 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.12 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.05 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Dorchester Heights is a place of small households, averaging 2.05 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has crept up from 2.00 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the center and smallest in the north.
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 Heights
| Period | Dorchester Heights | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.2 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.7 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.9 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.5 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.7 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Dorchester Heights is young: half of its residents are under 32.5, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has dropped from 35.2 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose.
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 Heights
| Period | Dorchester Heights | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Dorchester Heights: 5.4% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is down 0.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Heights
Renters in Dorchester Heights
| Period | Dorchester Heights | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.8% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 58.1% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 51.8% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 49.4% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Dorchester Heights than nationally: 49.4% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 32.5% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 2.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Among Boston's 20 neighborhoods, though, only two 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 Dorchester Heights
| Period | Dorchester Heights | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.0% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Dorchester Heights as nationally: 8.6%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the wider Boston area (6.7%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.8 points, as it has 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 Dorchester Heights
| Period | Dorchester Heights | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1943 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1947 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1953 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +17 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Dorchester Heights is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1960, 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 1943 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the north, while the east has the oldest housing.
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 Heights
| Period | Dorchester Heights | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,332 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,548 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,116 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,107 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,775 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Dorchester Heights runs $3,107 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,775 a month since 2006–10, up 133%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 24.1% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. No other Boston neighborhood has higher rents.
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 Heights
Bachelor's degrees in Dorchester Heights
| Period | Dorchester Heights | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.7% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 64.4% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 74.5% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 76.2% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +20.5 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Dorchester Heights: 76.2% 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 20.5 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 Dorchester Heights
| Period | Dorchester Heights | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.5% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.3% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.0% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.4% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.0 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Dorchester Heights: 97.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 5.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only one other Boston neighborhood has 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 Dorchester Heights
| Period | Dorchester Heights | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.9% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.4% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.5% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Dorchester Heights has been low: just 2.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Dorchester Heights has the lowest unemployment rate of any Boston neighborhood. 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).
Dorchester Heights 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 Heights | 2.05 | 32.5 | 5.4% | 49.4% | 8.6% | 1960 | $3,107 | 76.2% | 97.4% | 2.5% |
| South Boston | 1.84 | 35.7 | 7.8% | 68.8% | 11.3% | 1981 | $2,797 | 71.3% | 95.8% | 5.5% |
| North Dorchester | 2.27 | 34.4 | 12.8% | 64.5% | 7.7% | 1957 | $2,052 | 48.4% | 86.3% | 6.6% |
| South End | 1.89 | 37.8 | 6.3% | 64.7% | 10.3% | 1959 | $2,363 | 68.9% | 90.9% | 6.1% |
| Central | 1.74 | 33.9 | 4.0% | 77.8% | 21.8% | 1989 | $2,662 | 66.8% | 88.8% | 7.4% |
| Downtown Crossing | 1.68 | 37.9 | 3.0% | 67.0% | 18.9% | 1954 | $2,722 | 77.3% | 92.4% | 2.6% |
| Nubian Square | 2.21 | 36.7 | 17.3% | 78.3% | 8.2% | 1968 | $1,427 | 28.8% | 79.1% | 11.2% |
| Back Bay | 1.57 | 37.8 | 3.4% | 67.6% | 19.3% | 1950 | $2,565 | 84.2% | 96.6% | 4.1% |
| Dock Square | 1.65 | 32.0 | 3.4% | 80.2% | 16.7% | 1966 | $3,000 | 82.9% | 97.7% | 2.8% |
| Gove Street | 2.23 | 33.3 | 9.9% | 78.5% | 6.7% | 1963 | $2,133 | 44.0% | 77.6% | 5.2% |
| Roxbury | 2.36 | 34.2 | 16.5% | 74.9% | 9.5% | 1959 | $1,507 | 33.3% | 81.5% | 8.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Western Branch North, Chesapeake, VA · Lake Murray, San Diego, CA · Olympia Heights, Miami, FL · Hermosa, Chicago, IL · Northwest Omaha, Omaha, NE · Theater District, Manhattan, NY · Sand Lake, Anchorage, AK · Sixteen Acres, Springfield, MA · South Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, LA · Fort Bend Houston, Missouri City, TX
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 Heights. 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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