ZIP Code 02121

ZIP code 02121 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 4.5 square miles in Dorchester, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. The area is home to 25,978 residents, producing a population density of 5,747 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 02121 against Massachusetts and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 02121 sits at $43,136 (63% below the Massachusetts average), while per-capita income is $29,051. The poverty rate stands at 25.0% and the unemployment rate at 11.1%. On housing, the median home value is $590,200 (2% below the state average) with median rent at $1,325 per month, and 23.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 02121 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 19.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 34.3, and the average commute is 37 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Suffolk County, so you can benchmark 02121 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →