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CITY

Chelsea

Massachusetts · 40,130 residents (2025 est.) · 2.22 sq mi
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Part of the Boston metro area
The short version

Chelsea is home to 39,908 people in Massachusetts. 26% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 46%. There are 17,985 people per square mile. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 22% of adults. This skews young, with a median age of 34.4.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 66%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
39,908
+14%since 2000
from 35,080 in 2000
40,130 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
17,985 / sq mi
+10%since 2009
from 16,298 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
34.4
+10%since 2000
from 31.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
2.22 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
28K31K35K38K42K19902000201020202024Chelsea
202440K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 57.8%(3,130)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.3%(2,096)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.7%(2,663)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.7%(2,672)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.7%(2,285)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3418.8%(7,519)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4415.1%(6,035)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.9%(5,132)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.5%(4,188)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 745.6%(2,221)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.2%(1,293)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(674)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$72,179
+31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,161 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$32,986
+125%since 2000
from $14,628 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
48.6%
+27.3 ptssince 2009
from 21.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
20.7%
−2.6 ptssince 2000
from 23.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.475
+8%since 2010
from 0.439 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Wholesale trade13.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance8.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical8.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Information8.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade5.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Transportation & warehousing4.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Other services4.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration2.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food0.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$493,500
+66%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $163,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,956
+54%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $695 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
26.0%
−2.9 ptssince 2000
from 28.9% in 2000
74.0% rent
Vacancy rate
3.2%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.85 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.90 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
32.3%
−25.8 ptssince 2009
from 58.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
57.8%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 57.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.8
−19%since 2009
from 8.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
63
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic38.3%(13,424)
Black5.6%(1,971)
Hispanic / Latino48.4%(16,984)
Asian4.6%(1,614)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic17.7%(7,070)
Black7.1%(2,828)
Hispanic / Latino67.3%(26,860)
Asian2.1%(832)
Other5.8%(2,318)
Diversity Score
63
−10%since 2009
from 70 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Central American44%(17,564)
Salvadoran23.6%(9,405)
Honduran9.1%(3,650)
Guatemalan8.8%(3,492)
Puerto Rican8.7%(3,469)
Dominican3.7%(1,485)
South American3.2%(1,262)
Colombian2.3%(919)
Mexican0.8%(317)
Venezuelan0.5%(184)
Nicaraguan0.3%(134)
Cuban0.2%(84)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Costa Rican0.2%(82)
Ecuadorian0.2%(81)
Peruvian0.2%(67)
Panamanian0.1%(33)
Argentine0%(11)
Asian origin
Chinese0.7%(272)
Vietnamese0.5%(191)
Asian Indian0.5%(182)
Korean0.1%(56)
Malaysian0.1%(26)
Cambodian0.1%(25)
Nepalese0.1%(21)
Japanese0%(19)
Filipino0%(13)
Kazakh0%(5)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
Irish3.8%(1,516)
Italian3.7%(1,470)
American2.3%(916)
Arab1.9%(771)
German1.7%(683)
Polish1.5%(590)
Brazilian1.5%(587)
West Indian1.3%(525)
English1.2%(476)
Moroccan1%(389)
Haitian0.8%(338)
+ 38 more ancestry groups with data
French0.8%(337)
Ethiopian0.5%(209)
Russian0.4%(163)
Jamaican0.4%(158)
Cape Verdean0.3%(134)
Somali0.3%(121)
Canadian0.3%(115)
Slovak0.3%(114)
Iranian0.3%(113)
British0.2%(89)
Scottish0.2%(81)
Norwegian0.2%(79)
Lebanese0.2%(76)
Nigerian0.2%(70)
Scotch-Irish0.2%(65)
Portuguese0.2%(61)
Swedish0.1%(42)
Dutch0.1%(41)
Greek0.1%(40)
Armenian0.1%(36)
Turkish0.1%(36)
Lithuanian0.1%(35)
Ukrainian0.1%(35)
Guyanese0.1%(30)
Iraqi0.1%(28)
Austrian0.1%(26)
Israeli0.1%(25)
Serbian0.1%(25)
Croatian0.1%(20)
Bulgarian0%(18)
Czech0%(17)
Jordanian0%(11)
Hungarian0%(11)
Syrian0%(10)
Finnish0%(8)
Swiss0%(8)
Kenyan0%(2)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
22.2%
+12.2 ptssince 2000
from 10.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
70.3%
+10.8 ptssince 2000
from 59.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
7.9%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 3.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
32.9 min
+46%since 2000
from 22.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
46.1%
−5.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
13.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 14.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
20.9%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 23.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
10.4%
+9.8 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
5.3%
−3.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
28.4%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 30.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
9.2%
−2.2 ptssince 2011
from 11.4% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
68.2%
+0.6 ptssince 2011
from 67.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.0%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 71.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
8.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
27.7%
+6.7 ptssince 2009
from 21.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.4%
+3.0 ptssince 2009
from 47.4% in 2009
Female
49.6%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 52.6% in 2009
Foreign born
46.1%
+8.1 ptssince 2009
from 38.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
1.6%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.4%
+3.3 ptssince 2012
from 11.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.4%
−7.4 ptssince 2013
from 10.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
86.6%
+11.9 ptssince 2017
from 74.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
93.3%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 90.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
87.1%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 85.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
29.4%
−1.6 ptssince 2016
from 30.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
60.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2016
from 59.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married51.7%(8,671)
Married38.4%(6,434)
Widowed3%(498)
Divorced7%(1,168)
Women 15+
Never married41.2%(6,279)
Married40.5%(6,172)
Widowed7.4%(1,129)
Divorced10.9%(1,668)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.4%
−7.4 ptssince 2013
from 10.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
33.8%
−3.5 ptssince 2020
from 37.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
8.2%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 8.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
11.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 10.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
57.6%
+7.1 ptssince 2020
from 50.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 0.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
40.3%
−3.9 ptssince 2020
from 44.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
62.4%
+6.6 ptssince 2020
from 55.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)24.3%(117)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.1%(87)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.8%(177)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.5%(17)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 481 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

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Compare Chelsea to nearby cities

CHELSEA VS
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CHELSEA VS
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CHELSEA VS
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CHELSEA VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Chelsea, Massachusetts?

Chelsea, Massachusetts has about 39,908 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Chelsea, Massachusetts?

The typical household in Chelsea, Massachusetts earns about $72,179 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Chelsea, Massachusetts expensive?

In Chelsea, Massachusetts, the median home is worth about $493,500, and the typical rent is about $1,956 a month.

How educated are people in Chelsea, Massachusetts?

About 22.2% of adults age 25 and over in Chelsea, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Chelsea, Massachusetts?

About 20.7% of people in Chelsea, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.

Has Chelsea, Massachusetts grown since 1990?

Yes, Chelsea, Massachusetts has grown since 1990. The population has added about 11,198 residents, a change of about 39 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →