Lowell is home to 118,368 people in Massachusetts. Owners hold 43% of the housing stock. 30% of residents were born outside the United States. There are 8,697 people per square mile. This skews young, with a median age of 35.6. Households here earn about 24% less than in Massachusetts as a whole.
At a glance
Average income
median household income $78,658, near the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 81%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Lowell
What changed most since 1990
White share77.1% → 42.3%(−34.8 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Black share1.8% → 9.9%(+8.2 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
Median home value (2024 dollars)$313,449 → $429,200(+37%)US over the same years: +67%
Lowell's population equals 7.2% of Middlesex County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 2.9% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 16% 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)20.9%(623)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16%(478)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35%(1,045)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.6%(106)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.5%(44)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,984 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
Lowell, decade by decade
Lowell 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
103,439
$70,444
$313,449
15.5%
47.9
2000
105,167
$71,394
$237,726
18.1%
70.0
2010
106,519
$72,205
$359,211
22.7%
80.7
2020
115,554
$75,384
$345,673
27.3%
91.4
2024
118,368
$78,658
$429,200
30.0%
89.9
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.
