Population 15,554 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Holden
Household size in Holden
| Period | Holden | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.70 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.81 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.69 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.82 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.11 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Holden holds 2.82 people, slightly more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has climbed from 2.70 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the northwest.
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 Holden
| Period | Holden | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.9 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.0 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.2 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.6 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.7 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Holden skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.6, against 40.1 nationally. That is in line with the rest of the Worcester area. The median age has crept up from 41.9 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than 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 Holden
| Period | Holden | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.9% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Holden (11.9%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 6.0 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Holden has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Massachusetts cities.
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 Holden
Renters in Holden
| Period | Holden | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.1% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 14.1% of households in Holden rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 26.8% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the east. The renter share is up 2.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Holden
| Period | Holden | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 1.5% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Holden: just 1.5% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 3.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only seven have a lower vacancy rate.
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 Holden
| Period | Holden | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1968 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Holden run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1973 against 1980. Still, homes here are newer than in the wider Worcester area, where the median home dates to 1965. The median year built has moved up from 1968 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 Holden
| Period | Holden | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,025 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,204 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,287 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,724 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$699 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Holden runs $1,724 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $699 a month since 2006–10, up 68%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 39.0% 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 southwest; the most affordable are in the east.
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 Holden
Bachelor's degrees in Holden
| Period | Holden | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.0% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 51.2% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 58.0% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 57.5% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Holden is highly educated: nearly six in ten adults 25 and older (57.5%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 7.5 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 Holden
| Period | Holden | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.4% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.2% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.4% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.0% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Holden: 96.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is little changed from 2006–10, while 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 Holden
| Period | Holden | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 4.7%, unemployment in Holden is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. 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).
Holden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holden | 2.82 | 42.6 | 11.9% | 14.1% | 1.5% | 1973 | $1,724 | 57.5% | 96.0% | 4.7% |
| Jefferson | 2.70 | 40.9 | 5.7% | 17.6% | 4.4% | 1977 | $1,570 | 62.6% | 97.9% | 5.3% |
| West Boylston | 2.29 | 46.3 | 7.0% | 22.1% | 5.5% | 1968 | $1,210 | 43.2% | 92.8% | 4.5% |
| Sandy Beach | 2.35 | 42.1 | 9.9% | 12.5% | 4.1% | 1967 | $1,364 | 49.8% | 95.4% | 4.4% |
| Paxton | 2.70 | 41.9 | 13.2% | 7.8% | 1.9% | 1972 | $1,413 | 55.1% | 95.8% | 4.1% |
| Worcester area | 2.56 | 41.1 | 11.7% | 34.2% | 6.8% | 1965 | $1,549 | 39.8% | 90.9% | 5.3% |
| Boylston | 2.49 | 48.7 | 5.3% | 20.5% | 2.1% | 1973 | $1,951 | 52.9% | 95.2% | 3.6% |
| Morningdale | 2.48 | 46.1 | 4.8% | 24.3% | 3.5% | 1979 | $1,993 | 62.4% | 97.1% | 4.3% |
| Rutland | 2.90 | 41.8 | 8.6% | 10.3% | 7.4% | 1985 | $1,103 | 43.4% | 97.4% | 5.4% |
| Cherry Valley | 2.65 | 47.4 | 8.7% | 12.9% | 6.5% | 1961 | $1,289 | 33.4% | 92.3% | 2.7% |
| Turkey Hill Shores | 2.84 | 43.9 | 8.0% | 9.0% | 5.8% | 1980 | $1,347 | 41.9% | 97.4% | 5.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Jennings, LA · Sharonville, OH · Seven Oaks, SC · Seven Corners, VA · Setauket-East Setauket, NY · Schwenksville, PA · Keystone Heights, FL · Kettering, MD · Justice, IL · Jessup, MD
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 Holden. 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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