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
median household income $72,179, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Chelsea
What changed most since 1990
Hispanic share29.9% → 67.3%(+37.4 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
White share60.1% → 17.7%(−42.4 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree12.0% → 22.2%(+10.2 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Chelsea's population equals 5.1% of Suffolk County's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 2.1% of the county's. Its number of people who work from home equals 2.3% of the county's.
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
Over time
Chelsea, decade by decade
Chelsea population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
28,710
$60,347
$332,410
12.0%
68.1
2000
35,080
$54,943
$297,294
10.0%
76.6
2010
35,177
$58,243
$457,466
13.6%
67.9
2020
40,787
$73,171
$448,333
19.9%
65.0
2024
39,908
$72,179
$493,500
22.2%
63.3
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
