Lowell, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lowell, 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 | Lowell | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 118,320 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8143.7 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.91% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.0 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 43,171 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lowell grew by 14.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 118,320 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lowell is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.8% of residents. That is 3.2 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 29,290 24.8% +3.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 28,601 24.2% +2.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 22,480 19.0% -2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 15,844 13.4% -3.9 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 50.6% of the people living in Lowell and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 49.4% Massachusetts 48.8%
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Economy
Lowell has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lowell | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,628 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.63% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lowell is about 25% lower than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Lowell | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $510,000 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,625 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 43.2% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lowell is about 26.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,625 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lowell spend about 53 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 219 hours, about 9.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lowell | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.3 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 52.7 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 219 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,802 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.6% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 24,217 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,776 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Lowell is about the same as 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
Lowell has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lowell | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.9% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.61 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Lowell has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lowell | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.5 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.5% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.3% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Lowell, MA Compared With Nearby Cities
Lowell, MA is the largest of the 4 cities compared here, 118,320 residents against a local median of 53,422. Lowell, MA's median household income, at $78,628, runs 30% below the $111,921 typical of the cities around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 26.3 min against a local median of 22.8 min, 15% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Lowell, MA reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The cities themselves spread $105,735 on median household income, so Lowell, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lowell, MA has the 3rd highest median household income of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell, MA | 118,320 | $78,628 #3/4 | $510,000 #3/4 | 26.3 min #4/4 |
| Methuen, MA | 53,422 | $111,921 | $547,619 | 22.8 min |
| Lawrence, MA | 88,771 | $60,489 | $766,304 | 20.1 min |
| Wilmington, MA | 23,238 | $166,224 | $55,000 | 26.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lowell, Massachusetts.
What is the population of Lowell, Massachusetts?
About 118,320 people live in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 43,171 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 36.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Lowell, Massachusetts urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lowell, Massachusetts has 8,144 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 94 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Lowell, Massachusetts an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 6.5 times the median household income ($510,000 against $78,628), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,625 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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