Population 10,101 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Norwell
Household size in Norwell
| Period | Norwell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.94 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.99 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.94 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.02 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Norwell is a place of big households: 3.02 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.94, even as the national average fell. Only five of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have larger households.
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 Norwell
| Period | Norwell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.3 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.6 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.0 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.4 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.9 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Norwell are younger than 39.4 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 43.3, even as the national median rose. Norwell is younger than the great majority of 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 Norwell
| Period | Norwell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.1% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.2% of households in Norwell, well below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 0.9 points since 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 Norwell
Renters in Norwell
| Period | Norwell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 8.5% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Norwell is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 8.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 27.7% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 1.3 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Norwell
| Period | Norwell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.5% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.5% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.0% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 4.7% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 4.7% of homes in Norwell are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Compared with other Massachusetts cities, Norwell has a lower vacancy rate than most.
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 Norwell
| Period | Norwell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1968 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1969 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Norwell is a place of older homes: half were built before 1969, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Even so, homes here are newer than in the Boston area overall, where the median home dates to 1964. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the northwest 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 Norwell
| Period | Norwell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,616 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,270 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $872 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,830 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$214 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Norwell runs $1,830 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). Rent has climbed $214 a month since 2006–10, up 13%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 40.0% of household income on rent, 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 Norwell
Bachelor's degrees in Norwell
| Period | Norwell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.5% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 55.2% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 64.5% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 69.5% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +14.0 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Norwell: 69.5% 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. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 14.0 points, 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 Norwell
| Period | Norwell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.5% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.1% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.2% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.9% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Norwell: 97.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Norwell has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of Massachusetts cities.
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 Norwell
| Period | Norwell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Norwell has been strong: just 1.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Only five of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have lower unemployment. Unemployment has fallen 2.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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).
Norwell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwell | 3.02 | 39.4 | 7.2% | 8.5% | 4.7% | 1969 | $1,830 | 69.5% | 97.9% | 1.9% |
| South Hingham | 3.18 | 37.5 | 2.5% | 2.5% | 4.4% | 1979 | $2,211 | 72.8% | 98.9% | 1.8% |
| Standish | 3.17 | 44.2 | 9.4% | 7.5% | 11.6% | 1974 | $2,263 | 65.7% | 98.0% | 4.0% |
| Hanover | 3.02 | 41.6 | 6.7% | 15.5% | 4.0% | 1978 | $1,811 | 57.0% | 95.1% | 6.4% |
| Rivermoor | 2.52 | 42.9 | 2.3% | 9.0% | 3.7% | 1975 | $1,348 | 70.7% | 98.5% | 4.4% |
| Scituate | 2.36 | 46.7 | 6.4% | 13.7% | 6.4% | 1961 | $1,837 | 63.8% | 97.2% | 3.4% |
| North Scituate | 2.81 | 44.2 | 10.6% | 11.4% | 6.0% | 1959 | $1,818 | 72.4% | 99.1% | 4.4% |
| Marshfield Hills | 2.42 | 51.3 | 7.9% | 5.7% | 6.5% | 1979 | $1,764 | 56.7% | 98.9% | 0.3% |
| Cohasset | 2.78 | 46.2 | 3.6% | 16.7% | 7.8% | 1965 | $2,911 | 75.4% | 98.1% | 5.0% |
| Rockland | 2.57 | 41.8 | 9.6% | 23.5% | 6.0% | 1962 | $1,696 | 32.3% | 96.0% | 4.5% |
| Hingham | 2.56 | 49.0 | 3.7% | 19.5% | 6.2% | 1973 | $2,297 | 76.1% | 98.6% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Belle View, VA · White River Junction, VT · Westview, FL · Weston, CT · Wellington, OH · Waynesville, OH · Waterloo, NY · Walnut Cove, NC · Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, CA · Birch Bay, WA
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 Norwell. 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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