Population 58 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Methuen
Household size in Methuen
| Period | Methuen | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.09 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.65 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.60 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.53 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Methuen has 2.56 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The Boston area as a whole looks much the same. Household size has dropped from 3.09 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Methuen
| Period | Methuen | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.9 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 52.5 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.8 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.3 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.6 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Methuen is young: half of its residents are under 35.3, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples.
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 Methuen
| Period | Methuen | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 21.7% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.6% of households in Methuen, 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 Methuen
Renters in Methuen
| Period | Methuen | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.4% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 46.7% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +35.5 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Methuen than nationally: 46.7% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. About a quarter of owners (24.9%) 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 Methuen
| Period | Methuen | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 1.2% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.4% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −8.9 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Methuen: just 4.3% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market.
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 Methuen
| Period | Methuen | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2000 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +21 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Methuen is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 2000, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
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 Methuen
| Period | Methuen | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,563 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,328 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,060 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,535 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$972 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Methuen pays $2,535 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 27.4% of the typical renter's income, just under 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 Methuen
Bachelor's degrees in Methuen
| Period | Methuen | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.6% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 71.5% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 66.7% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 84.1% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Methuen: 84.1% 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 Methuen
| Period | Methuen | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.9% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.2% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.3% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 100.0% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Methuen: 100.0% 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 Methuen
| Period | Methuen | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.1% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.1 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Methuen has been low: just 2.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below 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).
Methuen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methuen | 2.56 | 35.3 | 7.6% | 46.7% | 4.3% | 2000 | $2,535 | 84.1% | 100.0% | 2.0% |
| Lawrence | 2.93 | 33.6 | 26.2% | 71.7% | 3.0% | 1951 | $1,671 | 15.8% | 72.6% | 9.2% |
| Methuen Town | 2.87 | 40.6 | 12.2% | 28.2% | 4.4% | 1967 | $2,014 | 31.6% | 88.5% | 5.7% |
| Andover | 2.67 | 42.2 | 8.1% | 20.5% | 5.7% | 1972 | $2,235 | 75.8% | 97.7% | 5.5% |
| North Andover | 2.67 | 41.6 | 9.0% | 32.3% | 5.9% | 1976 | $2,450 | 61.4% | 96.6% | 3.4% |
| Dracut | 2.71 | 43.0 | 9.6% | 20.1% | 5.3% | 1974 | $1,827 | 36.6% | 91.8% | 4.1% |
| Tewksbury | 2.66 | 45.6 | 6.2% | 15.5% | 3.0% | 1978 | $2,093 | 40.3% | 92.9% | 3.3% |
| Pelham | 2.91 | 40.4 | 9.1% | 13.2% | 3.1% | 1986 | $1,544 | 40.6% | 96.6% | 3.5% |
| Salem | 2.50 | 44.2 | 8.0% | 24.5% | 11.3% | 1979 | $1,792 | 39.5% | 95.8% | 2.9% |
| Lowell | 2.73 | 35.4 | 17.8% | 56.8% | 5.3% | 1953 | $1,628 | 29.2% | 82.6% | 5.8% |
| Haverhill | 2.59 | 40.7 | 13.9% | 37.2% | 5.8% | 1961 | $1,643 | 32.1% | 90.2% | 5.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Pisgah, TN · Point Of Rocks, WY · Plettenberg, LA · Pleasant Hill, WV · Playas, NM · Platteville, IA · Plainview, SD · Plainview, OK · Plainview, CA · Pittman, FL
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 Methuen. 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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