Chelsea, MA

Census Place

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2023 Population

39,460

1.08% 1-year decline

US Senator

Elizabeth Warren

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ed Markey

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

34.5

0% 1-year change

2023 Poverty Rate

20.6%

3.71% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$72,220

1.65% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$476,500

5.75% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

18,809

4.94% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Chelsea, MA had a population of 39.5k people with a median age of 34.5 and a median household income of $72,220. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Chelsea, MA declined from 39,890 to 39,460, a −1.08% decrease and its median household income grew from $71,051 to $72,220, a 1.65% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Chelsea, MA are Two+ (Hispanic) (45.3%), White (Non-Hispanic) (19.5%), Other (Hispanic) (10.9%), White (Hispanic) (7.38%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (6.22%).

None of the households in Chelsea, 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.

69.9% of the residents in Chelsea, MA are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Chelsea, MA was $476,500, and the homeownership rate was 29.2%.

Most people in Chelsea, MA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 33.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Chelsea, MA was 1 car per household.

United States Massachusetts Suffolk County, MA Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Middlesex County (East)--Somerville & Everett PUMA, MA Boston City--Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Charlestown, East Boston, Central & South End PUMA, MA Suffolk County (North)--Revere, Chelsea & Winthrop PUMA, MA

Population & Diversity

Chelsea, MA is home to a population of 39.5k people, from which 69.9% are citizens. As of 2023, 45% of Chelsea, MA residents were born outside of the country (17.8k people).

In 2023, there were 2.32 times more Two+ (Hispanic) residents (17.9k people) in Chelsea, MA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 7.71k White (Non-Hispanic) and 4.28k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

69.9%

2023 Citizenship

68.4%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 69.9% of Chelsea, MA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Chelsea, MA was 68.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Chelsea, MA

Two+ (Hispanic)
17.9k ± 2.3k
White (Non-Hispanic)
7.71k ± 850
Other (Hispanic)
4.28k ± 790

65%

Hispanic Population

25.6k people

65% of the people in Chelsea, MA are hispanic (25.6k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Massachusetts.

Most Common Origin

China
102,973 ± 7,820 people
Dominican Republic
99,956 ± 7,706 people
Brazil
93,519 ± 7,457 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Massachusetts was China, the natal country of 102,973 Massachusetts residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 99,956 and Brazil with 93,519.

Foreign-Born Population

45%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

17.8k people

46.9%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

18.7k people

As of 2023, 45% of Chelsea, MA residents (17.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Chelsea, MA was 46.9%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
241 ± 206
Gulf War (2001-)
146 ± 96
Gulf War (1990s)
53 ± 60

Chelsea, MA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.65 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Chelsea, MA employs 18.8k people. The largest industries in Chelsea, MA are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,644 people), Construction (2,349 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (2,059 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance ($104,803), Management of Companies & Enterprises ($88,500), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($83,571).

Males in Massachusetts have an average income that is 1.31 times higher than the average income of females, which is $81,902. The income inequality in Massachusetts (measured using the Gini index) is 0.48, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

18.8k

2023 Value

± 1,224

−4.94%

1 Year decline

± 9.49%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Chelsea, MA declined at a rate of −4.94%, from 19.8k employees to 18.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Chelsea, MA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,303 people), Construction & Extraction Occupations (2,062 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,890 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Chelsea, 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

18.8k

2023 Value

± 1,224

−4.94%

1 Year decline

± 9.49%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Chelsea, MA declined at a rate of −4.94%, from 19.8k employees to 18.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Chelsea, MA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (2,644 people), Construction (2,349 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (2,059 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Chelsea, MA, though some of these residents may live in Chelsea, MA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,761

Median earning men ± $3,129

$40,656

Median earning women ± $4,466

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($80,676), Public Administration ($71,575), and Manufacturing ($59,387).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($97,857), Public Administration ($96,250), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($80,132).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

2.61%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.67M people employed in Massachusetts. This represents a 2.61% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 17.5%.

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Massachusetts went to Kamala Harris with 61.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (36%), followed by Other (1.48%).

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 Chelsea, MA. Showing the available data for Massachusetts.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (61.2%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (36%)
Republican Party
Other (1.48%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Massachusetts went to Kamala Harris with 61.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (36%), followed by Other (1.48%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Massachusetts for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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

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 2022, 1.17% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.24% 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 2022 were Bachelors Degree (1.35M), High School or Equivalent (1.34M), and Graduate Degree (1.03M).

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 Chelsea, MA was $476,500 in 2023, which is 1.57 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $450,600 to $476,500, a 5.75% increase. The homeownership rate in Chelsea, MA is 29.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Chelsea, MA have an average commute time of 33.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Chelsea, MA is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Median household income in Chelsea, MA is $72,220. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Chelsea, MA was Census Tract 1606.01 with a value of $108,605, followed by Census Tract 1606.02 and Census Tract 1603, with respective values of $75,985 and $75,417.

Housing

Property

$476,500

Median Property Value 2023

±$14,076

$3,949

Median Property Taxes

±$458

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 Chelsea, MA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

29.2%

Homeownership

2023

65.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 29.2% of the housing units in Chelsea, MA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 27.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Chelsea, 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 1606.01
Census Tract 1606.02
Census Tract 1603

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Chelsea, MA was Census Tract 1606.01 with a value of $108,605, followed by Census Tract 1606.02 and Census Tract 1603, with respective values of $75,985 and $75,417.

The following map shows all of the places in Chelsea, 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.

$72,220

Median Household Income

± $5,520

13.5k

Number of Households

± 969

In 2023, the median household income of the 13.5k households in Chelsea, MA grew to $72,220 from the previous year's value of $71,051.

The following chart displays the households in Chelsea, 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 Chelsea, MA is from Massachusetts.

0.48

2022 Wage GINI in Massachusetts

0.48

2021 Wage GINI in Massachusetts

In 2022, the income inequality in Massachusetts was 0.48 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.047% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less 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 2023

Drove Alone (46.4%)
Public Transit (20.3%)
Carpooled (15.2%)

In 2023, 46.4% of workers in Chelsea, MA drove alone to work, followed by those who used public transit to get to work (20.3%) and those who carpooled to work (15.2%).

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

33.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Chelsea, MA have a longer commute time (33.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 4.4% of the workforce in Chelsea, MA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Chelsea, MA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Chelsea, MA have 1 car.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

20.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Chelsea, MA (7.96k out of 38.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 25 - 34, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Chelsea, MA is Hispanic, followed by Two Or More and White.

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

96% of the population of Chelsea, MA has health coverage, with 30.1% on employee plans, 52.4% on Medicaid, 4.66% on Medicare, 8.26% on non-group plans, and 0.607% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Suffolk County, MA see 667 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.93% increase from the previous year (648 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 424 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 99 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

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

667 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Suffolk County, MA

Primary care physicians in Suffolk County, MA see an average of 667 patients per year. This represents a 2.93% increase from the previous year (648 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.2% under 18 years, 25.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38% between 35 and 64 years, and 10.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.9% were men and 50.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

Uninsured

30.1%

Employer Coverage

52.4%

Medicaid

4.66%

Medicare

8.26%

Non-Group

0.607%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Chelsea, MA declined by 20.3% from 5.02% to 4%.

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

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