Chelsea

Population: 39,460
Median household income: $72,220
Median home value: $476,500

Chelsea is a community in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, home to 39,460 residents. At $72,220, its median household income sits below Suffolk County's $92,859.

Between 2019 and 2023, Chelsea's population declined 1.3% from 39,992 to 39,460, while its median home value rose 35.8% from $350,800 to $476,500.

Hispanic or Latino residents are the largest group, 65.0% of the population. 46.4% of workers drive to work alone.

Demographics

ACS 2019–2023

Population: 39,460
Median age: 34.5 yrs
Median household income: $72,220
Median home value: $476,500
Median gross rent: $1,859
Housing units: 14,178
Homeownership rate: 29.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 22.0%
Unemployment rate: 8.8%

Trends

ACS 5-year · 2019–2023

Population

39,99239,460

Median household income

$56,802$72,220

Median home value

$350,800$476,500

Median gross rent

$1,419$1,859

Year	Population	Median household income	Median home value	Median gross rent
2019	39,992	$56,802	$350,800	$1,419
2020	39,878	$60,370	$369,900	$1,474
2021	40,025	$64,782	$383,800	$1,639
2022	39,890	$71,051	$450,600	$1,806
2023	39,460	$72,220	$476,500	$1,859

Each year is a US Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimate ending that year.

Age distribution

Under 57.8%

5 to 1716.7%

18 to 247.7%

25 to 3418.7%

35 to 4414.7%

45 to 5413.0%

55 to 6410.1%

65 to 746.2%

75 and over5.0%

	Count	Share
Under 5	3,076	7.8%
5 to 17	6,607	16.7%
18 to 24	3,056	7.7%
25 to 34	7,376	18.7%
35 to 44	5,792	14.7%
45 to 54	5,139	13.0%
55 to 64	3,998	10.1%
65 to 74	2,444	6.2%
75 and over	1,972	5.0%

Race & ethnicity

	Count	Share
White (non-Hispanic)	7,710	19.5%
Black or African American	2,456	6.2%
American Indian & Alaska Native	0	0.0%
Asian	1,142	2.9%
Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Some other race	317	0.8%
Two or more races	2,198	5.6%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	25,637	65.0%

Educational attainment (age 25+)

No high school diploma30.9%

High school graduate30.8%

Some college or associate's16.3%

Bachelor's degree14.2%

Graduate or professional degree7.7%

	Count	Share
No high school diploma	8,255	30.9%
High school graduate	8,233	30.8%
Some college or associate's	4,360	16.3%
Bachelor's degree	3,807	14.2%
Graduate or professional degree	2,066	7.7%

Commute to work

Mean travel time to work: 34 min

Drove alone46.4%

Carpooled15.2%

Public transit20.3%

Walked5.7%

Bicycle0.2%

Worked from home9.6%

Other means2.7%

How workers get to work

	Count	Share
Drove alone	8,463	46.4%
Carpooled	2,765	15.2%
Public transit	3,693	20.3%
Walked	1,038	5.7%
Bicycle	34	0.2%
Worked from home	1,746	9.6%
Other means	493	2.7%

Travel time

	Count	Share
Under 15 min	2,824	17.1%
15 to 29 min	5,062	30.7%
30 to 44 min	3,783	22.9%
45 to 59 min	1,714	10.4%
60+ min	3,103	18.8%

Households

Average household size: 2.85
Poverty rate: 20.6% (7,956 of 38,609)

	Count	Share
Family households	7,506	55.4%
Nonfamily households	6,032	44.6%

Housing

Median year structure built: 1938

Occupancy

	Count	Share
Occupied	13,538	95.5%
Vacant	640	4.5%

Tenure (of occupied units)

	Count	Share
Owner-occupied	3,949	29.2%
Renter-occupied	9,589	70.8%

1-unit, detached8.8%

1-unit, attached4.4%

2 to 4 units43.7%

5 to 19 units14.4%

20 or more units28.4%

Mobile home & other0.3%

Units in structure

	Count	Share
1-unit, detached	1,247	8.8%
1-unit, attached	628	4.4%
2 to 4 units	6,189	43.7%
5 to 19 units	2,035	14.4%
20 or more units	4,031	28.4%
Mobile home & other	48	0.3%

Geography

Place GEOID: 2513205
Type (LSAD): 25
Land area: 2.22 sq mi
Water area: 0.25 sq mi
Center point: 42.3968, -71.0313