Chelsea, Massachusetts Income Statistics
Chelsea Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of an area's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Chelsea Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Chelsea | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $72,289 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $51,454 | $80,230 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.9% | 4.9% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 8.3% | 20.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 8.3% | 22.3% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Chelsea is about 31% lower than in Massachusetts. Income has been growing slower in Chelsea (4.9%/yr) than in Massachusetts (4.9%/yr).
About 8% of adults in Chelsea earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Massachusetts average of 21%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Chelsea, Massachusetts grew by 85.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $72,289 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.9% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Chelsea
| Metric | Chelsea | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.553 | 0.531 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $56,109 | $90,842 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $52,868 | $75,629 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 5.8% | 16.7% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Chelsea, it is 0.553, higher than Massachusetts's 0.531, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and about the same as the US's 0.552, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there.
Men's income is about 6% more than women's income in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Over a 35-year career, a 6% wage gap accumulates to roughly $113,435 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Chelsea, Massachusetts has widened from about 5% to 6% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 9% in 2010, and in 2013 women out-earned men by 9%. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,549 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Chelsea widened by 0.9 points while Massachusetts's narrowed by 5.5 points.
Employment
| Metric | Chelsea | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 9.2% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 10.4% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 30 | 25 | 22 |
Approximately 1,960 people are unemployed in Chelsea, Massachusetts.
The average commute time in Chelsea is 30 minutes, longer than the 25 minutes in Massachusetts.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Chelsea, Massachusetts has fallen from 11.4% to 9.2% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 11.6% in 2012 and fell as low as 4.7% in 2019.
Chelsea, MA Wealth Compared With Nearby Cities
Chelsea, MA is the 5th largest of the 6 cities compared here, 39,880 residents against a local median of 60,022. Chelsea, MA's unemployment, at 9.2%, runs 67% above the 5.5% typical of the cities around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $72,289 against a local median of $97,421, 26% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Chelsea, MA reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The cities themselves spread 3.2% on unemployment, so Chelsea, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Chelsea, MA has the 6th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea, MA | 39,880 | $72,289 #6/6 | 4.9%/yr #6/6 | 9.2% #6/6 | 0.553 #6/6 |
| Everett, MA | 49,993 | $85,158 | 6.0%/yr | 5.5% | 0.533 |
| Malden, MA | 66,048 | $100,648 | 6.7%/yr | 5.4% | 0.524 |
| Revere, MA | 60,022 | $87,346 | 6.7%/yr | 7.0% | 0.534 |
| Melrose, MA | 29,648 | $133,280 | 5.4%/yr | 3.7% | 0.480 |
| Boston, MA | 660,627 | $97,421 | 6.5%/yr | 6.1% | 0.550 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Chelsea, Massachusetts has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Massachusetts, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Chelsea, Massachusetts.
How Rich Is Chelsea, Massachusetts?
Chelsea has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $72,289, about 31% lower than the Massachusetts average of $104,336.
How fast is household income rising in Chelsea, Massachusetts?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Chelsea, Massachusetts rose 86%, from $38,881 to $72,289. Over the same years, income here outpaced Massachusetts as a whole: +86% against +61%.
What was the median household income in Chelsea in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Chelsea, Massachusetts was $70,949, about the same as in 2022. The Massachusetts median that year was $101,513.
What was the median household income in Chelsea in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Chelsea, Massachusetts was $60,473. By 2024 it had risen 20% to $72,289.
How strong is the job market in Chelsea, Massachusetts?
Unemployment in Chelsea, Massachusetts is 9.2%, well above the Massachusetts rate of 5.1%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Chelsea, Massachusetts?
The Gini coefficient in Chelsea is 0.553. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is almost the same as the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed about as equally as in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Chelsea, Massachusetts?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Chelsea, Massachusetts has widened from about 5% to 6% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 9% in 2010, and in 2013 women out-earned men by 9%. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,549 since 2009.
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