CensusEasy
CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Chelsea

Massachusetts · 35,080 residents · 2.22 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Boston metro area
Compare
The short version

Chelsea is home to 35,080 people in Massachusetts. Owners hold 29% of the housing stock. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 10% of adults. Households here earn about 40% less than in Massachusetts as a whole. The poverty rate is 23.3%, above the 12.4% national rate. This skews young, with a median age of 31.3.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $42,589
Younger
median age 31.3
US median: 35.2
Less educated
10% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 11%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
35,080
+22%since 1990
from 28,710 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
31.3
+5%since 1990
from 29.9 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
2.22 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
28K31K35K38K42K19902000201020202024Chelsea
202440K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 58.1%(2,829)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 98.3%(2,915)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.1%(2,497)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 196.4%(2,259)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 247.9%(2,785)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3419%(6,674)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4415.6%(5,470)
US avg: 16%
45 to 549.8%(3,426)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 646.5%(2,292)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 745.4%(1,901)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 844%(1,391)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over1.8%(641)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$30,161
−9%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $25,144 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$14,628
+27%since 1990
from $11,559 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
23.3%
−0.7 ptssince 1990
from 24.1% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$163,200
−11%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $138,500 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$695
−11%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $594 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
28.9%
+0.8 ptssince 1990
from 28.1% in 1990
71.1% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic69.7%(20,001)
Black5.3%(1,516)
Hispanic / Latino29.9%(8,573)
Asian5%(1,422)
2000
White, non-Hispanic38.3%(13,424)
Black5.6%(1,971)
Hispanic / Latino48.4%(16,984)
Asian4.6%(1,614)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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
10.0%
−2.0 ptssince 1990
from 12.0% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
59.5%
−3.7 ptssince 1990
from 63.2% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
3.0%
−1.4 ptssince 1990
from 4.4% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.5 min
−2%since 1990
from 22.9 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married43.5%(5,874)
Married44.9%(6,056)
Widowed3.3%(441)
Divorced8.4%(1,129)
Women 15+
Never married34%(4,513)
Married44.7%(5,932)
Widowed11.8%(1,568)
Divorced9.5%(1,256)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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

Places similar to Chelsea

Riviera Beach
Pop 39,357
Oakland Park
Pop 45,332
DeLand
Pop 46,346
Greenacres
Pop 44,736
Places similar to Chelsea
Head to head

Compare Chelsea to nearby cities

CHELSEA VS
Everett
Income$85,218+183%
Home value$610,000+274%
Population53,572+33%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHELSEA VS
Malden
Income$100,606+234%
Home value$633,500+288%
Population66,370+65%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHELSEA VS
Revere
Income$86,969+188%
Home value$597,400+266%
Population60,141+50%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
CHELSEA VS
Winthrop
Income$116,167+285%
Home value$649,600+298%
Population18,647−54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Chelsea, Massachusetts?

Chelsea, Massachusetts has about 35,080 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in Chelsea, Massachusetts?

The typical household in Chelsea, Massachusetts earns about $30,161 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 $163,200, and the typical rent is about $695 a month.

How educated are people in Chelsea, Massachusetts?

About 10.0% 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 23.3% 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 6,370 residents, a change of about 22 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
Massachusetts

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

How we source and harmonize this data →