PlainZIP

South Boston, MA · standard

ZIP Code 02127

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

31,799
6,069/sq mi
$164,387
Median income
$863,700
Median home value
69.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

South Boston pairs a top-decile household income with top-decile home values, in a suburban-density, mixed-tenure area.

Top 3%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 4%
home value, US ZIPs
6,069
people per sq mi
45%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 02127 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 02127 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in South Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, with 31,799 residents across 5.2 square miles, a density of 6,069 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 02127 skews affluent, with a median household income of $164,387 (42% above the Massachusetts average), while per-capita income is $99,163. The poverty rate stands at 11.1% and the unemployment rate at 4.0%. Housing costs here run $863,700 for a typical home value (44% above the state average), with rent averaging $2,736 a month; 45.3% of homes are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 69.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 32.3, and the average commute is 30 minutes. To put 02127 in local context, 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Suffolk County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 02127

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in South Boston, MA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 02127.

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 02127, South 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

31,799

Population

5.2

Area (sq mi)

6,069

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 02127?

32.3

Median Age

49.0%

Male

51.0%

Female

13.6%

Foreign-Born

White 77.6%
African American 4.1%
Asian 6.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 8.3%
Hispanic or Latino 10.5%

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?

$164,387

Median Household Income

+42% vs state

$99,163

Per Capita Income

11.1%

Poverty Rate

4.0%

Unemployment Rate

30.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 02127 ranks nationally

South Boston, MA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$164,387 Top 3% higher than 97% 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%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Below this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Below this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). This entry sits in this band. $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 84.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 69.8%

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

What does housing look like?

19,534

Total Housing Units

18,066

Occupied Units

1,468

Vacant Units

2.02

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 45.3%
Renter 54.7%

$863,700

Median Home Value

+44% vs state

$2,736

Median Rent

1948

Median Year Built

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

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+0.4%

YoY Change (2024)

349

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+249%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 02127 have increased 0.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +249% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +6.3% 297
2021 +3.3% 307
2022 +10.9% 340
2023 +2.0% 347
2024 +0.4% 349

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 707 business establishments in ZIP 02127, employing approximately 10,661 people with a combined annual payroll of $852,210,000.

707

Businesses

10,661

Employees

$852.2M

Annual Payroll

17

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 100 14.1%
Accommodation and food services 88 12.4%
Other services (except public administration) 85 12.0%
Retail trade 76 10.8%
Construction 64 9.1%
Health care and social assistance 57 8.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing 54 7.6%
Wholesale trade 34 4.8%
Finance and insurance 34 4.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 30 4.2%
Transportation and warehousing 21 3.0%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 17 2.4%
Manufacturing 13 1.8%
Information 13 1.8%
Management of companies and enterprises 9 1.3%
Educational services 7 1.0%
Industries not classified 3 0.4%

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 02127 vs 02210 →

ZIP 02127 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 02127 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 02127 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 02127 ranks #3 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
02210 Boston, MA 2,090 0.9 mi
02118 Boston, MA 26,498 1.6 mi
02111 Boston, MA 7,383 1.5 mi
02110 Boston, MA 1,733 1.8 mi
02125 Dorchester, MA 33,295 1.6 mi
02122 Dorchester, MA 23,479 2.4 mi
02109 Boston, MA 3,771 2.2 mi
02203 Boston, MA 0 2.0 mi
02113 Boston, MA 6,915 2.3 mi
02108 Boston, MA 3,825 2.1 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 South Boston, MA Massachusetts

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 02127 in? ▼
ZIP code 02127 (South 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 02127? ▼
ZIP code 02127 in South Boston, MA has a population of 31,799 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 02127? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 02127 is $164,387, which is 115% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 02127? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 02127 is $863,700, which is 211% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 02127? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 02127 is White at 77.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 02127? ▼
ZIP code 02127 has 707 business establishments employing approximately 10,661 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 02127? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 02127 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (100), Accommodation and food services (88), Other services (except public administration) (85). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 02127? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 02127 increased by 0.4% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 249%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 02127? ▼
In ZIP code 02127, 84.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 69.8% 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 02127? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 02127 is 30.0 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 02127? ▼
In ZIP code 02127, approximately 45.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 54.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 02127? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 02127 is 11.1% 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.