Demographics · MA
New Bedford, MA demographics: 100,998 residents, with a median age of 37.0 years, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year estimates).
100,998people are estimated in New Bedford, at a median age of 37.0 years (American Community Survey 2020–2024 period estimate)
Median age 37.0 years — younger than the U.S. median of 38.9.
ACS 2020–2024 5-year · ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)
In New Bedford, the largest race group is White (56.1%); 25.8% of residents are Hispanic or Latino (of any race); 20.4% were born outside the United States.
ACS 2020–2024 · B01001 / B01002
The estimated median age in New Bedford is 37.0 years (±0.8), compared with the U.S. estimate of 38.9 ± 0.1 years. These are descriptive comparisons, not significance tests. The population is 50.8% ± 0.9 percentage points male and 49.2% ± 0.9 percentage points female. The largest age band is 5 to 17 at 17.1%.
| Age band | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6,866 | 6.8% ± 0.6 percentage points | ±576 |
| 5 to 17 | 17,227 | 17.1% ± 1.1 percentage points | ±1,079 |
| 18 to 24 | 9,248 | 9.2% ± 0.7 percentage points | ±706 |
| 25 to 34 | 14,071 | 13.9% ± 0.8 percentage points | ±841 |
| 35 to 44 | 14,180 | 14.0% ± 1.0 percentage points | ±987 |
| 45 to 54 | 12,427 | 12.3% ± 0.8 percentage points | ±775 |
| 55 to 64 | 11,467 | 11.4% ± 0.8 percentage points | ±786 |
| 65 to 74 | 9,300 | 9.2% ± 0.7 percentage points | ±733 |
| 75 and over | 6,212 | 6.2% ± 0.6 percentage points | ±558 |
Median age by sex: 35.4 (male) · 38.4 (female).
Shares may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B01001 sex by age, B01002 median age) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B02001 / B03003
The largest race group in New Bedford is White at 56.1% of the population. Separately, 25.8% of residents are Hispanic or Latino of any race.Race and Hispanic origin are two different questions on the census form, so their shares are reported separately and are not additive.
| Race (alone, or two or more) | People | Share | ± margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| White alone | 56,610 | 56.1% ± 1.9 percentage points | ±1,919 |
| Black or African American alone | 5,357 | 5.3% ± 1.0 percentage points | ±1,043 |
| American Indian & Alaska Native alone | 694 | 0.7% ± 0.3 percentage points | ±323 |
| Asian alone | 1,271 | 1.3% ± 0.4 percentage points | ±408 |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander alone | 86 | 0.1% ± 0.1 percentage points | ±95 · low precision |
| Some other race alone | 17,819 | 17.6% ± 1.9 percentage points | ±1,911 |
| Two or more races | 19,161 | 19.0% ± 1.6 percentage points | ±1,617 |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 26,070 | 25.8% ± 1.7 percentage points | ±1,685 |
Race shares may not sum to 100% due to rounding; race and Hispanic origin are separate questions and are not additive. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B02001 race, B03003 Hispanic or Latino origin) · place-grain · margins of error at the 90% confidence level · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B11001 / B25010
New Bedford has 42,271 households. 57.0% are family households and 36.5% are people living alone. The average household holds 2.35 people.
Total households
42,271
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B11001
Avg household size
2.35
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr · B25010 · ±0.05
Family households
57.0% ± 1.1 percentage points
Share of all households · B11001
Living alone
36.5% ± 2.1 percentage points
Share of all households · B11001
| Household type | Households | ± margin |
|---|---|---|
| Total households | 42,271 | ±859 |
| Family households | 24,080 | ±670 |
| Nonfamily households | 18,191 | ±1,006 |
| Householder living alone | 15,425 | ±929 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B11001 household type, B25010 average household size) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B05002 / C16001
20.4% of New Bedford residents were born outside the United States. 62.3% of residents age 5 and over speak only English at home. The most-spoken non-English language at home is Spanish (17.2%).
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-born share | 20.4% ± 1.6 percentage points | 20,618 people · B05002 |
| Speak only English at home (age 5+) | 62.3% ± 2.0 percentage points | C16001 |
| Top non-English language at home | 17.2% ± 1.5 percentage points | Spanish · 16,207 speakers · C16001 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B05002 place of birth, C16001 language spoken at home) · place-grain · methodology →
ACS 2020–2024 · B15003
17.0% ± 1.2 percentage points of adults age 25 and over in New Bedford hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The U.S. estimate is 35.7%.
| Measure | Value | Source / grain |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.0% | B15003 lines 22–25 over line 1 · place-grain |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2020–2024 (B15003 educational attainment, population 25+) · place-grain · methodology →
Sources · provenance
The GEOID for New Bedford is 2545000. Every figure on this page is a place-grain American Community Survey 5-Year 2020–2024 estimate (ACS 5-Year Estimates 2020-2024 (released 2026-01-29)) shown with its margin of error. Full per-dataset detail: /sources/.