PlainZIP

Boston, MA · standard

ZIP Code 02118

Suffolk County, Massachusetts - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

26,498
9,331/sq mi
$98,224
Median income
$1,058,200
Median home value
60.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Boston pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a densely urban, renter-heavy area.

Top 20%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 2%
home value, US ZIPs
9,331
people per sq mi
33%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 02118 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 02118 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, with 26,498 residents across 2.8 square miles, a density of 9,331 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 02118 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $98,224 (15% below the Massachusetts average), while per-capita income is $89,715. The poverty rate stands at 23.2% and the unemployment rate at 6.3%. The typical home here is valued at $1,058,200 (77% above the state average); renters pay a median of $1,968 monthly, and 32.5% of units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 60.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.9, and the average commute is 27 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Suffolk County, so you can benchmark 02118 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 02118

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Boston, MA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 02118.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 02118, Boston, MA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

26,498

Population

2.8

Area (sq mi)

9,331

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 02118?

36.9

Median Age

50.5%

Male

49.5%

Female

26.1%

Foreign-Born

White 51.1%
African American 14.4%
Asian 15.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 12.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.9%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$98,224

Median Household Income

-15% vs state

$89,715

Per Capita Income

23.2%

Poverty Rate

6.3%

Unemployment Rate

26.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 02118 ranks nationally

Boston, MA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$98,224 Top 20% higher than 80% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. 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 · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 76.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 60.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

15,828

Total Housing Units

14,497

Occupied Units

1,331

Vacant Units

1.87

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 32.5%
Renter 67.5%

$1,058,200

Median Home Value

+77% vs state

$1,968

Median Rent

1947

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 888 business establishments in ZIP 02118, employing approximately 22,438 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,757,699,000.

888

Businesses

22,438

Employees

$1.8B

Annual Payroll

17

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Accommodation and food services 187 21.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 141 15.9%
Health care and social assistance 114 12.8%
Retail trade 89 10.0%
Other services (except public administration) 85 9.6%
Real estate and rental and leasing 76 8.6%
Wholesale trade 42 4.7%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 29 3.3%
Finance and insurance 28 3.1%
Construction 21 2.4%
Manufacturing 17 1.9%
Educational services 15 1.7%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 14 1.6%
Information 12 1.4%
Transportation and warehousing 9 1.0%
Management of companies and enterprises 5 0.6%
Industries not classified 4 0.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 02118 vs 02116 →

ZIP 02118 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 02118 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 02118 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 02118 ranks #6 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
02116 Boston, MA 20,628 0.9 mi
02199 Boston, MA 1,146 0.9 mi
02111 Boston, MA 7,383 1.0 mi
02108 Boston, MA 3,825 1.4 mi
02115 Boston, MA 28,441 1.2 mi
02119 Roxbury, MA 25,346 1.2 mi
02114 Boston, MA 11,999 1.7 mi
02120 Roxbury Crossing, MA 15,181 1.4 mi
02203 Boston, MA 0 1.7 mi
02142 Cambridge, MA 3,141 1.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Suffolk County

02151 standard
Revere, MA
Pop: 51,808
02124 standard
Dorchester Center, MA
Pop: 47,783
02135 standard
Brighton, MA
Pop: 42,780
02128 standard
East Boston, MA
Pop: 40,508
02130 standard
Jamaica Plain, MA
Pop: 35,401
02150 standard
Chelsea, MA
Pop: 35,124

Related Areas

Suffolk County Boston, MA Massachusetts

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 02118 in? ▼
ZIP code 02118 (Boston) is located in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Suffolk County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/suffolk-ma.
What is the population of ZIP code 02118? ▼
ZIP code 02118 in Boston, MA has a population of 26,498 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 02118? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 02118 is $98,224, which is 29% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 02118? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 02118 is $1,058,200, which is 280% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 02118? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 02118 is White at 51.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 14.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 02118? ▼
ZIP code 02118 has 888 business establishments employing approximately 22,438 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 02118? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 02118 are: Accommodation and food services (187), Professional, scientific, and technical services (141), Health care and social assistance (114). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 02118? ▼
In ZIP code 02118, 76.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 60.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 02118? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 02118 is 26.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 02118? ▼
In ZIP code 02118, approximately 32.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 67.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 02118? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 02118 is 23.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

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