Census tract · Suffolk County
Census Tract 1603, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Census Tract 1603, GEOID 25025160300, in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, entirely within Chelsea. 2,331 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±242); the 2020 Census counted 2,753.
Residents, 2020-2024
2,331
±242 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,753
Median household income
$77,750
±$30,294 (90% margin)
Suffolk County: $95,631
Median home value
$499,100
±$43,900 (90% margin)
Suffolk County: $705,800
Median gross rent
not published
Suffolk County: $2,129
Where is Census Tract 1603?
Census Tract 1603 is one of 235 census tracts in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. It covers 0.22 square miles of land, 12,457 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 25025160300, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Chelsea | 100% |
7 census tracts border Census Tract 1603: Tract 3424.02 in Middlesex County ($99,539), Tract 408.01 ($105,580), Tract 501.01, Tract 509.01 ($118,167), Tract 1601.03 ($75,169), Tract 1602 ($76,067) and Tract 1604 ($72,711). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 1603?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 1603's population at 2,331 (±242) in 1,395 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,753 residents and 1,468 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 1603 | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,331±242 | 39,908 |
| Households | 1,395±173 | 13,716 |
| Average household size | 1.58±0.12 | 2.85 |
| Housing units | 1,395±173 | 14,165 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 1603?
The median resident of Census Tract 1603 is 46.5 years old; 7.8% are under 18 and 29.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 64.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 22.4%. 24.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 1603 | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.5±9.9 | 34.4 |
| Under 18 years | 7.8%±3.1 pts | 24.4% |
| 65 years and over | 29.7%±7.1 pts | 10.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 22.4%±7.8 pts | 67.3% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 64.1%±9.1 pts | 17.7% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.8%±3.5 pts | 7.1% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 2.3%±1.7 pts | 2.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.8 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.8%±5.0 pts | 4.9% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6%±1.0 pts | 1.0% |
| Born outside the United States | 24.0%±6.6 pts | 46.1% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 34.2%±8.9 pts | 70.6% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.7%±1.4 pts | 1.6% |
| With a disability | 28.0%±7.1 pts | 14.4% |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.8%±2.4 pts | 3.4% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 84.5%±8.2 pts | 70.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 43.7%±8.3 pts | 22.2% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 21.5%±7.0 pts | 7.9% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.2%±6.1 pts | 87.1% |
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 Census Tract 1603 earn?
Half of the 1,395 households in Census Tract 1603 earn less than $77,750 a year (±$30,294), against $95,631 across Suffolk County: 136th highest of the county's 209 tracts with a reliable estimate. 14.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 1603 | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,750±$30,294 | $72,179 |
| Mean household income | $88,336±$14,106 | $92,358 |
| Per capita income | $54,850±$7,694 | $32,986 |
| People below the poverty line | 14.3%±5.5 pts | 20.7% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 5.5%±9.1 pts | 25.4% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 26.2%±9.9 pts | 26.3% |
| Households with a computer | 85.4%±9.9 pts | 93.3% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 74.5%±11.7 pts | 86.6% |
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 Census Tract 1603?
Owners occupy 33.8% of Census Tract 1603's occupied homes and renters 66.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $499,100 by its owner (±$43,900).
| Measure | Tract 1603 | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $499,100±$43,900 | $493,500 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.5%±15.0 pts | 49.4% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,272±$341 | $2,608 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 33.8%±7.9 pts | 26.0% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 66.2%±7.9 pts | 74.0% |
| Housing units | 1,395±173 | 14,165 |
| Single-family detached homes | 7.0%±5.8 pts | 8.4% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±3.0 pts | 0.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±3.0 pts | 0.8% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.5%±3.1 pts | 9.8% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 29.6%±8.1 pts | 49.6% |
| Households with no vehicle | 32.2%±10.9 pts | 28.4% |
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 do people in Census Tract 1603 get to work?
50.6% of Census Tract 1603's workers drive alone and 20.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 33.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.9%.
| Measure | Tract 1603 | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.5%±7.0 pts | 68.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9%±3.4 pts | 9.2% |
| Drove alone to work | 50.6%±11.1 pts | 46.1% |
| Carpooled | 6.9%±5.4 pts | 13.8% |
| Public transportation | 14.4%±9.5 pts | 20.9% |
| Walked | 3.4%±4.2 pts | 5.3% |
| Worked from home | 20.0%±7.9 pts | 10.4% |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.1 min±6.5 | 32.9 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
How does Census Tract 1603 compare with the other tracts in Suffolk County?
Among Suffolk County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 1603 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Suffolk County | In Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 174th of 224 | 9th of 9 |
| Residents per square mile | 171st of 234 | 8th of 9 |
| Median household income | 136th of 209 | 3rd of 9 |
| Per capita income | 108th of 221 | 1st of 9 |
| Median home value | 180th of 198 | 4th of 9 |
| Poverty rate | 111th of 181 | 8th of 8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 129th of 218 | 1st of 9 |
| Median age | 19th of 225 | 1st of 9 |
| Owner-occupied share | 112th of 200 | 2nd of 9 |
The tracts next to it on Suffolk County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1008 | 133rd | $78,533±$34,526 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 5.06 | 134th | $78,221±$27,409 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 102.05 | 135th | $78,008±$40,147 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1603 | 136th | $77,750±$30,294 |
| Tract 4.01 | 137th | $77,716±$14,415 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1707.02 | 138th | $76,485±$11,169 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1602 | 139th | $76,067±$5,304 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 1603?
2 of the 17 figures for Census Tract 1603 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections