City safety & data profile

New BedfordMA

New Bedford, MA is a 101K-resident city in Bristol County with a median household income of $56,981.

Bristol County, Massachusetts. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for New Bedford, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. New Bedford has a population larger than 93% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $357,300.

Data updated 2026-07-20

101K
Population
Top 7%
By size
$56,981
Median income
$357,300
Median home
20.6%
Poverty rate

The read on New Bedford

New Bedford posts a median household income higher than 18% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 82%
by median income, US cities

Where New Bedford income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$56,981 Bottom 18% higher than 18% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. 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, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading New Bedford, MA beyond the headline numbers

New Bedford sits inside Bristol County, Massachusetts, at roughly 41.64°N, -70.93°W. Population 101,079, $56,981 median household income. Median home value $357,300, median rent $1,137. Poverty rate 20.6%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: New Bedford's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 38.4%, then obesity at 36.3%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for New Bedford from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
101,079
New Bedford
Median Income
$56,981
-16% vs avg
Median Home Value
$357,300
+57% vs avg
Median Age
37
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Bristol County) - New Bedford's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
582K+6%
Median Income
$85,625+55%
Median Home Value
$451,200+62%
Poverty Rate
11.3%-9%
Unemployment
5.5%-50%

Economics

Economics indicators for New Bedford, MA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,137/mo
Poverty Rate
20.6% +45% vs avg
Unemployment 8.3%
Bachelor's Degree+ 17%
Work From Home 5.4%
Public Transit 2.7%

Population

White 56.1%
African American 5.3%
Asian 1.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.5%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
38.4%
Obesity
36.3%
High Blood Pressure
35.5%
Physical Inactivity
32.9%
Frequent Mental Distress
22%
Current Smoking
21.4%
Frequent Physical Distress
18.5%
Binge Drinking
16%
Current Asthma
13.8%
Diabetes
13.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 57.2%
Annual Checkup 80.2%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
11.1%
Coronary Heart Disease
8.1%
Stroke
4.4%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of New Bedford, MA? ▼
New Bedford, MA has a population of 101,079 people, located in Bristol County, Massachusetts.
What is the median household income in New Bedford? ▼
The median household income in New Bedford, MA is $56,981 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 20.6%.
What is the median home value in New Bedford? ▼
The median home value in New Bedford, MA is $357,300. Median rent is $1,137/month.
What are the top health concerns in New Bedford? ▼
The top health indicators in New Bedford include Short Sleep Duration (38.4%), Obesity (36.3%), High Blood Pressure (35.5%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in New Bedford? ▼
The median age in New Bedford, MA is 37 years. 17% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

New Bedford, MA is located in Bristol County, Massachusetts. With a population of 101K and a $56,981 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Safety alerts for the New Bedford area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Massachusetts

Real-time AQI for every monitored Massachusetts location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Fairhaven, MA 16K Acushnet, MA 11K Head of Westport, MA 15K Fall River, MA 94K Somerset, MA 18K Middleborough, MA 23K Swansea, MA 17K Carver, MA 12K
All cities in Massachusetts → Compare New Bedford vs Fairhaven → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using New Bedford's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the New Bedford area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare New Bedford against Massachusetts peers on any ranking lens. Explore Massachusetts

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Bristol County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.