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CITY · 2010 ACS

Chelsea

Massachusetts · 35,177 residents · 2.22 sq mi
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The short version

Chelsea is a city of 35,177 people in Massachusetts. Owners hold 29% of the housing stock. 42% of locals were born outside the United States. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 14% of adults. This skews young, with a median age of 31.8. That trails the Massachusetts median by roughly 37%.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Younger
median age 31.8
US median: 37.2
Less educated
14% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 54%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

35,177
Unchangedsince 2000
from 35,080 in 2000
1990 – 2025
31.8
+2%since 2000
from 31.3 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
2.22 sq mi
Population, 19902024
28K31K35K38K42K19902000201020202024Chelsea
202440K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 58.7%(3,073)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.6%(2,334)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 145.9%(2,088)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 197%(2,460)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 248.2%(2,890)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3419.4%(6,837)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4415.4%(5,432)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5411.9%(4,179)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 648%(2,809)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 744.4%(1,542)
US avg: 7%
75 to 842.9%(1,008)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.5%(525)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$40,487
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,161 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
$18,630
+27%since 2000
from $14,628 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
21.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 21.3% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
24.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2000
from 23.3% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
0.439
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information12.4%
US avg: 11.5%
Retail trade11.7%
US avg: 10.9%
Wholesale trade8.3%
US avg: 7.2%
Other services5.6%
US avg: 7%
Transportation & warehousing5.2%
US avg: 3.1%
Finance & insurance4.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 4.2%
Public administration4.1%
US avg: 4.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 2.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.4%
Education & health services0.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$318,000
+54%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $163,200 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
$1,006
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $695 in 2000
US average: $853
28.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2000
from 28.9% in 2000
71.3% rent
8.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
2.83 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.90 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
57.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 58.1% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
56.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 57.2% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
7.9
−7%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.
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%
2010
White, non-Hispanic25.2%(8,882)
Black6.7%(2,341)
Hispanic / Latino62.1%(21,855)
Asian3%(1,052)
Other3.9%(1,362)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Central American34.6%(11,947)
Salvadoran21.9%(7,562)
Puerto Rican12.1%(4,178)
Honduran6.5%(2,259)
Guatemalan5.3%(1,840)
Mexican4.7%(1,627)
Dominican3.3%(1,147)
Colombian1.5%(526)
Cuban0.5%(164)
Costa Rican0.5%(159)
Uruguayan0.4%(131)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0.3%(107)
Argentine0.2%(55)
Chilean0.1%(30)
Peruvian0.1%(29)
Spaniard0.1%(21)
Ancestry
Italian6.5%(2,228)
Irish6%(2,072)
Polish3%(1,053)
West Indian3%(1,030)
American2.1%(712)
English2%(681)
French1.4%(500)
Brazilian1.3%(458)
Cape Verdean1.3%(434)
Arab1.2%(423)
Ethiopian1.2%(415)
+ 30 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1.2%(407)
Haitian1.2%(404)
Moroccan1.1%(364)
German0.8%(270)
Scottish0.6%(195)
Canadian0.5%(163)
Slovak0.4%(132)
Lithuanian0.3%(115)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(115)
Armenian0.3%(106)
Portuguese0.2%(86)
Turkish0.2%(56)
Somali0.2%(53)
Jamaican0.1%(44)
Welsh0.1%(42)
Greek0.1%(37)
Ukrainian0.1%(36)
Barbadian0.1%(36)
Norwegian0.1%(28)
Nigerian0.1%(23)
Kenyan0.1%(20)
Czech0.1%(19)
Hungarian0.1%(19)
Austrian0%(17)
Danish0%(15)
Dutch0%(12)
Romanian0%(12)
Iraqi0%(7)
Swedish0%(7)
Section 05

Education

13.6%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 10.0% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
65.6%
+6.2 ptssince 2000
from 59.5% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
5.5%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 3.0% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

29.6 min
+32%since 2000
from 22.5 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
50.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
13.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 14.2% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
23.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 23.5% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
1.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
9.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
0.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
32.1%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 30.9% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

9.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
19.5%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 21.0% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

49.4%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 47.4% in 2009
50.6%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 52.6% in 2009
42.0%
+4.0 ptssince 2009
from 38.0% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
4.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

3.4%
−7.4 ptssince 2013
from 10.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
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%
11.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 10.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Chelsea, Massachusetts?

Chelsea, Massachusetts has about 35,177 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Chelsea, Massachusetts?

The typical household in Chelsea, Massachusetts earns about $40,487 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 $318,000, and the typical rent is about $1,006 a month.

How educated are people in Chelsea, Massachusetts?

About 13.6% 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 24.2% 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 6,467 residents, a change of about 23 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 →