Population 106 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of South Essex: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in South Essex
Household size in South Essex
| Period | South Essex | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.10 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.70 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.80 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.55 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.55 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in South Essex has 2.55 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. That is in line with the rest of the Boston area. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 South Essex
| Period | South Essex | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.0 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.6 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.0 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 50.2 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
South Essex skews older: half of its residents are older than 50.2, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 South Essex
| Period | South Essex | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.3% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 2.5% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in South Essex than nationally: 9.4%, against 11.6%. The Boston area as a whole looks much the same.
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 South Essex
Renters in South Essex
| Period | South Essex | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.9% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.6% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.8% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in South Essex own their homes; 26.8% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. About three in ten owners (30.4%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%.
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 South Essex
| Period | South Essex | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.4% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.1% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 24.2% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.0% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 26.0% of the housing in South Essex, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 South Essex
| Period | South Essex | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1949 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1956 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1965 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1983 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +34 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in South Essex are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1983, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in the Boston area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1964.
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 South Essex
| Period | South Essex | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,241 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,346 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,210 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,875 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$634 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in South Essex runs $1,875 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 overall ($2,051). Rent takes 48.3% 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 South Essex
Bachelor's degrees in South Essex
| Period | South Essex | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.2% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 44.4% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 59.0% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 74.5% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +29.3 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in South Essex: 74.5% 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.
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 South Essex
| Period | South Essex | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.6% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.0% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.3% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 100.0% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in South Essex: 100.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 South Essex
| Period | South Essex | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.0% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The survey found almost no one in South Essex out of work and looking, against 5.4% of the labor force 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).
South Essex 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Essex | 2.55 | 50.2 | 9.4% | 26.8% | 26.0% | 1983 | $1,875 | 74.5% | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| Essex | 2.73 | 46.2 | 8.2% | 25.0% | 15.6% | 1968 | $2,013 | 68.8% | 98.1% | 1.4% |
| Little Neck | 2.36 | 51.9 | 8.6% | 37.5% | 15.7% | 1977 | $1,566 | 63.7% | 98.2% | 1.8% |
| Gloucester | 2.25 | 49.9 | 8.1% | 36.1% | 10.3% | 1952 | $1,338 | 39.6% | 93.4% | 6.4% |
| Manchester | 2.55 | 49.6 | 5.2% | 24.2% | 6.1% | 1953 | $1,886 | 79.1% | 98.1% | 8.9% |
| Manchester-By-The-Sea | 2.61 | 43.6 | 6.0% | 33.3% | 3.4% | 1962 | $1,798 | 71.0% | 97.0% | 5.7% |
| South Hamilton | 2.82 | 45.4 | 6.0% | 15.3% | 7.5% | 1959 | $2,200 | 69.1% | 97.4% | 3.1% |
| Ipswich | 2.45 | 47.6 | 5.4% | 26.3% | 8.7% | 1960 | $1,662 | 60.4% | 98.6% | 2.5% |
| Rockport | 2.23 | 56.8 | 9.6% | 31.7% | 22.0% | 1951 | $1,884 | 54.0% | 95.8% | 8.8% |
| Wenham | 2.86 | 33.0 | 8.3% | 13.9% | 5.9% | 1967 | $2,071 | 70.1% | 99.5% | 2.6% |
| Beverly | 2.40 | 40.9 | 10.5% | 39.7% | 5.4% | 1961 | $1,685 | 54.8% | 96.6% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Otter Village, IN · Piney Grove, GA · Peters Prairie, TX · Perth, KS · Penn, ND · Peeples Valley, AZ · Parrish, IL · Palmyra, NC · Owdoms, SC · Remmel, AR
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 South Essex. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.