City profile · Massachusetts · Census ACS 2023

Onset, MA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Onset - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,561
Residents
$415,500
Median home
$2,311
Median rent (state)

Onset - the verdict

Onset has 1,561 residents in Massachusetts. Source: Census ACS.

79th
percentile, home value
89th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Onset, MA

Onset is a small town in Massachusetts, home to 1,561 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Typical homes in Onset are valued around $415,500, and the median resident age is 45.2 years. About 25.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 43.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Massachusetts carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 105.8 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,311 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Massachusetts's average monthly utility costs around $330 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 90.4 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

1,561 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Massachusetts

Median Household Income

N/A /yr

Poverty 0.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

105.8 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Massachusetts average

How does Onset compare to other US cities?

Where Onset sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Home value 79% pricier than other cities
Median rent 89% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Onset's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Massachusetts, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

How Onset's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$415,500 21st percentile more affordable than 21% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Onset $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Median household income is not available for Onset in the current Census ACS release (common for very small places).

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 25.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 43.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,561
Median Income
N/A
Median Home Value
$415,500
Median Age
45.2
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
43.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
25.0%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
61.4%
Carpool
0.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
27.2%
Other
11.4%

Based on 585 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Massachusetts - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$160
avg/month
Natural Gas
$110
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$60
avg/month
Total Utilities
$330
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Massachusetts state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Massachusetts state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Onset sits in

Cost of Living Index
105.8
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,311/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
90.4 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Massachusetts

Groton
1,571 people
Rowley
1,576 people
Lee
1,522 people
West Brookfield
1,518 people
Chatham
1,614 people
Orleans
1,618 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Onset's 1,561 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

South Shore, KY
1,561 people
Penn State Erie (Behrend), PA
1,561 people
Westwood Shores, TX
1,561 people
Fort Deposit, AL
1,560 people
Black Point-Green Point, CA
1,560 people
Bismarck, MO
1,560 people

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Onset, MA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Onset, MA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 65.5% 28.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 15.7% White 65.5% Black or African American 3.4% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 3.1% Two or more races 28.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Onset compares to nearby Massachusetts cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Onset (this city) 1,561 N/A
Groton 1,571 N/A
Rowley 1,576 $106,250
Lee 1,522 $70,306
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MA OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Onset, MA?

What is the population of Onset, MA? +

Onset, MA counts 1,561 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the cost of living in Onset? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Onset; the closest available measure is the Massachusetts state average, a cost of living index of 105.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Massachusetts vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Onset, MA? +

Onset's median home value sits at $415,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with HUD →

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.