Gardner, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Gardner, MA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Gardner | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,137 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 918.5 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.49% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.1 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,933 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Gardner grew by 0.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 21,137 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Gardner is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.0% of residents. That is about the same share as Massachusetts.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,004 18.9% -2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,655 22.0% on par
- Gen X 45–60 4,601 21.8% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,839 18.2% +0.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Massachusetts, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 48.8% of the people living in Gardner and men 51.2%.
- Women 48.8% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 51.2% Massachusetts 48.8%
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Economy
Gardner has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Gardner | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,977 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.49% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Gardner is about 36% lower than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Gardner | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $53,103 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,108 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.9% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Gardner is about 4.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,108 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Gardner spend about 55 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 228 hours, about 9.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Gardner | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.3 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 54.7 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 228 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,059 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.3% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,718 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 985 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Gardner is 27 minutes, longer than the 26 minutes in Massachusetts.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Gardner has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Gardner | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.6% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.23 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Gardner has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Gardner | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.3 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.5% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.0% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Gardner, MA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Gardner, MA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner, MA | 21,137 | $66,977 #2/2 | $53,103 #2/2 | 27.3 min #2/2 |
| Fitchburg, MA | 41,780 | $72,652 | $289,769 | 21.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Gardner, Massachusetts.
How many people live in Gardner, Massachusetts?
About 21,137 people live in Gardner, Massachusetts, in 8,933 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 41.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Gardner, Massachusetts mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Gardner, Massachusetts has 918 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 11 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Gardner, Massachusetts?
The median home costs 0.8 times the median household income ($53,103 against $66,977), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,108 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Gardner, Massachusetts?
Unemployment in Gardner, Massachusetts is 7.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Gardner, Massachusetts?
18.6% of adults in Gardner, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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