New Bedford is home to 100,998 people in Massachusetts. Owners hold 40% of the housing stock. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Households here earn about 45% less than in Massachusetts as a whole. There are 5,050 people per square mile. The poverty rate is 20.6%, above the 12.5% national rate.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $56,981, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 37.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 73%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about New Bedford
What changed most since 1990
White share85.0% → 54.1%(−30.9 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Hispanic share5.6% → 25.8%(+20.2 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree9.7% → 17.0%(+7.3 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
New Bedford's population equals 17% of Bristol County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 7.5% of the county's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 9.0% 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)17%(518)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.8%(572)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31%(942)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.5%(166)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II6%(184)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 3,043 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
New Bedford, decade by decade
New Bedford 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
99,922
$54,354
$275,768
9.7%
33.7
2000
93,768
$50,221
$206,758
10.7%
51.5
2010
95,072
$52,036
$352,306
13.7%
62.7
2020
101,079
$59,389
$289,677
16.9%
75.3
2024
100,998
$56,981
$357,300
17.0%
77.2
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.
