Population 4,827 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Harvard
Household size in Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.89 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.88 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.89 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.93 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.03 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Harvard is a place of big households: 2.93 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.8 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.4 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.5 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.4 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.4 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Harvard skews older than the country: its median age is 43.4, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 46.8, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.5% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.5% of households in Harvard, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Harvard
Renters in Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Harvard is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 9.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About three in ten owners (29.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well below 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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Harvard: 7.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The picture is much the same across the Worcester area.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1970 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Harvard run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. Still, homes here are newer than in the wider Worcester area, where the median home dates to 1965.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,158 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,567 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,219 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,301 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,143 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Harvard costs $2,301 a month with utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 30.5% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Harvard
Bachelor's degrees in Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.6% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 76.1% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 73.7% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 76.9% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Harvard: 76.9% 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.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.3% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 99.1% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.0% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 99.6% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Harvard: 99.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Harvard
| Period | Harvard | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 4.7%, unemployment in Harvard is close to the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Harvard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard | 2.93 | 43.4 | 2.5% | 9.3% | 7.8% | 1975 | $2,301 | 76.9% | 99.6% | 4.7% |
| Harvard Station | 2.98 | 36.7 | 3.2% | 5.8% | 9.8% | 1965 | $2,712 | 80.9% | 97.3% | 9.0% |
| Still River | 2.75 | 46.1 | 3.4% | 9.4% | 14.3% | 1968 | $2,811 | 79.5% | 99.8% | 7.5% |
| Devens | 2.33 | 48.0 | 3.6% | 31.0% | 17.1% | 1952 | $1,421 | 18.9% | 76.0% | 4.2% |
| 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% |
| Ayer | 2.31 | 40.5 | 13.1% | 30.6% | 7.6% | 1972 | $1,717 | 42.3% | 91.9% | 6.5% |
| Bolton | 2.89 | 41.5 | 3.6% | 5.2% | 4.8% | 1986 | $1,480 | 82.0% | 99.9% | 5.3% |
| Shirley | 2.47 | 41.9 | 7.7% | 22.0% | 7.1% | 1970 | $1,594 | 37.3% | 89.0% | 4.6% |
| Littleton | 2.67 | 43.8 | 7.1% | 16.6% | 4.8% | 1977 | $2,012 | 58.2% | 95.5% | 5.7% |
| Stow | 2.62 | 45.1 | 8.9% | 14.7% | 2.0% | 1971 | $2,248 | 76.5% | 98.4% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Dexter, NM · Cleveland, NC · Weedsport, NY · Tawas City, MI · Sugarcreek, PA · Montello, WI · Lakeview, GA · Avalon, PA · Sheridan, IL · Preston, CT
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 Harvard. 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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