Population 7,698 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Upton
Household size in Upton
| Period | Upton | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.95 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.91 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.86 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.77 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.18 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Upton average 2.77 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Household size has dropped from 2.95 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the center and smallest in the west.
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 Upton
| Period | Upton | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.7 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.3 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.9 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.6 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.9 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Upton skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.7, 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 Upton
| Period | Upton | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.9% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +8.0 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in seven households in Upton (14.9%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 8.0 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only 24 have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Upton
Renters in Upton
| Period | Upton | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.0% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.0% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Upton is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.0% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 26.1% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 5.4 points, a much bigger shift than 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 Upton
| Period | Upton | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.8% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 2.4% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Upton: just 2.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has fallen 4.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 20 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have a lower vacancy rate.
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 Upton
| Period | Upton | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | −1 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Upton run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1972 against 1980. Even so, homes here are newer than in the wider Worcester area, where the median home dates to 1965.
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 Upton
| Period | Upton | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $944 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $955 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $968 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $739 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$206 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Upton runs $739 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has fallen $206 a month since 2006–10, down 22%, even as the national median rose. The typical renter here spends 32.4% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Upton has the lowest rents of any Massachusetts city with 5,000+ people.
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 Upton
Bachelor's degrees in Upton
| Period | Upton | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.4% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 48.7% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 58.7% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 51.4% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Upton: 51.4% 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 edged up 1.0 points since 2006–10, a smaller 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 Upton
| Period | Upton | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.3% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.5% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.8% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.8% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Upton: 97.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 1.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Upton has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of Massachusetts cities.
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 Upton
| Period | Upton | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Upton than nationally: unemployment was 6.5%, against 5.4%. Upton has higher unemployment than the great majority of Massachusetts cities. 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).
Upton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upton | 2.77 | 45.6 | 14.9% | 14.0% | 2.4% | 1972 | $739 | 51.4% | 97.8% | 6.5% |
| Northbridge | 2.48 | 46.6 | 9.0% | 18.8% | 4.9% | 1980 | $1,235 | 39.7% | 91.9% | 6.9% |
| North Milford | 2.48 | 49.9 | 6.5% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 1990 | $2,039 | 59.5% | 97.4% | 5.9% |
| South Grafton | 2.54 | 41.5 | 8.0% | 36.0% | 4.2% | 1976 | $1,380 | 47.2% | 94.9% | 4.1% |
| Linwood | 2.41 | 44.2 | 16.5% | 28.5% | 8.6% | 1964 | $1,235 | 32.1% | 86.6% | 7.3% |
| Milford | 2.74 | 40.4 | 11.4% | 35.1% | 5.9% | 1965 | $2,030 | 34.1% | 87.1% | 5.0% |
| Grafton | 2.65 | 41.7 | 5.3% | 26.9% | 4.0% | 1988 | $1,571 | 62.2% | 96.1% | 2.3% |
| Whitinsville | 2.47 | 41.8 | 14.7% | 34.9% | 7.3% | 1969 | $1,221 | 36.7% | 93.7% | 4.8% |
| Hopedale | 2.73 | 44.1 | 9.0% | 20.4% | 9.4% | 1951 | $1,898 | 47.8% | 94.6% | 1.6% |
| Hopkinton | 2.89 | 40.9 | 6.6% | 13.2% | 6.2% | 1992 | $2,886 | 79.3% | 98.1% | 2.3% |
| North Grafton | 2.61 | 39.8 | 7.7% | 18.5% | 4.0% | 1973 | $1,556 | 55.9% | 95.7% | 5.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Granby, MA · Gleneagle, CO · Glenmont, NY · Glenn Dale, MD · Glenwood, IA · Goddard, KS · Goldendale, WA · Gooding, ID · Goodrich, MI · Goshen, KY
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 Upton. 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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