Population 9,257 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Nubian Square
Household size in Nubian Square
| Period | Nubian Square | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.48 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.21 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.18 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Nubian Square is a place of small households, averaging 2.21 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.39 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the southeast and smallest in the southwest.
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 Nubian Square
| Period | Nubian Square | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.3 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 32.7 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.2 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.7 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.4 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Nubian Square is 36.7 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 30.3, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the southeast and oldest in the northeast.
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 Nubian Square
| Period | Nubian Square | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.4% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.8% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 24.4% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 17.3% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −11.2 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Nubian Square (17.3%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 11.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Nubian Square
Renters in Nubian Square
| Period | Nubian Square | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.4% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 85.5% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 80.3% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 78.3% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Nubian Square: 78.3% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 23.0% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 1.1 points, 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 Nubian Square
| Period | Nubian Square | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Nubian Square is close to the national rate: 8.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 2.5 points, as it has 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 Nubian Square
| Period | Nubian Square | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Nubian Square is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Even so, homes here are newer than in the Boston area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1964. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the south. Only two of Boston's 20 neighborhoods have newer 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 Nubian Square
| Period | Nubian Square | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $664 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $817 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $898 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,427 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$763 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Nubian Square runs $1,427 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $763 a month from 2006–10, a 115% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 35.8% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Only one other Boston neighborhood has lower rents.
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 Nubian Square
Bachelor's degrees in Nubian Square
| Period | Nubian Square | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.8% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.6% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.8% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.3 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Nubian Square (28.8%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 11.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Few Boston neighborhoods have a lower share of college graduates: only two of 20.
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 Nubian Square
| Period | Nubian Square | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 70.1% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.8% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 77.5% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 79.1% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.0 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in five adults in Nubian Square never finished high school, well above the national share: only 79.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 9.0 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 Nubian Square
| Period | Nubian Square | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.4% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.8% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.2% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Nubian Square runs well above the national rate: 11.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. Only one other Boston neighborhood has higher unemployment. Unemployment is down 7.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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).
Nubian Square compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nubian Square | 2.21 | 36.7 | 17.3% | 78.3% | 8.2% | 1968 | $1,427 | 28.8% | 79.1% | 11.2% |
| Roxbury | 2.36 | 34.2 | 16.5% | 74.9% | 9.5% | 1959 | $1,507 | 33.3% | 81.5% | 8.2% |
| South End | 1.89 | 37.8 | 6.3% | 64.7% | 10.3% | 1959 | $2,363 | 68.9% | 90.9% | 6.1% |
| Fenway-Kenmore | 1.72 | 25.4 | 4.7% | 89.2% | 18.9% | 1959 | $2,266 | 76.9% | 94.7% | 9.1% |
| North Dorchester | 2.27 | 34.4 | 12.8% | 64.5% | 7.7% | 1957 | $2,052 | 48.4% | 86.3% | 6.6% |
| Back Bay | 1.57 | 37.8 | 3.4% | 67.6% | 19.3% | 1950 | $2,565 | 84.2% | 96.6% | 4.1% |
| Mount Bowdoin | 3.19 | 30.8 | 32.7% | 80.3% | 6.2% | 1952 | $1,418 | 21.4% | 77.0% | 11.5% |
| South Boston | 1.84 | 35.7 | 7.8% | 68.8% | 11.3% | 1981 | $2,797 | 71.3% | 95.8% | 5.5% |
| Brookline Village | 2.09 | 37.2 | 5.7% | 54.3% | 4.0% | 1950 | $2,688 | 82.6% | 98.3% | 2.9% |
| Dorchester Heights | 2.05 | 32.5 | 5.4% | 49.4% | 8.6% | 1960 | $3,107 | 76.2% | 97.4% | 2.5% |
| Central | 1.74 | 33.9 | 4.0% | 77.8% | 21.8% | 1989 | $2,662 | 66.8% | 88.8% | 7.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Cartwright, Phoenix, AZ · Downtown Redmond, Redmond, WA · Downtown Pensacola, Pensacola, FL · Downtown High Point, High Point, NC · Clarendon, Arlington, VA · City Park, Denver, CO · Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ · Mokapu, Kaneohe Station, HI · Carmel Mountain, San Diego, CA · Burbank, Detroit, MI
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 Nubian Square. 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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