Population 11,040 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Union Square
Household size in Union Square
| Period | Union Square | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.27 | 2.30 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.29 | 2.37 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.31 | 2.38 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.07 | 2.27 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.20 | −0.03 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Union Square are small: just 2.07 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.27 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Union Square
| Period | Union Square | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.5 | 32.3 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 32.3 | 32.4 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.6 | 32.5 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 32.4 | 32.9 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.1 | +0.6 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Union Square is young: half of its residents are under 32.4, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Residents skew youngest in the center 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 Union Square
| Period | Union Square | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 8.0% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.9% | 7.7% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 6.6% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 3.9% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −4.1 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.9% of households in Union Square, well below the national share of 11.6%. Somerville as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share has fallen 4.2 points since 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 Union Square
Renters in Union Square
| Period | Union Square | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 69.2% | 66.3% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 72.1% | 65.3% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 74.6% | 66.1% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 72.0% | 65.7% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | −0.6 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Union Square rent: 72.0% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Just over one in five owners (21.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 2.8 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Union Square
| Period | Union Square | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 9.7% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.7% | 5.1% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 6.5% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 6.6% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.2 pts | −3.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Union Square: 6.7% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The picture is much the same across Somerville. Vacancy has fallen 5.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Union Square
| Period | Union Square | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1939 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1942 | 1940 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1941 | 1941 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1947 | 1945 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +6 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Union Square is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1947, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1938 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the west, 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 Union Square
| Period | Union Square | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,228 | $1,313 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,458 | $1,479 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,834 | $1,887 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,522 | $2,529 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,294 | +$1,216 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Union Square pays $2,522 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,294 a month from 2006–10, a 105% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 27.2% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the west and lowest in the northeast.
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 Union Square
Bachelor's degrees in Union Square
| Period | Union Square | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.5% | 52.6% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 58.8% | 56.0% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 70.2% | 65.2% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 75.1% | 70.5% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +24.6 pts | +18.0 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Union Square: 75.1% 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. The share with a degree has risen 24.6 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Union Square
| Period | Union Square | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.1% | 88.9% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.0% | 89.4% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.7% | 91.2% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.8% | 93.3% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +4.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Union Square have finished high school (92.8%), above the national rate of 89.3%. Somerville as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma is up 4.7 points from 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 Union Square
| Period | Union Square | Somerville | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 6.6% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 6.7% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 3.5% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 3.2% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Union Square has been low: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 4.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Union 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Square | 2.07 | 32.4 | 2.9% | 72.0% | 6.7% | 1947 | $2,522 | 75.1% | 92.8% | 2.6% |
| Wellington-Harrington | 2.28 | 31.1 | 10.9% | 73.9% | 4.5% | 1942 | $2,652 | 64.4% | 90.8% | 2.2% |
| Mid-Cambridge | 2.00 | 32.2 | 3.7% | 61.6% | 11.9% | 1942 | $2,727 | 86.8% | 97.3% | 2.8% |
| Aggasiz-Harvard | 1.97 | 31.1 | 2.7% | 66.0% | 19.4% | 1945 | $2,773 | 85.6% | 98.1% | 2.3% |
| Spring Hill | 2.15 | 32.6 | 2.1% | 65.4% | 6.8% | 1944 | $2,497 | 78.3% | 96.6% | 2.5% |
| Winter Hill | 2.42 | 33.7 | 5.8% | 59.4% | 6.5% | 1939 | $2,224 | 59.3% | 90.4% | 3.9% |
| East Somerville | 2.43 | 36.4 | 12.0% | 67.7% | 4.4% | 1938 | $2,673 | 49.4% | 82.6% | 1.3% |
| Area IV | 2.24 | 30.4 | 12.5% | 77.8% | 4.8% | 1962 | $2,366 | 71.0% | 92.0% | 4.2% |
| Ten Hills | 2.49 | 35.2 | 3.4% | 63.0% | 2.3% | 1947 | $2,315 | 44.9% | 83.4% | 1.9% |
| Riverside | 2.01 | 27.0 | 8.4% | 77.9% | 16.3% | 1956 | $2,788 | 76.0% | 97.3% | 4.0% |
| East Cambridge | 1.83 | 31.8 | 3.4% | 78.1% | 15.6% | 1984 | $3,165 | 82.0% | 96.5% | 3.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Fruitvale Station, Oakland, CA · Phoebus, Hampton, VA · Spenard, Anchorage, AK · Hillcrest, San Diego, CA · Grayland, Chicago, IL · Glendale, Salt Lake City, UT · Fenton Area, Fenton, MO · Energy Corridor, Houston, TX · Eastmont, Oakland, CA · Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY
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 Union 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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