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CITY · 2010 ACS

New Bedford

Massachusetts · 95,072 residents · 20.0 sq mi
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The short version

New Bedford is home to 95,072 people in Massachusetts. Owners hold 42% of the housing stock. That trails the Massachusetts median by roughly 44%. 14% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 28% national rate. The poverty rate is 22.7%, above the 13.8% national rate. 20% of residents were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $52,703
Mid-age
median age 36.6
US median: 37.2
Less educated
14% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 70%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

95,072
+1%since 2000
from 93,768 in 2000
1990 – 2025
36.6
+2%since 2000
from 35.9 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
20.0 sq mi
Population, 19902024
90K93K96K99K102K19902000201020202024New Bedford
2024101K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.9%(6,560)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.2%(5,859)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.2%(5,856)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.6%(6,263)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.5%(7,095)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3414.6%(13,894)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4412.8%(12,168)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5413.7%(12,983)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6411%(10,491)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 746.7%(6,371)
US avg: 7%
75 to 845.1%(4,884)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over2.8%(2,648)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$36,172
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $27,569 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
$20,447
+31%since 2000
from $15,602 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
20.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 20.0% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
22.7%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 20.2% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
0.464
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Retail trade13.9%
US avg: 10.9%
Information12.7%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade9.2%
US avg: 7.2%
Other services4.1%
US avg: 7%
Finance & insurance3.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing3%
US avg: 3.1%
Professional, scientific, technical2.9%
US avg: 4.2%
Public administration2.8%
US avg: 4.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 2.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.9%
US avg: 1.4%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$244,900
+70%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $113,500 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
$734
+27%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $455 in 2000
US average: $853
42.1%
−1.7 ptssince 2000
from 43.8% in 2000
57.9% rent
10.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
2.40 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.41 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
43.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 43.6% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
50.7%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
6.8
Unchangedsince 2009
from 6.8 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-Hispanic75.2%(70,520)
Black3.7%(3,503)
Hispanic / Latino10.2%(9,576)
Asian0.6%(600)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic67.9%(64,598)
Black5.2%(4,919)
Hispanic / Latino16.7%(15,916)
Asian0.9%(879)
Other7.6%(7,230)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican9.5%(8,976)
Central American1.9%(1,834)
Dominican1.4%(1,297)
Guatemalan0.8%(767)
Salvadoran0.7%(649)
Mexican0.7%(620)
Honduran0.4%(403)
Colombian0.2%(166)
Spaniard0.1%(131)
Ecuadorian0.1%(118)
Chilean0%(43)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0%(16)
Peruvian0%(13)
Cuban0%(9)
Ancestry
Portuguese40.7%(38,603)
Subsaharan African11.3%(10,738)
Cape Verdean10.8%(10,262)
French9.7%(9,256)
Irish8.1%(7,693)
English7.4%(7,026)
French Canadian3.8%(3,628)
Italian3.8%(3,587)
Polish3.3%(3,165)
German2.4%(2,257)
American1.2%(1,176)
Brazilian1.1%(997)
+ 32 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish0.5%(478)
Arab0.5%(460)
Norwegian0.5%(435)
Canadian0.5%(434)
Dutch0.4%(424)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(394)
Lebanese0.4%(353)
Greek0.3%(315)
Swedish0.2%(231)
West Indian0.2%(219)
Welsh0.2%(162)
Russian0.1%(130)
Armenian0.1%(110)
Hungarian0.1%(86)
Haitian0.1%(74)
British0.1%(72)
Turkish0.1%(63)
Israeli0.1%(58)
Swiss0.1%(58)
Austrian0.1%(53)
Iranian0%(35)
Belgian0%(31)
Jamaican0%(30)
Finnish0%(27)
Serbian0%(27)
Czech0%(24)
Croatian0%(18)
Danish0%(11)
Slovak0%(10)
Latvian0%(8)
Section 05

Education

13.7%
+3.0 ptssince 2000
from 10.7% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
65.9%
+8.2 ptssince 2000
from 57.6% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
4.3%
+1.1 ptssince 2000
from 3.2% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

23.1 min
+39%since 2000
from 16.6 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
76.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 76.2% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
14.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 14.6% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
1.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
1.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
3.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
0.3%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
18.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 18.4% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

11.6%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 12.1% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
25.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 24.4% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

46.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 47.1% in 2009
53.2%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 52.9% in 2009
20.0%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 20.6% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
7.5%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.9% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married48.4%(19,554)
Married37.7%(15,240)
Widowed2.5%(1,010)
Divorced11.4%(4,606)
Women 15+
Never married42.1%(17,284)
Married37.1%(15,235)
Widowed8.7%(3,558)
Divorced12.2%(5,026)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

5.4%
−1.7 ptssince 2013
from 7.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
38.2%
−3.3 ptssince 2020
from 41.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.6%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 9.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
17.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 16.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
48.6%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 46.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.2%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
47.5%
−2.3 ptssince 2020
from 49.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
59.1%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 57.5% 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)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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in New Bedford, Massachusetts?

New Bedford, Massachusetts has about 95,072 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in New Bedford, Massachusetts?

The typical household in New Bedford, Massachusetts earns about $36,172 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is New Bedford, Massachusetts expensive?

In New Bedford, Massachusetts, the median home is worth about $244,900, and the typical rent is about $734 a month.

How educated are people in New Bedford, Massachusetts?

About 13.7% of adults age 25 and over in New Bedford, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in New Bedford, Massachusetts?

About 22.7% of people in New Bedford, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.

Has New Bedford, Massachusetts grown since 1990?

Yes, New Bedford, Massachusetts has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 4,850 residents, a change of about -5 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 →