Town · Massachusetts
Shirley, Massachusetts
Shirley, town, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Shirley had 7,189 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.3% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 7,431 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 6,976 (±15). GEOID 2501761590.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
7,189
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 7,431 · ACS 2020-2024: 6,976 ±15
Median household income
$122,365
±$16,320 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $103,960
Median home value
$427,600
±$35,560 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $562,100
Median gross rent
$1,481
±$421 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $1,762
Where is Shirley and what county is it in?
Shirley is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It covers 15.8 square miles of land, 470 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Shirley: Shirley (CDP, 1,611 in 2020). Part of Devens (CDP) also lies in it.
Shirley is in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 7 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Shirley is the same area as Census Tract 3882 of Middlesex County: the tract's figures are Shirley's own.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Shirley, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 7,189 people lived in Shirley on July 1, 2025, down 3.3% since 2020, while Massachusetts grew 1.7%. The 2020 Census counted 7,431 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 6,976 (±15).
| Measure | Shirley | Middlesex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 6,976±15 | 1,638,365 | −657 |
| Households | 2,277±197 | 634,215 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.48±0.22 | 2.49 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,413±229 | 664,267 | no clear change |
Shirley's population since 2000
From 6,373 in 2000 to 7,189 in 2025: up 12.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Shirley 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 Shirley?
The median resident of Shirley is 44.3 years old; 16.4% are under 18 and 19.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 72.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 12.8%. 8.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Shirley | Middlesex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.3±3.4 | 38.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.4%±4.5 pts | 19.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.8%±6.3 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Male | 60.3%±2.4 pts | 49.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 12.8%±7.1 pts | 9.3% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 72.4%±8.4 pts | 65.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 8.1%±2.9 pts | 4.7% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.2%±1.6 pts | 13.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.4%±0.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.4%±1.2 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.8%±1.9 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 8.0%±3.5 pts | 23.1% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 12.3%±4.2 pts | 29.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.2%±3.6 pts | 3.3% | – |
| With a disability | 11.0%±4.6 pts | 9.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.8%±1.3 pts | 2.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.3%±2.4 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 36.7%±6.1 pts | 59.5% | +12.3 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 14.6%±3.6 pts | 30.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.7%±5.9 pts | 87.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.4%±1.9 pts | 2.7% | – |
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 Shirley earn?
Half of Shirley's 2,277 households earn less than $122,365 a year (±$16,320), against $130,847 in Middlesex County and $103,960 in Massachusetts. In 2015-2019 the median was $94,610 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $27,755 after inflation.
| Measure | Shirley | Middlesex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $122,365±$16,320 | $130,847 | +$27,755 |
| Mean household income | $149,622±$23,669 | $178,070 | – |
| Per capita income | $49,118±$8,259 | $69,556 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.9%±10.1 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 23.2%±30.1 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.5%±6.2 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.4%±7.5 pts | 97.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 91.9%±8.2 pts | 94.7% | – |
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 Shirley?
Owners occupy 77.4% of Shirley's occupied homes and renters 22.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $427,600 by its owner (±$35,560). The median renter pays $1,481 a month including utilities, and 48.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Shirley | Middlesex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $427,600±$35,560 | $727,800 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,481±$421 | $2,201 | +$484 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 48.9%±20.0 pts | 37.6% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,645±$147 | $3,224 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 77.4%±7.4 pts | 61.3% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 22.6%±7.4 pts | 38.7% | – |
| Housing units | 2,413±229 | 664,267 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±2.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±7.9 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 68.4%±7.7 pts | 46.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.0%±1.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.7%±1.1 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.9%±3.4 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 19.7%±8.6 pts | 32.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.3%±3.0 pts | 10.3% | – |
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 Shirley building?
Builders took permits for 2 new housing units in Shirley in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 0.3 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 Shirley work and get to work?
68.5% of Shirley's workers drive alone and 21.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 40.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.3%.
| Measure | Shirley | Middlesex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.6%±6.6 pts | 69.9% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3%±3.3 pts | 4.4% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 68.5%±8.6 pts | 54.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.8%±6.6 pts | 6.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 2.9%±2.8 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Walked | 0.0%±1.5 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Worked from home | 21.0%±7.5 pts | 24.7% | +14.7 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 40.4 min±7.1 | 29.9 min | +10.5 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 Shirley?
1 census tract lies mostly in Shirley (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 3882Middlesex County | 6,976 | $122,365 |
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 Shirley) · Census block assignment files
How does Shirley compare with other places in Massachusetts?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Shirley is the 1,686th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 133rd-most populous of 266 in Massachusetts.
Shirley ranks 172nd 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 | 133rd | 266 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 289th | 292 |
| Residents per square mile | 325th | 461 |
| Median household income | 172nd | 453 |
| Per capita income | 332nd | 460 |
| Median home value | 321st | 459 |
| Median gross rent | 232nd | 410 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 329th | 459 |
| Median age | 234th | 461 |
| Owner-occupied share | 259th | 460 |
| Work from home | 156th | 429 |
| Travel time to work | 10th | 459 |
Shirley's figures with every place in Massachusetts (CSV)
Every place in Massachusetts, sortable · Compare Shirley 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 Shirley?
16 of the 57 figures for Shirley 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 Shirley 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.