Population 3,981 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Waterfront
Household size in Waterfront
| Period | Waterfront | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.93 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.95 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.02 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.02 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.08 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Waterfront is a place of small households, averaging 2.02 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children.
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 Waterfront
| Period | Waterfront | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.0 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.6 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.1 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 48.7 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.6 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Waterfront skews older: half of its residents are older than 48.7, 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 44.0, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change. Only one other Boston neighborhood is older.
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 Waterfront
| Period | Waterfront | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Waterfront: 8.0% of households, against 11.6% 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 Waterfront
Renters in Waterfront
| Period | Waterfront | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.2% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 58.3% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 57.6% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 43.6% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.7 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than four in ten households in Waterfront rent their homes (43.6%), above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 35.1% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Among Boston neighborhoods, though, Waterfront has the lowest share of renters.
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 Waterfront
| Period | Waterfront | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.4% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Waterfront is close to the national rate: 8.2% of homes are empty, against 9.6%.
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 Waterfront
| Period | Waterfront | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1961 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1967 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1961 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Waterfront is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1961, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. That is in line with the rest of the Boston area. Compared with other Boston neighborhoods, though, Waterfront has newer homes than most.
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 Waterfront
| Period | Waterfront | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,264 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,496 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,072 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,403 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,139 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Waterfront pays $2,403 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 30.6% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Waterfront
Bachelor's degrees in Waterfront
| Period | Waterfront | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 51.4% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 53.2% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 57.0% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 57.1% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Waterfront: 57.1% 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.
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 Waterfront
| Period | Waterfront | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.2% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.1% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.4% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.6% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Waterfront have finished high school as nationally: 88.6%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the wider Boston area (91.8%).
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 Waterfront
| Period | Waterfront | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 4.9%, unemployment in Waterfront is close to the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Waterfront 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterfront | 2.02 | 48.7 | 8.0% | 43.6% | 8.2% | 1961 | $2,403 | 57.1% | 88.6% | 4.9% |
| Gove Street | 2.23 | 33.3 | 9.9% | 78.5% | 6.7% | 1963 | $2,133 | 44.0% | 77.6% | 5.2% |
| Dock Square | 1.65 | 32.0 | 3.4% | 80.2% | 16.7% | 1966 | $3,000 | 82.9% | 97.7% | 2.8% |
| Day Square | 2.81 | 35.5 | 18.8% | 73.7% | 9.0% | 1944 | $2,136 | 34.1% | 71.6% | 7.7% |
| East Boston | 2.56 | 37.9 | 11.3% | 67.1% | 8.4% | 1955 | $1,963 | 39.9% | 79.3% | 6.4% |
| Downtown Crossing | 1.68 | 37.9 | 3.0% | 67.0% | 18.9% | 1954 | $2,722 | 77.3% | 92.4% | 2.6% |
| Central | 1.74 | 33.9 | 4.0% | 77.8% | 21.8% | 1989 | $2,662 | 66.8% | 88.8% | 7.4% |
| East Cambridge | 1.83 | 31.8 | 3.4% | 78.1% | 15.6% | 1984 | $3,165 | 82.0% | 96.5% | 3.3% |
| East Somerville | 2.43 | 36.4 | 12.0% | 67.7% | 4.4% | 1938 | $2,673 | 49.4% | 82.6% | 1.3% |
| Back Bay | 1.57 | 37.8 | 3.4% | 67.6% | 19.3% | 1950 | $2,565 | 84.2% | 96.6% | 4.1% |
| Wellington-Harrington | 2.28 | 31.1 | 10.9% | 73.9% | 4.5% | 1942 | $2,652 | 64.4% | 90.8% | 2.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Jennings Lodge, Portland, OR · United Westwood, San Antonio, TX · Turner Park, Tulsa, OK · The Eye, Detroit, MI · The Canal on Preston, Plano, TX · Terrace Hills, Mobile, AL · Ten Hills, Somerville, MA · Tarpon River, Fort Lauderdale, FL · Tallulah-North Shore, Jacksonville, FL · Tahoe Park, Sacramento, 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 Waterfront. 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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