Population 13,193 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ipswich
Household size in Ipswich
| Period | Ipswich | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.35 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.34 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.45 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.09 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Ipswich has 2.45 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.35, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
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 Ipswich
| Period | Ipswich | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.6 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.7 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.7 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.6 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Ipswich skews older: half of its residents are older than 47.6, 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 46.6 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Ipswich
| Period | Ipswich | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.9% | 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 parents head only 5.4% of households in Ipswich, well below the national share of 11.6%. Ipswich has a lower 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 Ipswich
Renters in Ipswich
| Period | Ipswich | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.7% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 24.2% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.7% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.3% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in Ipswich rent their homes (26.3%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among owners, 27.1% have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 1.5 points, mirroring the country.
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 Ipswich
| Period | Ipswich | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Ipswich is close to the national rate: 8.7% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Boston area as a whole (6.7%). Vacancy has edged down 0.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Ipswich
| Period | Ipswich | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1963 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Ipswich 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 Boston area as a whole looks much the same. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, 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 Ipswich
| Period | Ipswich | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,240 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,112 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,365 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,662 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$422 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Ipswich runs $1,662 a month at the median, utilities included, above the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are lower than in the Boston area as a whole ($2,051). Rents are up $422 a month from 2006–10, a 34% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 32.7% 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 Ipswich
Bachelor's degrees in Ipswich
| Period | Ipswich | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.2% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 48.0% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 54.8% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 60.4% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +17.2 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Ipswich: 60.4% 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 is up 17.2 points from 2006–10, 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 Ipswich
| Period | Ipswich | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.0% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.4% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.5% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.6% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Ipswich: 98.6% 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 4.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 12 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have 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 Ipswich
| Period | Ipswich | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.5% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Ipswich has been strong: just 2.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Only 26 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have lower unemployment. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 5.3 points, mirroring the country.
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).
Ipswich 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich | 2.45 | 47.6 | 5.4% | 26.3% | 8.7% | 1960 | $1,662 | 60.4% | 98.6% | 2.5% |
| Little Neck | 2.36 | 51.9 | 8.6% | 37.5% | 15.7% | 1977 | $1,566 | 63.7% | 98.2% | 1.8% |
| Rowley | 2.57 | 48.3 | 8.6% | 18.4% | 5.2% | 1973 | $1,706 | 56.9% | 99.6% | 3.5% |
| South Hamilton | 2.82 | 45.4 | 6.0% | 15.3% | 7.5% | 1959 | $2,200 | 69.1% | 97.4% | 3.1% |
| Essex | 2.73 | 46.2 | 8.2% | 25.0% | 15.6% | 1968 | $2,013 | 68.8% | 98.1% | 1.4% |
| South Essex | 2.55 | 50.2 | 9.4% | 26.8% | 26.0% | 1983 | $1,875 | 74.5% | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| Wenham | 2.86 | 33.0 | 8.3% | 13.9% | 5.9% | 1967 | $2,071 | 70.1% | 99.5% | 2.6% |
| Topsfield | 3.00 | 42.6 | 5.0% | 9.3% | 4.6% | 1970 | $1,057 | 71.5% | 97.5% | 2.1% |
| East Boxford | 2.30 | 47.0 | 11.2% | 16.7% | 9.2% | 1960 | $1,783 | 54.7% | 99.2% | 4.5% |
| Byfield | 2.52 | 50.0 | 9.3% | 19.7% | 9.8% | 1986 | $1,781 | 56.9% | 96.2% | 2.1% |
| Georgetown | 2.65 | 43.7 | 4.9% | 16.0% | 2.2% | 1978 | $1,900 | 56.9% | 98.0% | 1.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
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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 Ipswich. 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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