Population 23,588 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Westford
Household size in Westford
| Period | Westford | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.97 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.95 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.84 | 2.60 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.84 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Westford average 2.84 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Household size has dropped from 2.97 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Westford has larger households than at least four in five Massachusetts cities.
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 Westford
| Period | Westford | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.4 | 38.9 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.1 | 39.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.2 | 40.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.8 | 40.8 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Westford skews older than the country: its median age is 43.8, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 41.4 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the east and oldest in the southwest.
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 Westford
| Period | Westford | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 10.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 9.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 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 Westford: 7.1% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 1.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Westford
Renters in Westford
| Period | Westford | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.0% | 38.3% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.2% | 38.4% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +1.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 14.2% of households in Westford rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly three in ten owners (28.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southeast; owners are most common in the north. The renter share has risen 6.8 points since 2006–10, 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 Westford
| Period | Westford | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 8.1% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Westford: 6.2% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The picture is much the same across the Boston area. Vacancy has edged up 1.0 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Westford
| Period | Westford | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1958 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1959 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1980 | 1961 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1964 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Westford was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in the wider Boston area, where the median home dates to 1964. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the northeast 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 Westford
| Period | Westford | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,450 | $1,171 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,441 | $1,251 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,171 | $1,537 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,806 | $2,051 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,356 | +$881 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Westford runs $2,806 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,356 a month from 2006–10, a 94% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 29.0% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Only six of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people have higher rents.
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 Westford
Bachelor's degrees in Westford
| Period | Westford | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 63.7% | 42.2% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 69.0% | 44.1% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 67.2% | 48.2% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 73.9% | 51.9% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.2 pts | +9.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Westford is highly educated: about three-quarters of adults 25 and older (73.9%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 10.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the northeast.
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 Westford
| Period | Westford | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.0% | 89.8% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 97.5% | 90.6% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 97.4% | 91.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.7% | 91.8% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +2.1 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Westford: 97.7% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Westford has a higher share of high school graduates than at least four in five 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 Westford
| Period | Westford | Boston area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 7.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 8.0% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 4.9% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Westford is close to the national rate: 4.9% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Westford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westford | 2.84 | 43.8 | 7.1% | 14.2% | 6.2% | 1979 | $2,806 | 73.9% | 97.7% | 4.9% |
| Graniteville | 2.81 | 42.3 | 6.3% | 11.3% | 2.5% | 1990 | $2,789 | 74.4% | 97.9% | 1.8% |
| North Chelmsford | 2.73 | 43.1 | 12.9% | 18.0% | 3.1% | 1972 | $1,930 | 47.8% | 92.8% | 2.7% |
| Chelmsford | 2.75 | 42.8 | 5.9% | 17.7% | 6.7% | 1969 | $2,251 | 55.5% | 93.9% | 6.6% |
| Littleton | 2.67 | 43.8 | 7.1% | 16.6% | 4.8% | 1977 | $2,012 | 58.2% | 95.5% | 5.7% |
| Village Of Nagog Woods | 2.52 | 42.7 | 3.7% | 28.2% | 3.8% | 1982 | $2,295 | 81.8% | 98.6% | 5.4% |
| Tyngsboro | 2.98 | 38.7 | 10.4% | 13.6% | 4.5% | 1989 | $2,171 | 52.3% | 94.9% | 5.5% |
| Carlisle | 2.98 | 45.2 | 5.3% | 6.4% | 2.3% | 1976 | $2,354 | 87.4% | 98.9% | 4.1% |
| Groton | 2.94 | 42.5 | 6.6% | 11.7% | 3.7% | 1987 | $1,481 | 70.2% | 97.4% | 5.4% |
| Dunstable | 3.06 | 43.5 | 4.6% | 3.4% | 3.7% | 1986 | $1,334 | 61.5% | 94.8% | 5.1% |
| Ayer | 2.31 | 40.5 | 13.1% | 30.6% | 7.6% | 1972 | $1,717 | 42.3% | 91.9% | 6.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Carencro, LA · Washington, MI · Cimarron Hills, CO · Champlin, MN · Chagrin Falls, OH · Centralia, WA · Catano, PR · Cary, IL · Carney, MD · Washington, NC
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 Westford. 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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