Population 23,680 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Newton
Household size in Newton
| Period | Newton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.66 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.55 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Newton has 2.55 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has crept up from 2.49 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the south.
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 Newton
| Period | Newton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.1 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.0 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.7 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.8 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.7 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 40.8, the median age in Newton is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 40.1, a smaller shift than nationally. Residents skew youngest in the southeast and oldest in the southwest.
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 Newton
| Period | Newton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.8% of households in Newton, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is little changed from 2006–10, while 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 Newton
Renters in Newton
| Period | Newton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.2% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.3% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.6% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.3% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Newton than nationally: 38.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 36.2% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the northeast and least common in the southeast. The renter share has edged up 1.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Newton
| Period | Newton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Newton than nationally: 6.7%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The picture is much the same across the Boston area. Vacancy is up 0.7 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Newton
| Period | Newton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1940 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1941 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1942 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1944 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Newton is a place of older homes: half were built before 1944, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only two have older homes.
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 Newton
| Period | Newton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,535 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,543 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,965 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,362 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$827 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Newton pays $2,362 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $827 a month since 2006–10, up 54%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.1% 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 north.
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 Newton
Bachelor's degrees in Newton
| Period | Newton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 64.6% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 70.0% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 73.1% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 76.6% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +12.0 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Newton is highly educated: about three-quarters of adults 25 and older (76.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 12.0 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southeast and least in the north.
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 Newton
| Period | Newton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.3% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.8% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.4% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.5% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Newton: 96.5% 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 3.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Newton
| Period | Newton | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.0% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Newton than nationally: unemployment was 3.9%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has edged down 1.2 points, as it has 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).
Newton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton | 2.55 | 40.8 | 7.8% | 38.3% | 6.7% | 1944 | $2,362 | 76.6% | 96.5% | 3.9% |
| Newtonville | 2.64 | 43.3 | 4.9% | 43.2% | 6.7% | 1943 | $2,603 | 80.4% | 98.3% | 3.5% |
| Watertown Town | 2.17 | 40.8 | 5.7% | 52.3% | 5.9% | 1952 | $2,543 | 66.5% | 94.5% | 4.8% |
| Auburndale | 2.56 | 37.2 | 5.9% | 36.8% | 9.7% | 1953 | $2,265 | 77.6% | 95.3% | 2.8% |
| Waban | 2.84 | 48.3 | 6.2% | 12.0% | 4.0% | 1947 | $2,364 | 89.3% | 97.7% | 4.8% |
| Newton Center | 2.70 | 46.1 | 3.1% | 16.0% | 5.1% | 1949 | $2,781 | 86.1% | 98.8% | 3.8% |
| Newton Highlands | 2.55 | 43.9 | 3.9% | 29.2% | 5.3% | 1950 | $2,340 | 85.3% | 97.7% | 3.5% |
| Waltham | 2.25 | 37.4 | 7.4% | 50.3% | 5.6% | 1964 | $2,231 | 58.5% | 92.6% | 3.9% |
| Newton Upper Falls | 2.58 | 44.0 | 4.1% | 30.0% | 5.2% | 1947 | $2,278 | 76.6% | 96.2% | 4.3% |
| Brighton | 2.00 | 31.4 | 6.1% | 76.3% | 6.9% | 1956 | $2,204 | 72.1% | 88.7% | 3.6% |
| Newton Lower Falls | 2.50 | 42.7 | 2.7% | 27.4% | 9.9% | 1952 | $2,646 | 78.9% | 94.9% | 1.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Stoneham, MA · East Renton Highlands, WA · Eastmont, WA · Eden, NC · Edgewood, MD · Fallon, NV · Selma, AL · Short Pump, VA · Stanwood, WA · East Moline, 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 Newton. 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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