Population 7,036 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Shirley
Household size in Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.42 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.42 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.51 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.47 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Shirley has 2.47 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.42, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the north and smallest in the east.
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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.9 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.1 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.8 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.9 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.0 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Shirley is 41.9 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 37.9, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the north and oldest in the east.
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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Shirley: 7.7% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 0.8 points, mirroring the country.
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 Shirley
Renters in Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.4% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.0% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.9% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.0% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Shirley is largely a place of homeowners: only 22.0% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 18.0% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the east.
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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.8% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Shirley than nationally: 7.1%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The Boston area as a whole looks much the same. Vacancy has fallen 2.8 points since 2006–10, 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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1963 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Shirley is a place of older homes: half were built before 1970, 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 east, while the southwest 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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $971 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,075 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $895 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,594 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$623 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Shirley runs $1,594 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in the Boston area overall ($2,051). Rents are up $623 a month from 2006–10, a 64% jump, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 33.0% of the typical renter's income, 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 Shirley
Bachelor's degrees in Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.9% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.4% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.7% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 37.3% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.4 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Shirley as nationally: 37.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in the Boston area as a whole (51.9%). The share with a degree is up 9.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.6% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.6% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.5% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.0% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Shirley is close to the national rate: 89.0% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the wider Boston area (91.8%). The share with a diploma has risen 4.4 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 Shirley
| Period | Shirley | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Shirley than nationally: unemployment was 4.6%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has edged down 0.8 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).
Shirley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shirley | 2.47 | 41.9 | 7.7% | 22.0% | 7.1% | 1970 | $1,594 | 37.3% | 89.0% | 4.6% |
| Devens | 2.33 | 48.0 | 3.6% | 31.0% | 17.1% | 1952 | $1,421 | 18.9% | 76.0% | 4.2% |
| Shirley Center | 2.70 | 46.1 | 11.7% | 20.6% | 7.5% | 1987 | $1,947 | 46.0% | 95.6% | 5.8% |
| Harvard Station | 2.98 | 36.7 | 3.2% | 5.8% | 9.8% | 1965 | $2,712 | 80.9% | 97.3% | 9.0% |
| Ayer | 2.31 | 40.5 | 13.1% | 30.6% | 7.6% | 1972 | $1,717 | 42.3% | 91.9% | 6.5% |
| Still River | 2.75 | 46.1 | 3.4% | 9.4% | 14.3% | 1968 | $2,811 | 79.5% | 99.8% | 7.5% |
| Lunenburg | 2.52 | 43.4 | 9.5% | 19.7% | 3.7% | 1973 | $1,734 | 44.4% | 95.5% | 5.2% |
| Ponakin Mill | 2.32 | 39.5 | 1.0% | 14.7% | 2.0% | 1978 | $2,344 | 47.0% | 88.7% | 1.7% |
| Harvard | 2.93 | 43.4 | 2.5% | 9.3% | 7.8% | 1975 | $2,301 | 76.9% | 99.6% | 4.7% |
| Leominster | 2.43 | 44.3 | 9.3% | 37.8% | 5.8% | 1969 | $1,311 | 33.9% | 90.1% | 6.5% |
| Townsend Harbor | 2.83 | 42.3 | 6.8% | 8.2% | 3.0% | 1986 | $2,247 | 52.9% | 97.4% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Williamsburg, OH · Gas City, IN · Gilford, NH · Glen Head, NY · Winfield, MO · Windber, PA · Willows, CA · Willow Park, TX · Williston Park, NY · Williamstown, MA
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 Shirley. 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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