PlainZIP

Watertown, MA · standard

ZIP Code 02472

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

32,014
3,062/sq mi
$126,336
Median income
$784,600
Median home value
66.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 8%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 5%
home value, US ZIPs
3,062
people per sq mi
48%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 02472 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 02472 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with 32,014 residents across 10.5 square miles, a density of 3,062 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 02472 skews affluent, with a median household income of $126,336 (9% above the Massachusetts average), while per-capita income is $73,788. Poverty here runs at 7.5%, with unemployment measured at 5.3%. Housing costs here run $784,600 for a typical home value (31% above the state average), with rent averaging $2,498 a month; 47.6% of homes are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 66.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.3, and the average commute is 28 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Middlesex County, so you can benchmark 02472 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 02472

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Watertown, MA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 02472.

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 02472, Watertown, 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

32,014

Population

10.5

Area (sq mi)

3,062

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 02472?

39.3

Median Age

45.5%

Male

54.5%

Female

25.6%

Foreign-Born

White 71.3%
African American 3.8%
Asian 11.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%

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?

$126,336

Median Household Income

+9% vs state

$73,788

Per Capita Income

7.5%

Poverty Rate

5.3%

Unemployment Rate

27.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 02472 ranks nationally

Watertown, MA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$126,336 Top 8% higher than 92% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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 80.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 66.5%

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

What does housing look like?

17,234

Total Housing Units

16,399

Occupied Units

835

Vacant Units

2.15

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 47.6%
Renter 52.4%

$784,600

Median Home Value

+31% vs state

$2,498

Median Rent

1947

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

+3.6%

YoY Change (2024)

285

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+185%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 02472 have increased 3.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +185% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +2.5% 215
2021 +6.0% 228
2022 +7.8% 246
2023 +11.9% 275
2024 +3.6% 285

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 1,052 business establishments in ZIP 02472, employing approximately 17,292 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,768,141,000.

1,052

Businesses

17,292

Employees

$1.8B

Annual Payroll

17

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 175 16.6%
Health care and social assistance 127 12.1%
Retail trade 118 11.2%
Other services (except public administration) 114 10.8%
Accommodation and food services 113 10.7%
Construction 94 8.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 50 4.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 47 4.5%
Information 45 4.3%
Finance and insurance 36 3.4%
Wholesale trade 32 3.0%
Manufacturing 30 2.9%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 26 2.5%
Educational services 23 2.2%
Transportation and warehousing 15 1.4%
Management of companies and enterprises 4 0.4%
Industries not classified 3 0.3%

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 02472 vs 02458 →

ZIP 02472 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 02472 ranks #3 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 02472 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 02472 ranks #5 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
02458 Newton, MA 12,131 1.3 mi
02478 Belmont, MA 24,664 1.8 mi
02135 Brighton, MA 42,780 1.8 mi
02476 Arlington, MA 16,532 3.2 mi
02460 Newtonville, MA 8,742 2.0 mi
02138 Cambridge, MA 36,314 2.3 mi
02134 Allston, MA 21,503 2.6 mi
02163 Boston, MA 2,582 2.9 mi
02453 Waltham, MA 28,968 3.2 mi
02452 Waltham, MA 14,238 2.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Middlesex County

02148 standard
Malden, MA
Pop: 59,503
02155 standard
Medford, MA
Pop: 57,964
02149 standard
Everett, MA
Pop: 41,550
01801 standard
Woburn, MA
Pop: 38,903
01752 standard
Marlborough, MA
Pop: 38,499
01702 standard
Framingham, MA
Pop: 37,206

Related Areas

Middlesex County Watertown, MA Massachusetts

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 02472 in? ▼
ZIP code 02472 (Watertown) is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Middlesex County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/middlesex-ma.
What is the population of ZIP code 02472? ▼
ZIP code 02472 in Watertown, MA has a population of 32,014 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 02472? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 02472 is $126,336, which is 66% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 02472? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 02472 is $784,600, which is 182% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 02472? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 02472 is White at 71.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 02472? ▼
ZIP code 02472 has 1,052 business establishments employing approximately 17,292 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 02472? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 02472 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (175), Health care and social assistance (127), Retail trade (118). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 02472? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 02472 increased by 3.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 185%. 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 02472? ▼
In ZIP code 02472, 80.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 66.5% 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 02472? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 02472 is 27.6 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 02472? ▼
In ZIP code 02472, approximately 47.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 52.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 02472? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 02472 is 7.5% 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.