Population 6,164 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dover
Household size in Dover
| Period | Dover | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.10 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.00 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.96 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.08 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Dover is a place of big households: 3.08 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Only one other Massachusetts city with 5,000+ people 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 Dover
| Period | Dover | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.5 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.8 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.0 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.7 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Dover skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.7, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 42.5, as it has 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 Dover
| Period | Dover | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.3% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.4% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Dover: 5.9% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has risen 3.5 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 Dover
Renters in Dover
| Period | Dover | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 2.1% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Dover is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 2.1% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. The renter share is down 6.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose. Dover has the lowest share of renters of any Massachusetts city with 5,000+ people.
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 Dover
| Period | Dover | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Dover: just 5.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. That is in line with the rest of the Boston area. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.4 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 Dover
| Period | Dover | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1970 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Dover run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1972 against 1980. Still, homes here are newer than in the wider Boston area, where the median home dates to 1964. The median year built has moved up from 1965 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Dover
| Period | Dover | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,780 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,696 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,304 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $3,065 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,285 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Dover pays $3,065 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,285 a month since 2006–10, up 72%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 23.0% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. No other Massachusetts city with 5,000+ people 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 Dover
Bachelor's degrees in Dover
| Period | Dover | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 80.0% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 83.3% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 84.6% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 84.9% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Dover: 84.9% 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 4.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only eight of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people 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 Dover
| Period | Dover | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 99.0% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.9% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 99.0% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.2% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Dover: 97.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is down 1.9 points from 2006–10, even as 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 Dover
| Period | Dover | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.7% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.5% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Dover than nationally: unemployment was 7.0%, against 5.4%. Only 20 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have higher unemployment. Unemployment has risen 4.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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).
Dover 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 3.08 | 44.7 | 5.9% | 2.1% | 5.4% | 1972 | $3,065 | 84.9% | 97.2% | 7.0% |
| Medfield | 2.79 | 44.3 | 4.8% | 14.0% | 4.0% | 1970 | $1,980 | 77.7% | 97.4% | 4.2% |
| Westwood | 2.95 | 43.7 | 5.2% | 12.6% | 4.7% | 1970 | $2,595 | 72.8% | 95.7% | 1.9% |
| Needham | 2.74 | 43.5 | 6.5% | 16.9% | 4.3% | 1968 | $2,423 | 81.9% | 97.8% | 4.1% |
| Harding | 2.54 | 57.0 | 1.2% | 7.4% | 11.0% | 1981 | $1,349 | 52.7% | 88.8% | 2.4% |
| Wellesley | 2.81 | 40.5 | 5.0% | 15.5% | 4.0% | 1956 | $3,000 | 89.0% | 87.8% | 4.1% |
| Sherborn | 2.91 | 43.0 | 1.8% | 10.5% | 6.2% | 1969 | $2,474 | 82.3% | 99.6% | 4.6% |
| Norwood | 2.37 | 41.8 | 9.2% | 46.0% | 4.2% | 1961 | $1,895 | 55.2% | 93.4% | 3.7% |
| Natick | 2.44 | 43.5 | 5.8% | 32.1% | 4.9% | 1966 | $2,103 | 71.0% | 96.9% | 2.9% |
| Dedham | 2.34 | 45.6 | 8.3% | 27.0% | 4.3% | 1960 | $2,117 | 55.7% | 93.7% | 3.5% |
| Millis | 2.69 | 45.5 | 5.5% | 16.9% | 4.9% | 1972 | $1,589 | 55.9% | 96.0% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Greenville, KY · Gap, PA · Gas City, IN · Gilford, NH · Girard, PA · Goshen, KY · Great Barrington, MA · Green Knoll, NJ · Greenback, TN · Greensburg, KY
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 Dover. 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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