What percentage of people rent in New Bedford, MA?

Name: Renters and owners in New Bedford, MA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

59.7% (±1.6 points) of the occupied homes in New Bedford, MA are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 25,231 renting households against 17,040 that own their home.

In New Bedford, the share of households that rent went from 59.8% in 2015–2019 to 59.7% in 2020–2024 (−0.1 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 59.7% (±1.6 points)
Renting households: 25,231 (±853)
Median renter income: $41,330 (±$2,236)

Who rents and who owns in New Bedford

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	New Bedford	Bristol County	Massachusetts	United States
Renter-occupied share	59.7% (±1.6 points)	37.7% (±0.8 points)	37.5% (±0.3 points)	34.8%
Renting households	25,231 (±853)	88,176 (±1,889)	1,043,884 (±6,942)	45,017,354
Owning households	17,040 (±754)	145,649 (±1,773)	1,741,158 (±8,598)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.2 (±0.1)	2.1 (±0.0)	2.1 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.5 (±0.1)	2.6 (±0.0)	2.6 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$41,330 (±$2,236)	$45,612 (±$1,729)	$60,987 (±$576)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$90,609 (±$3,692)	$118,125 (±$2,076)	$135,402 (±$770)	$100,009

In New Bedford, the renter share is higher than in Bristol County (37.7%).

It is also higher than in Massachusetts (37.5%).

It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).

In Bristol County, New Bedford ranks 2 of 20 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.

Statewide, it ranks 8 of 351.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in New Bedford has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	59.8% (±1.2 points)	59.7% (±1.6 points)	−0.1 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$847 (±$13)	$1,137 (±$26)	+34.2%	Up after inflation
Median household income	$46,321 (±$1,774)	$56,981 (±$3,070)	+23.0%	No measurable change after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near New Bedford

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with New Bedford
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
New Bedford	—	59.7% (±1.6 points)	—
Acushnet Center	2.3 mi	16.2% (±8.0 points)	Lower
Smith Mills	3.3 mi	29.0% (±8.7 points)	Lower
Bliss Corner	3.9 mi	36.6% (±9.6 points)	Lower
Fairhaven	3.9 mi	25.6% (±4.4 points)	Lower
Acushnet	4.4 mi	14.7% (±5.0 points)	Lower
Mattapoisett	6.5 mi	14.7% (±5.8 points)	Lower
Dartmouth	6.6 mi	24.0% (±2.9 points)	Lower
Mattapoisett Center	7.2 mi	25.5% (±11.9 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Acushnet Center, MA (16.2%), Smith Mills, MA (29.0%), Bliss Corner, MA (36.6%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Households that rent across Bristol County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that rent
1	Fall River	64.7% (±1.9 points)
2	New Bedford	59.7% (±1.6 points)
3	Taunton	37.9% (±2.5 points)
4	Attleboro	33.8% (±3.2 points)
5	North Attleborough Town	27.9% (±3.6 points)
6	Mansfield	26.9% (±3.6 points)
7	Fairhaven	25.6% (±4.4 points)
8	Dartmouth	24.0% (±2.9 points)

Showing 8 of 20 places in Bristol County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in New Bedford

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near New Bedford, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for New Bedford beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near New Bedford, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about New Bedford

How many renters are there in New Bedford?

New Bedford has an estimated 25,231 (±853) renting households, 59.7% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in New Bedford?

In New Bedford, the share of households that rent went from 59.8% in 2015–2019 to 59.7% in 2020–2024 (−0.1 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How big are renting households in New Bedford?

A renting household in New Bedford has 2.2 people on average, against 2.5 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in New Bedford?

The median renting household in New Bedford, MA has an income of $41,330 (±$2,236) a year, against $90,609 for households that own their home.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for New Bedford city, Massachusetts (place:45000, in state:25).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.