CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Wakefield

Massachusetts · 24,825 residents · 7.39 sq mi

Time machine

VIEWING

COMPARE TO

The short version

Wakefield is home to 24,825 people in Massachusetts. Median home value sits at $189,000. The median household earns $43,960, about 46% above the national median. Poverty is uncommon here, at 4.2% of residents. Median rent is $673 a month. Owners hold 71% of the housing stock.

At a glance

Wealthier

above the US median

US median: $30,130

Older

median age 35.6

US median: 33.0

More educated

26% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

Stable housing

home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

24,825

Unchangedvs 2000

vs 24,804 in 2000

1990 – 2024

Median age

35.6

−8%vs 2000

vs 38.9 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

7.39 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202428K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 56.6%(1,635)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 96.2%(1,543)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 145.2%(1,288)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 195.9%(1,466)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.7%(1,655)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3418.4%(4,561)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4416.5%(4,084)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 549.8%(2,442)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 649.2%(2,289)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 748.9%(2,204)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 845.2%(1,303)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.4%(355)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$43,960

−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $66,117 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$19,009

−37%vs 2000

vs $30,369 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

4.2%

+1.1 ptsvs 2000

vs 3.1% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$189,000

+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $240,300 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$673

+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $795 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

71.2%

−0.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 72.0% in 2000

28.8% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic96.4%(23,902)

Black0.4%(106)

Hispanic / Latino0.8%(204)

Asian1.4%(353)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic98.9%(24,555)

Black0.4%(96)

Hispanic / Latino1.1%(264)

Asian0.5%(116)

Other0.2%(58)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

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

Hispanic origin

Dominican0.9%(251)

South American0.5%(132)

Cuban0.4%(114)

Puerto Rican0.3%(91)

Colombian0.3%(82)

Central American0.2%(55)

Salvadoran0.1%(37)

Peruvian0.1%(33)

Spaniard0.1%(25)

Mexican0.1%(18)

Guatemalan0.1%(18)

Venezuelan0%(12)

+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data

Ecuadorian0%(5)

Asian origin

Asian Indian2.2%(625)

Chinese2%(563)

Vietnamese0.4%(98)

Korean0.3%(79)

Nepalese0.2%(58)

Taiwanese0.1%(39)

Japanese0.1%(25)

Indonesian0.1%(21)

Cambodian0%(7)

Filipino0%(7)

Ancestry

Irish31.9%(8,859)

Italian23.5%(6,523)

English12.3%(3,427)

German5.9%(1,629)

Polish4.3%(1,197)

French Canadian3.5%(984)

French3.1%(853)

American2.1%(597)

Swedish1.9%(525)

Portuguese1.7%(483)

Scottish1.3%(355)

Greek1.2%(328)

+ 33 more ancestry groups with data

Brazilian1.1%(302)

Scotch-Irish1%(271)

Canadian0.9%(251)

Lithuanian0.9%(246)

Ukrainian0.8%(221)

Arab0.7%(201)

Russian0.7%(193)

West Indian0.6%(165)

Norwegian0.5%(139)

Belgian0.4%(115)

Dutch0.4%(113)

Armenian0.4%(110)

Jamaican0.3%(95)

Welsh0.3%(90)

Croatian0.3%(87)

Lebanese0.3%(86)

Moroccan0.2%(68)

Haitian0.2%(65)

Iranian0.2%(54)

Subsaharan African0.2%(50)

Slovak0.2%(48)

British0.1%(39)

Finnish0.1%(27)

Austrian0.1%(22)

Romanian0.1%(22)

Danish0.1%(21)

Czech0.1%(19)

Cape Verdean0.1%(17)

Swiss0.1%(16)

Hungarian0.1%(14)

Australian0%(11)

Syrian0%(10)

Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(5)

RANKED:Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Polish population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

26.0%

−13.7 ptsvs 2000

vs 39.7% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

86.7%

−3.9 ptsvs 2000

vs 90.6% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

8.9%

−5.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 14.6% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

21.2 min

+10%vs 2000

vs 19.3 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married31.8%(3,663)

Married58%(6,676)

Widowed3.7%(426)

Divorced6.5%(748)

Women 15+

Never married24.5%(2,838)

Married56.9%(6,592)

Widowed7.8%(908)

Divorced10.7%(1,245)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

1.4%

−0.8 ptssince 2013

from 2.2% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

77.7%

−0.2 ptssince 2020

from 77.9% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

12.7%

−3.5 ptssince 2020

from 16.2% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

18.9%

+1.4 ptssince 2020

from 17.5% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

10.1%

+0.6 ptssince 2020

from 9.5% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

1.1%

−0.2 ptssince 2020

from 1.3% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

86.2%

−0.8 ptssince 2020

from 87.0% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

26.2%

+1.2 ptssince 2020

from 25.0% 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)17.2%(111)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)14.5%(94)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era29.4%(190)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War17.9%(116)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0%(0)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 647 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