New Bedford, MA

Census Place

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2021 Population

100,309

5.2% 1-year growth

US Senator

Elizabeth Warren

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ed Markey

Democratic Party

2021 Median Age

36.5

0.275% 1-year increase

2021 Poverty Rate

18.7%

0.63% 1-year increase

2021 Median Household Income

$50,581

3.23% 1-year growth

2021 Median Property Value

$258,300

8.08% 1-year growth

About

In 2021, New Bedford, MA had a population of 100k people with a median age of 36.5 and a median household income of $50,581. Between 2020 and 2021 the population of New Bedford, MA grew from 95,355 to 100,309, a 5.2% increase and its median household income grew from $48,999 to $50,581, a 3.23% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in New Bedford, MA are White (Non-Hispanic) (58%), Other (Hispanic) (13.6%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (6.48%), Two+ (Hispanic) (6.03%), and Other (Non-Hispanic) (5.46%).

None of the households in New Bedford, MA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

90.6% of the residents in New Bedford, MA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in New Bedford, MA are Rob Roy Academy-New Bedford (5 degrees awarded in 2021).

In 2021, the median property value in New Bedford, MA was $258,300, and the homeownership rate was 39.1%.

Most people in New Bedford, MA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.7 minutes. The average car ownership in New Bedford, MA was 2 cars per household.

Photo by Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism

United States Massachusetts Bristol County, MA Providence-Warwick, RI-MA Bristol (Outside New Bedford City) & Plymouth (South) Counties PUMA, MA New Bedford City & Fairhaven Town PUMA, MA

Population & Diversity

New Bedford, MA is home to a population of 100k people, from which 90.6% are citizens. As of 2021, 20.9% of New Bedford, MA residents were born outside of the country (21k people).

In 2021, there were 4.25 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (58.2k people) in New Bedford, MA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 13.7k Other (Hispanic) and 6.5k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Citizenship

90.6%

2021 Citizenship

91.6%

2020 Citizenship

As of 2021, 90.6% of New Bedford, MA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2020, the percentage of US citizens in New Bedford, MA was 91.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in New Bedford, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in New Bedford, MA

White (Non-Hispanic)
58.2k ± 1.57k
Other (Hispanic)
13.7k ± 1.37k
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
6.5k ± 1.07k

23.1%

Hispanic Population

23.2k people

23.1% of the people in New Bedford, MA are hispanic (23.2k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in New Bedford, MA as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

20.9%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

21k people

20%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

19.1k people

As of 2021, 20.9% of New Bedford, MA residents (21k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%. In 2020, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in New Bedford, MA was 20%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in New Bedford, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,170 ± 246
Gulf War (2001-)
567 ± 175
Korea
341 ± 103

New Bedford, MA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.06 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of New Bedford, MA employs 46.4k people. The largest industries in New Bedford, MA are Health Care & Social Assistance (9,395 people), Retail Trade (6,253 people), and Manufacturing (4,796 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($80,804), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($62,500), and Information ($61,875).

Employment

Occupations

46.4k

2021 Value

± 1,623

5.49%

1 Year growth

± 4.73%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in New Bedford, MA grew at a rate of 5.49%, from 44k employees to 46.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in New Bedford, MA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,817 people), Sales & Related Occupations (4,638 people), and Production Occupations (3,760 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of New Bedford, MA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Massachusetts (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

46.4k

2021 Value

± 1,623

5.49%

1 Year growth

± 4.73%

From 2020 to 2021, employment in New Bedford, MA grew at a rate of 5.49%, from 44k employees to 46.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in New Bedford, MA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (9,395 people), Retail Trade (6,253 people), and Manufacturing (4,796 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of New Bedford, MA, though some of these residents may live in New Bedford, MA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$42,439

Median earning men ± $2,017

$32,343

Median earning women ± $1,817

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2021 are Public Administration ($79,732), Information ($67,917), and Manufacturing ($55,838).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2021 are Information ($60,074), Construction ($48,607), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,385).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

Y-Axis

2.75%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 155M people employed in Massachusetts. This represents a 2.75% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Massachusetts.

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Massachusetts to other states, or from other states to Massachusetts.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Massachusetts product (by dollars) was Pharmaceuticals with $37.1B, followed by Mixed freight ($29.7B) and Electronics ($28.8B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Massachusetts products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Massachusetts.

$296B

2020 Value in Massachusetts

$627B

Projected 2050 Value in Massachusetts

112% growth

In 2020, total outbound Massachusetts trade was $296B. This is expected to increase 112% to $627B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Massachusetts trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Massachusetts to other states, or from other states to Massachusetts.

Most Common Trade Partners

New York
$28.8B
New Hampshire
$20.3B
Connecticut
$14.2B

In 2020, the top outbound Massachusetts domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was New York with $28.8B, followed by New Hampshire with $20.3B and Connecticut and $14.2B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Massachusetts shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Massachusetts went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 65.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (31.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.29%).

Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey are the senators currently representing the state of Massachusetts. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Massachusetts is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for New Bedford, MA. Showing the available data for Massachusetts.

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (65.1%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (31.9%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.29%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Massachusetts went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 65.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (31.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.29%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Massachusetts for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Massachusetts

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

Elizabeth Warren

Senator from Massachusetts

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Ed Markey

Senator from Massachusetts

Assumed office on July 16, 2013
Elected to the seat to succeed Mo Cowan, who had been appointed to the seat following the resignation of John Kerry, who had become Secretary of State.

Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey are the senators currently representing Massachusetts.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Massachusetts over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Massachusetts

Massachusetts is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Massachusetts have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2021, universities in New Bedford, MA awarded 5 degrees. The student population of New Bedford, MA in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 1 male students and 12 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in New Bedford, MA are White (4 and 80%), followed by Black or African American (1 and 20%), Asian (0 and 0%), and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders (0 and 0%).

The largest universities in New Bedford, MA by number of degrees awarded are Rob Roy Academy-New Bedford (5 and 100%).

The most popular majors in New Bedford, MA are General Cosmetology (5 and 100%).

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

Measure

In 2021, 1.06% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.14% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2021 were High School or Equivalent (1.35M), Bachelors Degree (1.33M), and Some college (1.01M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in New Bedford, MA was $258,300 in 2021, which is 1.05 times larger than the national average of $244,900. Between 2020 and 2021 the median property value increased from $239,000 to $258,300, a 8.08% increase. The homeownership rate in New Bedford, MA is 39.1%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.6%.

People in New Bedford, MA have an average commute time of 25.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in New Bedford, MA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in New Bedford, MA is $50,581. In 2021, the place with the highest median household income in New Bedford, MA was Census Tract 6502.01 with a value of $107,667, followed by Census Tract 6510.02 and Census Tract 6502.02, with respective values of $87,188 and $75,500.

Property

$258,300

Median Property Value 2021

±$4,752

$16,174

Median Property Taxes

±$871

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In New Bedford, MA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in New Bedford, MA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

39.1%

Homeownership

2021

58.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2021

In 2021, 39.1% of the housing units in New Bedford, MA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 39.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in New Bedford, MA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 6502.01
Census Tract 6510.02
Census Tract 6502.02

In 2021, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in New Bedford, MA was Census Tract 6502.01 with a value of $107,667, followed by Census Tract 6510.02 and Census Tract 6502.02, with respective values of $87,188 and $75,500.

The following map shows all of the places in New Bedford, MA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$50,581

Median Household Income

± $1,836

41.4k

Number of Households

± 1,489

In 2021, the median household income of the 41.4k households in New Bedford, MA grew to $50,581 from the previous year's value of $48,999.

The following chart displays the households in New Bedford, MA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for New Bedford, MA is from Massachusetts.

0.48

2021 Wage GINI in Massachusetts

0.48

2020 Wage GINI in Massachusetts

In 2021, the income inequality in Massachusetts was 0.48 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0427% decline from 2020 to 2021, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Massachusetts was higher than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Massachusetts in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Massachusetts across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2021

Drove Alone (73.8%)
Carpooled (14.2%)
Walked (3.73%)

In 2021, 73.8% of workers in New Bedford, MA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14.2%) and those who walked to work (3.73%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in New Bedford, MA have a shorter commute time (25.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.8 minutes). Additionally, 3.11% of the workforce in New Bedford, MA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in New Bedford, MA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in New Bedford, MA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in New Bedford, MA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

18.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in New Bedford, MA (18.5k out of 98.9k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.6%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in New Bedford, MA is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94.8% of the population of New Bedford, MA has health coverage, with 33.1% on employee plans, 41.4% on Medicaid, 9.4% on Medicare, 9.96% on non-group plans, and 0.942% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Bristol County, MA see 1910 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.898% increase from the previous year (1893 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1428 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 188 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Bristol County, MA.

1,910 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Bristol County, MA

Primary care physicians in Bristol County, MA see an average of 1,910 patients per year. This represents a 0.898% increase from the previous year (1,893 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Bristol County, MA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2021, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.9% under 18 years, 23.6% between 18 and 34 years, 36.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.19%

Uninsured

33.1%

Employer Coverage

41.4%

Medicaid

9.4%

Medicare

9.96%

Non-Group

0.942%

Military or VA

Between 2020 and 2021, the percent of uninsured citizens in New Bedford, MA grew by 5.82% from 4.91% to 5.19%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in New Bedford, MA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.