Population 41,647 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Marlborough: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Marlborough
Household size in Marlborough
| Period | Marlborough | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.48 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.09 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Marlborough has 2.47 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has crept up from 2.39 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southeast.
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 Marlborough
| Period | Marlborough | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.4 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.4 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.8 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.5 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.1 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 39.5, the median age in Marlborough is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the north. Marlborough is younger than at least four in five Massachusetts cities.
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 Marlborough
| Period | Marlborough | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Marlborough (11.6%), the same as the national share. Single parents are more common here than in the Boston area overall (9.7%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 5.4 points, 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 Marlborough
Renters in Marlborough
| Period | Marlborough | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.4% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 44.1% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 41.8% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 44.0% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is more common in Marlborough than nationally: 44.0% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. More than a third of owners (36.3%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 4.6 points, a much bigger shift than 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 Marlborough
| Period | Marlborough | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.1% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Marlborough: just 4.6% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.6 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Marlborough
| Period | Marlborough | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1966 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1971 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Marlborough is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1971, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Locally, though, homes here are newer than in the Boston area overall, where the median home dates to 1964. The median year built has moved up from 1966 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center 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 Marlborough
| Period | Marlborough | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,063 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,176 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,486 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,921 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$858 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Marlborough pays $1,921 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Still, rents here are lower than in the Boston area overall ($2,051). Rent has climbed $858 a month since 2006–10, up 81%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 35.3% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Marlborough
Bachelor's degrees in Marlborough
| Period | Marlborough | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.2% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.9% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.7% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 40.5% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Marlborough (40.5%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. Even so, the share is lower than in the Boston area overall (51.9%). The share with a degree is up 2.3 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than 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 Marlborough
| Period | Marlborough | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.0% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.0% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.2% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.5% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Marlborough never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.5% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Only 23 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have a lower 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 Marlborough
| Period | Marlborough | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.1% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.4%, unemployment in Marlborough is the same as the national rate. 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).
Marlborough 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlborough | 2.47 | 39.5 | 11.6% | 44.0% | 4.6% | 1971 | $1,921 | 40.5% | 87.5% | 5.4% |
| Hudson | 2.46 | 44.2 | 5.8% | 26.9% | 6.2% | 1974 | $1,391 | 46.4% | 91.6% | 4.9% |
| Fayville | 2.57 | 40.6 | 4.8% | 15.8% | 1.7% | 1960 | $1,760 | 73.0% | 97.0% | 5.7% |
| Southborough | 2.78 | 42.7 | 5.9% | 12.3% | 4.9% | 1981 | $2,452 | 75.9% | 97.1% | 4.2% |
| Berlin | 2.36 | 49.2 | 5.5% | 22.2% | 3.3% | 1991 | $2,374 | 50.2% | 97.5% | 4.5% |
| Northborough | 2.64 | 43.3 | 5.1% | 17.5% | 5.1% | 1980 | $2,056 | 65.3% | 98.0% | 4.9% |
| Stow | 2.62 | 45.1 | 8.9% | 14.7% | 2.0% | 1971 | $2,248 | 76.5% | 98.4% | 3.6% |
| Pine Lake | 2.81 | 44.9 | 6.4% | 21.3% | 5.0% | 1982 | $1,712 | 80.2% | 97.7% | 4.8% |
| Sudbury | 3.06 | 42.6 | 6.9% | 10.0% | 4.6% | 1977 | $1,526 | 83.4% | 98.7% | 4.1% |
| West Berlin | 2.41 | 48.5 | 5.0% | 24.1% | 2.8% | 1986 | $2,215 | 55.9% | 97.3% | 4.2% |
| Southville | 2.74 | 41.4 | 4.4% | 20.7% | 1.2% | 1986 | $1,349 | 73.5% | 99.6% | 3.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: The Acreage, FL · Ellenwood, GA · Elmont, NY · Fair Oaks, CA · Fairburn, GA · Fitchburg, MA · Nicholasville, KY · Plymouth, MI · Porter, TX · St. Charles, IL
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 Marlborough. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.