Population 36,368 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Natick
Household size in Natick
| Period | Natick | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.45 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.45 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.50 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Natick has 2.44 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest 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 Natick
| Period | Natick | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.6 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.2 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.8 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.5 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.0 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Natick is 43.5 years old, older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 41.6 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the southeast.
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 Natick
| Period | Natick | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.1% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 5.8% of households in Natick, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 0.8 points from 2006–10, 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 Natick
Renters in Natick
| Period | Natick | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.7% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.8% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.4% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.1% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly a third of households in Natick rent their homes (32.1%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in the wider Boston area (38.4%). Just over three in ten owners (31.5%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 8.4 points from 2006–10, 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 Natick
| Period | Natick | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.9% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Natick: just 4.9% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has edged down 0.5 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Natick
| Period | Natick | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1958 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1966 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Natick is a place of older homes: half were built before 1966, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1956 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, 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 Natick
| Period | Natick | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,061 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,195 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,649 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,103 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,042 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Natick runs $2,103 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,042 a month from 2006–10, a 98% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 28.9% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the west.
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 Natick
Bachelor's degrees in Natick
| Period | Natick | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 60.6% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 66.1% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 68.7% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 71.0% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.4 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Natick: 71.0% 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 has risen 10.4 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 Natick
| Period | Natick | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.3% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.2% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.1% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.9% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Natick: 96.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has edged up 0.6 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Natick
| Period | Natick | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.6% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.5% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.0% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Natick has been low: just 2.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has edged down 0.7 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. 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).
Natick 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natick | 2.44 | 43.5 | 5.8% | 32.1% | 4.9% | 1966 | $2,103 | 71.0% | 96.9% | 2.9% |
| Cochituate | 2.68 | 45.2 | 6.2% | 16.4% | 7.2% | 1958 | $2,118 | 75.6% | 95.6% | 3.0% |
| Framingham | 2.65 | 39.1 | 12.4% | 45.2% | 5.6% | 1966 | $2,011 | 47.5% | 86.2% | 4.9% |
| Sherborn | 2.91 | 43.0 | 1.8% | 10.5% | 6.2% | 1969 | $2,474 | 82.3% | 99.6% | 4.6% |
| Wellesley | 2.81 | 40.5 | 5.0% | 15.5% | 4.0% | 1956 | $3,000 | 89.0% | 87.8% | 4.1% |
| Dover | 3.08 | 44.7 | 5.9% | 2.1% | 5.4% | 1972 | $3,065 | 84.9% | 97.2% | 7.0% |
| Wayland | 2.85 | 46.4 | 3.9% | 9.2% | 3.4% | 1968 | $1,635 | 80.3% | 98.8% | 4.2% |
| Ashland | 2.47 | 41.7 | 4.9% | 24.5% | 6.4% | 1983 | $2,192 | 60.6% | 97.6% | 5.7% |
| Weston | 2.87 | 45.7 | 3.5% | 12.5% | 6.6% | 1967 | $2,023 | 84.4% | 98.4% | 2.2% |
| Newton Lower Falls | 2.50 | 42.7 | 2.7% | 27.4% | 9.9% | 1952 | $2,646 | 78.9% | 94.9% | 1.5% |
| Needham | 2.74 | 43.5 | 6.5% | 16.9% | 4.3% | 1968 | $2,423 | 81.9% | 97.8% | 4.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Kerrville, TX · San Lorenzo, PR · Richmond West, FL · Manhattan Beach, CA · Lincolnton, NC · Lewiston, ID · La Presa, CA · Kinston, NC · Key West, FL · Sanger, CA
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 Natick. 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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