Wellesley, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wellesley, 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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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Wellesley | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,372 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2884.3 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.59% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.9 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,176 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wellesley grew by 11.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 30,372 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wellesley is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 29.1% of residents. That is 7.6 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,850 29.1% +7.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,984 13.1% -8.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,606 21.7% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,653 15.3% -2.0 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 56.7% of the people living in Wellesley and men 43.3%.
- Women 56.7% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 43.3% Massachusetts 48.8%
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Economy
Wellesley has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Wellesley | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $208,894 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.34% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wellesley is about 100% higher than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Wellesley | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $541,322 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,884 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.4% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wellesley is about 15.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,884 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wellesley spend about 52 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 215 hours, about 9.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wellesley | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.8 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 51.6 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 215 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,665 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 32.0% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 26,001 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,635 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Wellesley 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
Wellesley has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Wellesley | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 67.5% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.76 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Wellesley has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Wellesley | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 85.6 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 6.9% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 7.5% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Wellesley, MA Compared With Nearby Cities
Wellesley, MA is the smallest of the 4 cities compared here, 30,372 residents against a local median of 64,842. Where Wellesley, MA breaks from the cities next to it is median home price, sitting 15% below the local median of $637,278 at $541,322.
The cities themselves spread $1,033,463 on median home price, so Wellesley, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wellesley, MA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellesley, MA | 30,372 | $208,894 #1/4 | $541,322 #3/4 | 25.8 min #3/4 |
| Needham, MA | 32,445 | $202,463 | $58,562 | 27.6 min |
| Newton, MA | 88,909 | $190,683 | $1,092,024 | 25.1 min |
| Waltham, MA | 64,842 | $118,718 | $637,278 | 22.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wellesley, Massachusetts.
How big is Wellesley, Massachusetts by population?
About 30,372 people live in Wellesley, Massachusetts, in 9,176 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 37.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Wellesley, Massachusetts?
Averaged over its land area, Wellesley, Massachusetts has 2,884 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 33 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Wellesley, Massachusetts an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($541,322 against $208,894), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $2,884 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Wellesley, Massachusetts?
67.5% of adults in Wellesley, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 7 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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