Town · Massachusetts
Boxford, Massachusetts
Boxford, town, in Essex County, Massachusetts. Boxford had 8,520 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 8,203 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 8,208 (±17). GEOID 2500907420.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
8,520
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 8,203 · ACS 2020-2024: 8,208 ±17
Median household income
$200,871
±$21,211 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $103,960
Median home value
$907,000
±$46,463 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $562,100
Median gross rent
$776
±$13 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $1,762
Where is Boxford and what county is it in?
Boxford is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts. It covers 23.6 square miles of land, 348 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Boxford: Boxford (CDP, 2,432 in 2020).
Boxford is in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 7 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Boxford is the same area as Census Tract 2131 of Essex County: the tract's figures are Boxford's own.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Boxford, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 8,520 people lived in Boxford on July 1, 2025, up 3.9% since 2020, faster than Massachusetts (+1.7%). The 2020 Census counted 8,203 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 8,208 (±17).
| Measure | Boxford | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 8,208±17 | 813,054 | −74 |
| Households | 2,762±144 | 313,147 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.97±0.16 | 2.54 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,889±145 | 329,776 | no clear change |
Boxford's population since 2000
From 7,921 in 2000 to 8,520 in 2025: up 7.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Boxford as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Boxford?
The median resident of Boxford is 49.1 years old; 23.7% are under 18 and 21.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 5.0%. 6.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Boxford | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.1±3.6 | 41.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.7%±3.2 pts | 20.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 21.2%±3.5 pts | 18.5% | – |
| Male | 53.0%±3.6 pts | 48.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.6%±1.4 pts | 24.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.4%±4.1 pts | 64.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.5 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.1%±0.8 pts | 3.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.0%±3.4 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6%±1.0 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.7%±2.8 pts | 19.1% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.9%±4.0 pts | 28.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.7%±2.6 pts | 4.3% | – |
| With a disability | 10.7%±4.0 pts | 12.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 0.3%±0.4 pts | 2.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.2%±1.5 pts | 90.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 70.9%±5.9 pts | 43.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 29.3%±4.9 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 95.9%±2.4 pts | 90.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4%±0.4 pts | 1.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Boxford earn?
Half of Boxford's 2,762 households earn less than $200,871 a year (±$21,211), against $101,883 in Essex County and $103,960 in Massachusetts. In 2015-2019 it was $226,456 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Boxford | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $200,871±$21,211 | $101,883 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $266,436±$41,784 | $140,098 | – |
| Per capita income | $89,974±$14,283 | $54,665 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 3.1%±2.5 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 2.4%±2.8 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 1.5%±1.8 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 99.3%±1.1 pts | 95.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 96.5%±3.4 pts | 92.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Boxford?
Owners occupy 94.9% of Boxford's occupied homes and renters 5.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $907,000 by its owner (±$46,463). The median renter pays $776 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Boxford | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $907,000±$46,463 | $619,100 | +$71,728 |
| Median gross rent | $776±$13 | $1,756 | −$295 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 16.0%±23.8 pts | 46.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $3,977±$316 | $2,867 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 94.9%±4.0 pts | 63.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 5.1%±4.0 pts | 36.5% | – |
| Housing units | 2,889±145 | 329,776 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.3%±2.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±23.0 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 88.7%±6.2 pts | 49.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±1.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.0%±1.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.1%±2.6 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 9.5%±3.2 pts | 34.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.3%±2.0 pts | 9.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Boxford building?
Builders took permits for 6 new housing units in Boxford in 2025 (6 in single-family houses), 0.7 per 1,000 residents against 1.7 across Massachusetts.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Boxford work and get to work?
69.3% of Boxford's workers drive alone and 21.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 31.1 minutes.
| Measure | Boxford | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 65.5%±4.9 pts | 67.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2%±2.5 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 69.3%±7.5 pts | 67.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.7%±1.9 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.3%±0.5 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Walked | 3.0%±3.9 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 21.6%±6.3 pts | 16.4% | +11.9 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 31.1 min±3.9 | 28.5 min | −9.3 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Boxford?
1 census tract lies mostly in Boxford (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 2131Essex County | 8,208 | $200,871 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Boxford) · Census block assignment files
How does Boxford compare with other places in Massachusetts?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Boxford is the 1,460th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 119th-most populous of 266 in Massachusetts.
Boxford ranks 25th of 453 places in Massachusetts with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 119th | 266 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 44th | 292 |
| Residents per square mile | 351st | 461 |
| Median household income | 25th | 453 |
| Per capita income | 44th | 460 |
| Median home value | 45th | 459 |
| Median gross rent | 402nd | 410 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 49th | 459 |
| Median age | 131st | 461 |
| Owner-occupied share | 24th | 460 |
| Work from home | 147th | 429 |
| Travel time to work | 190th | 459 |
Boxford's figures with every place in Massachusetts (CSV)
Every place in Massachusetts, sortable · Compare Boxford with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Boxford?
24 of the 57 figures for Boxford on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Boxford are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.