Population 5,488 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Tufts
Household size in Tufts
| Period | Tufts | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.68 | 2.30 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.40 | 2.37 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.57 | 2.38 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.94 | 2.27 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.27 | −0.03 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Tufts are large by national standards, averaging 2.94 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has climbed from 2.68 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 Tufts
| Period | Tufts | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.2 | 32.3 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 23.5 | 32.4 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 25.2 | 32.5 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 25.2 | 32.9 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | +0.6 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Tufts is young: half of its residents are under 25.2, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults in their twenties. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 24.2, in line with the national trend.
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 Tufts
| Period | Tufts | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.1% | 8.0% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.7% | 7.7% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.4% | 6.6% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.0% | 3.9% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −4.1 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.0% of households in Tufts, well below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged down 1.1 points, as it has 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 Tufts
Renters in Tufts
| Period | Tufts | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.6% | 66.3% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 71.9% | 65.3% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 57.8% | 66.1% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 64.1% | 65.7% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | −0.6 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Tufts: 64.1% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 19.7% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the northwest and least common in the southeast. The renter share is down 5.5 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 Tufts
| Period | Tufts | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5% | 9.7% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.5% | 5.1% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.9% | 6.5% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.5% | 6.6% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −32.0 pts | −3.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 3.5% of homes in Tufts are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 32.0 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Tufts
| Period | Tufts | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1939 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1940 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1938 | 1941 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1938 | 1945 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | ±0 | +6 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Tufts is a place of older homes: half were built before 1938, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 Tufts
| Period | Tufts | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,603 | $1,313 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,789 | $1,479 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,105 | $1,887 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,908 | $2,529 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,305 | +$1,216 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Tufts runs $2,908 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,305 a month from 2006–10, an 81% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 23.6% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the west.
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 Tufts
Bachelor's degrees in Tufts
| Period | Tufts | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 72.5% | 52.6% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 84.6% | 56.0% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 74.1% | 65.2% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 88.6% | 70.5% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +16.1 pts | +18.0 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Tufts: 88.6% 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 16.1 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 Tufts
| Period | Tufts | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.7% | 88.9% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.5% | 89.4% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.6% | 91.2% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.6% | 93.3% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +4.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Tufts: 97.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 1.9 points, 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 Tufts
| Period | Tufts | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 6.6% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 6.7% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 3.5% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 3.2% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.8 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Tufts has been strong: just 2.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 6.8 points, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Tufts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tufts | 2.94 | 25.2 | 2.0% | 64.1% | 3.5% | 1938 | $2,908 | 88.6% | 97.6% | 2.9% |
| Ball Square | 2.41 | 33.0 | 2.2% | 55.4% | 6.5% | 1938 | $3,053 | 74.6% | 96.2% | 0.5% |
| West Somerville | 2.04 | 35.4 | 4.3% | 70.2% | 6.4% | 1943 | $1,988 | 59.0% | 93.2% | 5.2% |
| North Cambridge | 2.22 | 34.9 | 6.3% | 66.0% | 10.2% | 1963 | $2,601 | 76.5% | 94.7% | 3.1% |
| Spring Hill | 2.15 | 32.6 | 2.1% | 65.4% | 6.8% | 1944 | $2,497 | 78.3% | 96.6% | 2.5% |
| Avon Hill | 2.04 | 32.8 | 2.5% | 54.0% | 7.5% | 1940 | $2,762 | 90.3% | 99.2% | 2.4% |
| Neighborhood Nine | 2.20 | 33.8 | 6.2% | 63.7% | 7.3% | 1961 | $2,581 | 80.6% | 99.2% | 3.9% |
| Winter Hill | 2.42 | 33.7 | 5.8% | 59.4% | 6.5% | 1939 | $2,224 | 59.3% | 90.4% | 3.9% |
| Ten Hills | 2.49 | 35.2 | 3.4% | 63.0% | 2.3% | 1947 | $2,315 | 44.9% | 83.4% | 1.9% |
| Arlington Center | 2.11 | 44.0 | 3.8% | 56.1% | 5.0% | 1950 | $1,810 | 69.1% | 97.8% | 5.1% |
| Aggasiz-Harvard | 1.97 | 31.1 | 2.7% | 66.0% | 19.4% | 1945 | $2,773 | 85.6% | 98.1% | 2.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Groesbeck, Cincinnati, OH · Rancho San Antonio, Oakland, CA · Lakeside Park, Tucson, AZ · Kalivas Union, Manchester, NH · Indian Springs, The Woodlands, TX · Image, Vancouver, WA · Huguenot, Richmond, VA · Hoover-Foster, Oakland, CA · Holmes-Foster Historic District, State College, PA · Happy Valley, Anderson, 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 Tufts. 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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