Population 12,025 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Pepperell
Household size in Pepperell
| Period | Pepperell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.83 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.72 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.75 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Pepperell average 2.75 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.79, as it has nationally. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest 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 Pepperell
| Period | Pepperell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.8 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.7 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.1 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.6 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.8 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.6, Pepperell is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 39.8 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the northeast and oldest in the south.
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 Pepperell
| Period | Pepperell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.9% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.9% of households in Pepperell, 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 Pepperell
Renters in Pepperell
| Period | Pepperell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.8% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.3% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.7% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.3% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.3% of households in Pepperell rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly a third of owners (31.8%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is down 2.4 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 Pepperell
| Period | Pepperell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.4% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.2% of homes in Pepperell are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy has edged down 1.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Pepperell
| Period | Pepperell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Pepperell was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in the Boston area overall, where the median home dates to 1964. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the center.
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 Pepperell
| Period | Pepperell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,054 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,196 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,227 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,466 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$412 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Pepperell runs $1,466 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $412 a month since 2006–10, up 39%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.2% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the center and lowest in the southwest.
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 Pepperell
Bachelor's degrees in Pepperell
| Period | Pepperell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 35.6% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.9% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 44.3% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are more common in Pepperell than nationally: 44.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Even so, the share is lower than in the wider Boston area (51.9%). The share with a degree is up 3.6 points from 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 Pepperell
| Period | Pepperell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.3% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.3% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.9% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.0% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Pepperell: 97.0% 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 3.7 points since 2006–10, as it has 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 Pepperell
| Period | Pepperell | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.4% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.0% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Pepperell than nationally: unemployment was 3.7%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has edged down 0.7 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Pepperell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperell | 2.75 | 44.6 | 7.9% | 15.3% | 5.2% | 1981 | $1,466 | 44.3% | 97.0% | 3.7% |
| Townsend Harbor | 2.83 | 42.3 | 6.8% | 8.2% | 3.0% | 1986 | $2,247 | 52.9% | 97.4% | 3.1% |
| Groton | 2.94 | 42.5 | 6.6% | 11.7% | 3.7% | 1987 | $1,481 | 70.2% | 97.4% | 5.4% |
| Dunstable | 3.06 | 43.5 | 4.6% | 3.4% | 3.7% | 1986 | $1,334 | 61.5% | 94.8% | 5.1% |
| Townsend | 2.68 | 42.2 | 9.5% | 17.3% | 3.4% | 1974 | $1,917 | 36.9% | 94.3% | 5.5% |
| Hollis | 2.65 | 47.3 | 5.8% | 8.5% | 2.3% | 1982 | $2,208 | 57.3% | 97.2% | 2.0% |
| Shirley Center | 2.70 | 46.1 | 11.7% | 20.6% | 7.5% | 1987 | $1,947 | 46.0% | 95.6% | 5.8% |
| Brookline | 3.14 | 41.4 | 8.2% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 1993 | $2,381 | 57.4% | 97.7% | 0.9% |
| Graniteville | 2.81 | 42.3 | 6.3% | 11.3% | 2.5% | 1990 | $2,789 | 74.4% | 97.9% | 1.8% |
| Ayer | 2.31 | 40.5 | 13.1% | 30.6% | 7.6% | 1972 | $1,717 | 42.3% | 91.9% | 6.5% |
| West Townsend | 2.77 | 43.2 | 7.1% | 19.8% | 2.1% | 1977 | $1,791 | 33.5% | 96.3% | 10.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Jennings, MO · South Boston, VA · Soquel, CA · Somersworth, NH · Solana Beach, CA · Smithville, TN · Slippery Rock, PA · Slatington, PA · Skiatook, OK · Signal Hill, 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 Pepperell. 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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