New Bedford, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
New Bedford, 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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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | New Bedford | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 100,440 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4162.1 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.78% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.3 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 42,272 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in New Bedford grew by 10.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 100,440 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in New Bedford is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.1% of residents. That is 0.6 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 22,230 22.1% +0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 22,037 21.9% on par
- Gen X 45–60 19,629 19.5% -1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 15,297 15.2% -2.1 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 49.8% of the people living in New Bedford and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 50.2% Massachusetts 48.8%
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100% of everyone living in New Bedford
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Economy
New Bedford has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | New Bedford | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,090 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.17% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in New Bedford is about 45% lower than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | New Bedford | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $241,780 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,137 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 40.3% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in New Bedford is about 17.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,137 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in New Bedford spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | New Bedford | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.7 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.3 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 156 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,822 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,424 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,502 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in New Bedford is 19 minutes, shorter 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
New Bedford has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | New Bedford | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.7% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
New Bedford has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | New Bedford | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.0% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.2% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about New Bedford, Massachusetts.
How many people live in New Bedford, Massachusetts?
About 100,440 people live in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 42,272 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.3, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is New Bedford, Massachusetts mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, New Bedford, Massachusetts has 4,162 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 48 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is New Bedford, Massachusetts an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.2 times the median household income ($241,780 against $57,090), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,137 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in New Bedford, Massachusetts?
Unemployment in New Bedford, Massachusetts is 8.3%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in New Bedford, Massachusetts?
15.7% of adults in New Bedford, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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