Bolton, MA

Town in MA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

5,737

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

41.2

years ∙ half population younger than 41.2, half older

Diversity Index

32.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

12.3%

foreign-born population

87.7%Native

12.3% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Bolton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States.

Location

Town in MA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC42.439933° N, 71.601885° W

DMS42° 26′ 23.76″ N, 71° 36′ 06.79″ W

Population Density & area

288.3/sq mi (111/km²)

Total Area

20 sq mi (52 km²)

Land Area

19.9 sq mi (51.7 km²) · 99.33%

Water Area

0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²) · 0.67%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.3% male

Male 49.3%

Female 50.7%

males per 100 females

Bolton 97.3

Massachusetts 95.6

United States 98

Nativity

12.3%

foreign-born population

87.7%Native

12.3% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Bolton 12.3%

Massachusetts 18%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

41.2

years ∙ half population younger than 41.2, half older

Bolton

41.2

Massachusetts

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

68.7

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Bolton 68.7

Massachusetts 59.3

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Bolton	Massachusetts	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	25%	19.4%	22%
Working age (18-64)	59.3%	62.7%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	15.7%	17.9%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	68.7	59.3	64.4
Child dependency ratio	42.3	30.9	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	26.4	28.5	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

81.5%

Black

Asian

5.6%

Hispanic

5.6%

Other

7.3%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

32.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Bolton 32.7%

Massachusetts 52.7%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Bolton population

	Bolton	Massachusetts	United States
Hispanic or Latino	5.6%	13.3%	19.3%
Mexican	0.2%	0.8%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.5%	4.6%	1.8%
Cuban	3.1%	0.2%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.7%	7.7%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	94.4%	86.7%	80.7%
One race	90.1%	81.6%	76.4%
White	81.5%	66.6%	57.4%
Black or African American	0%	6.4%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.4%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	5.6%	7.3%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	2.6%	1.2%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	4.3%	5.1%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

86.7% family

Family 86.7%

Non family 13.3%

% family households

Bolton 86.7%

Massachusetts 62.4%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.9

persons per household

Bolton

2.9

Massachusetts

2.44

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Bolton population

	Bolton	Massachusetts	United States
Total households	1,976	2,785,042	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.9	2.44	2.53
Family households	1,714	1,737,385	82,990,528
Average family size	3.12	3.04	3.14
Married couple family	1,640	1,277,065	60,637,388
Other families	74	460,320	22,353,140
Male householder	36	130,288	6,572,819
Female householder	38	330,032	15,780,321
Non-family households	262	1,047,657	46,236,968
One-person households	186	800,741	37,140,836
Male householder	51	340,400	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	20	114,936	5,225,110
Female householder	135	460,341	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	122	237,454	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	76	246,916	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

2,084

housing units

Bolton 2,084

Massachusetts 3,030,406

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

94.8% occupied

Occupied 94.8%

Vacant 5.2%

vacancy rate

Bolton 5.2%

Massachusetts 8.1%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

94.8%

Single family houses

94.8%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

5.2%

Mobile homes

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1989

Half of houses were built before 1989, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

12.1%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

12.8%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

46.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

28.9%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Bolton	Massachusetts	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	8.3	5.5	5.5
1–3 rooms	4.4%	17%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	11.3%	49.5%	51.6%
7+ rooms	84.4%	33.4%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0.5%	3%	2.9%
1 bedroom	4.2%	13.7%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	9.1%	27.7%	25%
3 bedrooms	31.1%	34.3%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	55%	21.3%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1989	1964	1981
Total housing units	2,084	3,030,406	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

94.7% owners

Renter-occupied 5.3%

Owner-occupied 94.7%

homeownership rate

Bolton 94.7%

Massachusetts 62.5%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.97

Owner-occupied

1.62

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Bolton 2.97

Massachusetts 2.62

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Bolton	Massachusetts	United States
Total occupied units	1,976	2,785,042	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	13.4%	22.5%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	45.5%	38.6%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	16.8%	16.1%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	24.4%	22.9%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99%	97.7%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.5%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.6%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	0.9%	11.7%	8.4%
1 vehicle	12.6%	36.1%	33.1%
2 vehicles	53.9%	35.7%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	32.5%	16.5%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	17.7%	56.1%	51.4%
Electricity	14.3%	18.6%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.2%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	65%	22.4%	3.9%
All other fuels	2.9%	1.9%	2%
No fuel used	0%	0.7%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.5%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.5%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0%	0.7%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$796,000

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Bolton

$796,000

Massachusetts

$562,100

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

24%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

24%

Owners without a mortgage

6.1%

Renters

12.7%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Bolton	Massachusetts	United States
Property value
Median Value	$796,000	$562,100	$332,700
Under $100,000	1.6%	2.9%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	1.3%	3.1%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	2.5%	8.5%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	2.9%	28.7%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	69.9%	43.2%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	21.8%	13.7%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	72.1%	66.4%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	27.9%	33.6%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$3,786	$2,726	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$1,487	$1,043	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,583	$1,762	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

81.9%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Bolton 81.9%

Massachusetts 47.3%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

0.1%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Bolton 0.1%

Massachusetts 8.6%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

1,412

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

11%

K–12

74.4%

College / Undergraduate

12.5%

Graduate / Professional

2.1%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

44.3%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Bolton

44.3%

Massachusetts

50.5%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Bolton	Massachusetts	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	1,412	1,677,525	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	11%	6%	5.7%
K–12	74.4%	60.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	5.7%	4.4%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	24.2%	17.3%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	25.6%	18.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	18.9%	20.4%	21.7%
College or graduate school	14.5%	33.2%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	12.5%	24.3%	21%
Graduate, professional school	2.1%	8.9%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	44.3%	50.5%	40.9%
School type
Public school	78.8%	71.9%	82%
Private school	21.2%	28.1%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

3,986

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9th-12th, no diploma

0.1%

HS graduate

7.7%

Some college no degree

7.4%

Associates degree

Bachelors degree

40.4%

Graduate or professional degree

41.5%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

* The Census Bureau did not publish education attainment by gender data for Bolton due to an insufficient sample size to produce reliable estimates.

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

—% · —%

9th-12th, no diploma

0% · 100%

HS graduate

48.9% · 51.1%

Some college no degree

61.4% · 38.6%

Associates degree

16% · 84%

Bachelors degree

46.1% · 53.9%

Graduate or professional degree

53.1% · 46.9%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Bolton	Massachusetts	United States
Population (25+)	3,986	4,987,302	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	0%	4.3%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	0.1%	4.3%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	7.7%	22.6%	26%
Some college, no degree	7.4%	14.1%	19.1%
Associate's degree	3%	7.5%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	81.9%	47.3%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	40.4%	25.5%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	41.5%	21.8%	14.1%
High School or higher	99.9%	91.4%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$114,900

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$55,982

Some college or associates

$79,615

Bachelors degree

$122,516

Graduate or professional degree

$119,038

Poverty Rate

2.2%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

HS graduate

25.4%

Some college or associates

2.4%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.2%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Bolton	Massachusetts	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$114,900	$66,782	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$—	$36,200	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$55,982	$46,175	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$79,615	$52,923	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$122,516	$81,726	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$119,038	$102,561	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	0%	25.1%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	25.4%	12.9%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	2.4%	9.3%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.2%	4.1%	4.5%

Insights for Bolton, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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