Population 7,850 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wayland
Household size in Wayland
| Period | Wayland | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.76 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.58 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.83 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.85 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.09 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Wayland average 2.85 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Household size has crept up from 2.76 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the north and smallest in the southwest.
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 Wayland
| Period | Wayland | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.9 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.2 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.1 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.4 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.5 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Wayland skews older: half of its residents are older than 46.4, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has edged down from 46.9 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose.
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 Wayland
| Period | Wayland | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.2% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 9.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.9% of households in Wayland, well below the national share of 11.6%. Only 15 of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have a lower 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 Wayland
Renters in Wayland
| Period | Wayland | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 9.2% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Wayland is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 9.2% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About a third of owners (32.8%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 1.9 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 Wayland
| Period | Wayland | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 3.7% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Wayland: just 3.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy has fallen 2.4 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Wayland has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Massachusetts cities.
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 Wayland
| Period | Wayland | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1964 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Wayland is a place of older homes: half were built before 1968, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Still, homes here are newer than in the Boston area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1964. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the north has the oldest housing.
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 Wayland
| Period | Wayland | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,514 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,111 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,130 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,635 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$121 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Wayland runs $1,635 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in the Boston area overall ($2,051). Rents are up $121 a month from 2006–10, an 8% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.2% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Wayland
Bachelor's degrees in Wayland
| Period | Wayland | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.2% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 81.2% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 84.7% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 80.3% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Wayland: 80.3% 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 is up 3.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only 19 have a higher share of college graduates.
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 Wayland
| Period | Wayland | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 96.3% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.8% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 99.1% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.8% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Wayland: 98.8% 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 2.5 points, in line with the national trend. Only seven of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of high school graduates.
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 Wayland
| Period | Wayland | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.6% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.6% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.2% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wayland runs below the national rate: 4.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. 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).
Wayland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayland | 2.85 | 46.4 | 3.9% | 9.2% | 3.4% | 1968 | $1,635 | 80.3% | 98.8% | 4.2% |
| Cochituate | 2.68 | 45.2 | 6.2% | 16.4% | 7.2% | 1958 | $2,118 | 75.6% | 95.6% | 3.0% |
| Weston | 2.87 | 45.7 | 3.5% | 12.5% | 6.6% | 1967 | $2,023 | 84.4% | 98.4% | 2.2% |
| Sudbury | 3.06 | 42.6 | 6.9% | 10.0% | 4.6% | 1977 | $1,526 | 83.4% | 98.7% | 4.1% |
| Lincoln | 2.38 | 53.3 | 6.4% | 23.0% | 8.9% | 1973 | $2,797 | 89.0% | 97.4% | 2.8% |
| Wellesley | 2.81 | 40.5 | 5.0% | 15.5% | 4.0% | 1956 | $3,000 | 89.0% | 87.8% | 4.1% |
| Natick | 2.44 | 43.5 | 5.8% | 32.1% | 4.9% | 1966 | $2,103 | 71.0% | 96.9% | 2.9% |
| Newton Lower Falls | 2.50 | 42.7 | 2.7% | 27.4% | 9.9% | 1952 | $2,646 | 78.9% | 94.9% | 1.5% |
| Pine Lake | 2.81 | 44.9 | 6.4% | 21.3% | 5.0% | 1982 | $1,712 | 80.2% | 97.7% | 4.8% |
| Auburndale | 2.56 | 37.2 | 5.9% | 36.8% | 9.7% | 1953 | $2,265 | 77.6% | 95.3% | 2.8% |
| Framingham | 2.65 | 39.1 | 12.4% | 45.2% | 5.6% | 1966 | $2,011 | 47.5% | 86.2% | 4.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Colorado City, TX · West Nyack, NY · Cumberland Center, ME · Crystal City, TX · Cross Plains, WI · Coupeville, WA · Countryside, IL · Coquille, OR · Coplay, PA · Coopersville, MI
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 Wayland. 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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