Population 30,075 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Gloucester
Household size in Gloucester
| Period | Gloucester | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.37 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.31 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.25 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Gloucester are small: just 2.25 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.35 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Gloucester
| Period | Gloucester | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.2 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.0 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.2 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.9 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.7 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Gloucester skews older: half of its residents are older than 49.9, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 46.2 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only 26 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people are older.
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 Gloucester
| Period | Gloucester | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 8.1% of households in Gloucester, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 0.6 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 Gloucester
Renters in Gloucester
| Period | Gloucester | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.1% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.6% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.0% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.1% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Gloucester is about as common as it is nationally: 36.1% of households rent, against 34.8%. Among homeowners, 30.2% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share has risen 1.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Gloucester
| Period | Gloucester | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.7% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Gloucester as nationally: 10.3%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the wider Boston area (6.7%). Vacancy is down 3.6 points from 2006–10, 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 Gloucester
| Period | Gloucester | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1949 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1950 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1949 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1952 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Gloucester is a place of older homes: half were built before 1952, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1949 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the west, while the south 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 Gloucester
| Period | Gloucester | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $996 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,015 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,347 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,338 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$342 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Gloucester runs $1,338 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $342 a month from 2006–10, a 34% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 34.1% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the west; the most affordable are in the southeast.
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 Gloucester
Bachelor's degrees in Gloucester
| Period | Gloucester | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.0% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.0% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.9% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.6% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.6 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Gloucester (39.6%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. Locally, though, the share is lower than in the Boston area as a whole (51.9%). Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.6 points, as it has 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 Gloucester
| Period | Gloucester | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.2% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.5% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.1% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.4% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Gloucester is above the national rate: 93.4% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 3.3 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Compared with other Massachusetts cities, though, Gloucester has a lower share of high school graduates than most.
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 Gloucester
| Period | Gloucester | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Gloucester: 6.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Gloucester has higher unemployment than the great majority of Massachusetts cities. 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).
Gloucester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloucester | 2.25 | 49.9 | 8.1% | 36.1% | 10.3% | 1952 | $1,338 | 39.6% | 93.4% | 6.4% |
| Rockport | 2.23 | 56.8 | 9.6% | 31.7% | 22.0% | 1951 | $1,884 | 54.0% | 95.8% | 8.8% |
| South Essex | 2.55 | 50.2 | 9.4% | 26.8% | 26.0% | 1983 | $1,875 | 74.5% | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| Manchester | 2.55 | 49.6 | 5.2% | 24.2% | 6.1% | 1953 | $1,886 | 79.1% | 98.1% | 8.9% |
| Essex | 2.73 | 46.2 | 8.2% | 25.0% | 15.6% | 1968 | $2,013 | 68.8% | 98.1% | 1.4% |
| Little Neck | 2.36 | 51.9 | 8.6% | 37.5% | 15.7% | 1977 | $1,566 | 63.7% | 98.2% | 1.8% |
| Manchester-By-The-Sea | 2.61 | 43.6 | 6.0% | 33.3% | 3.4% | 1962 | $1,798 | 71.0% | 97.0% | 5.7% |
| South Hamilton | 2.82 | 45.4 | 6.0% | 15.3% | 7.5% | 1959 | $2,200 | 69.1% | 97.4% | 3.1% |
| Ipswich | 2.45 | 47.6 | 5.4% | 26.3% | 8.7% | 1960 | $1,662 | 60.4% | 98.6% | 2.5% |
| Wenham | 2.86 | 33.0 | 8.3% | 13.9% | 5.9% | 1967 | $2,071 | 70.1% | 99.5% | 2.6% |
| Beverly | 2.40 | 40.9 | 10.5% | 39.7% | 5.4% | 1961 | $1,685 | 54.8% | 96.6% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Webster, TX · Corbin, KY · Dade City, FL · Davison, MI · Deer Park, NY · Derby, KS · Edwardsville, IL · Forest Grove, OR · Fridley, MN · Gainesville, VA
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 Gloucester. 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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