02124 ZIP Code — Dorchester Center, MA

Suffolk County, Massachusetts

ZIP code 02124 is located in Dorchester Center, Massachusetts, within Suffolk County. It covers approximately 2.97 square miles and serves a population of 55,336 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 617.

About ZIP code 02124

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $570,900. Renters make up the majority at 58%, typical of denser urban areas.

The gap between median ($72,189) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 32% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 36 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 30% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 02124 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average and elevated reliance on food assistance.

55,336

population

2.97

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

02124 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 02124

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 02124. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Dorchester Center	Acceptable
Dorchester Center	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

02122 Dorchester (1.1 mi) 02126 Mattapan (1.2 mi) 02121 Dorchester (1.8 mi) 02125 Dorchester (2.3 mi) 02131 Roslindale (2.7 mi) 02119 Roxbury (2.7 mi) 02130 Jamaica Plain (3 mi) 02120 Roxbury Crossing (3.6 mi) 02118 Boston (3.6 mi) 02136 Hyde Park (3.8 mi) 02127 South Boston (3.9 mi) 02115 Boston (4.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	55,336
Population density	18,632 / sq mi
State FIPS	25
County FIPS	025

Geography
Land area	2.97 sq mi
Water area	0.07 sq mi
Latitude	42.2849
Longitude	-71.0698
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	617

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.4%	37.5%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	23.8%	23.6%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	24.1%	25.7%	28.5%
Over $200k	7.7%	13.2%	14.3%

Demographics & statistics

55,336

Population

18,632

People per sq mi

36.3

Median age

$72,189

Median household income

$36,873

Per capita income

$570,900

Median home value

$1,629

Median monthly rent

41.9%

Home ownership

17.6%

Poverty rate

8.5%

Unemployment

2,171

Housing units

30.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,490

Under 5

1,676

1,576

5–9

1,772

1,764

10–14

1,985

1,982

15–19

2,229

1,622

20–24

1,825

4,081

25–34

4,591

3,446

35–44

3,876

3,620

45–54

4,071

1,782

55–59

2,004

1,156

60–64

1,301

1,913

65–74

2,152

1,198

75–84

1,347

413

85+

464

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	12,853	23.2%
18 and over	42,483	76.8%
65 and over	7,487	13.5%
Median age	36.3 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 41.9%

White 17.4%

Hispanic or Latino 15.8%

Two or more races 13.4%

Other race 5.7%

Asian 5.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	27,518	41.9%
White	11,458	17.4%
Hispanic or Latino	10,349	15.8%
Two or more races	8,828	13.4%
Other race	3,740	5.7%
Asian	3,672	5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	113	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	44.4%	37.5%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	23.8%	23.6%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	24.1%	25.7%	28.5%
Over $200k	7.7%	13.2%	14.3%

Under $10k 8.8%

$10k–$15k 5.5%

$15k–$25k 8.1%

$25k–$35k 7.6%

$35k–$50k 7.8%

$50k–$75k 12.9%

$75k–$100k 9.7%

$100k–$150k 15.9%

$150k–$200k 10.4%

$200k+ 13.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.8%
$10k–$15k	5.5%
$15k–$25k	8.1%
$25k–$35k	7.6%
$35k–$50k	7.8%
$50k–$75k	12.9%
$75k–$100k	9.7%
$100k–$150k	15.9%
$150k–$200k	10.4%
$200k+	13.3%
Median income	$72,189

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.5%

$50k–$100k 1.0%

$100k–$150k 0.6%

$150k–$200k 0.1%

$200k–$300k 4.8%

$300k–$500k 28.4%

$500k–$1M 51.9%

$1M+ 8.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$570,900
Median rent / month	$1,629
Owner occupied	41.9%
Renter occupied	58.1%
Vacant	7.1%
Single-family detached	16.8%
Large apartment buildings	8.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.96

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.5%
2000–2009	7.8%
1990–1999	4.6%
1980–1989	4.6%
1970–1979	4.7%
1960–1969	5.2%
1950–1959	6.4%
1940–1949	8.1%
1939 or earlier	55.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.7%
1 bedroom	11.0%
2 bedrooms	30.5%
3 bedrooms	38.4%
4 bedrooms	11.7%
5+ bedrooms	6.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	26.8%
1 vehicle	39.4%
2 vehicles	25.5%
3 or more	8.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	67.8%
Electricity	20.2%
Propane / LP gas	2.4%
Fuel oil	8.5%
Wood	0.1%
No fuel used	0.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,212	32.4%
Cohabiting couple	1,056	5.5%
Male householder, no spouse	3,305	17.2%
Female householder, no spouse	8,593	44.8%
Households with children under 18	7,025	36.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	5,628	29.4%
Average household size	2.86

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	49.7%	48.4%
Married	39.0%	28.5%
Separated	2.5%	4.8%
Widowed	1.8%	6.4%
Divorced	7.0%	11.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 8.2%

Some HS, no diploma 8.2%

HS graduate 26.9%

Some college, no degree 19.0%

Associate's degree 7.4%

Bachelor's degree 17.8%

Graduate / professional 12.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.6%
Bachelor's or higher	30.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	454	3.1%
Kindergarten	802	5.5%
Elementary school	6,049	41.7%
High school	3,638	25.1%
College / grad school	3,578	24.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 33.2%

Professional & management 10.8%

Retail trade 10.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.8%

Other services 6.9%

Transportation & utilities 6.3%

Finance & real estate 6.2%

Public administration 5.9%

Manufacturing 3.8%

Construction 3.5%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Information 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.7%
Service	26.3%
Sales & office	22.4%
Natural resources & construction	4.9%
Production & transportation	10.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.7%
Government	14.2%
Self-employed	4.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	47.4%
Carpool	7.3%
Public transit	25.6%
Walk	2.9%
Work from home	12.5%
Other means	4.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	36.1

Poverty

All people 17.6%

Under 18 years 26.1%

18 and over 15.2%

Married-couple families 7.4%

Female-led households 21.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	24.9%
Retirement income	14.9%
Supplemental Security	12.1%
Cash public assistance	4.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	31.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	28.4%
High blood pressure	31.5%
High cholesterol	25.9%
Diabetes	11.6%
Heart disease	5.2%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	13.2%
Arthritis	21.9%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	5.7%
Cancer	5.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.3%
Binge drinking	15.8%
No physical activity	26.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.7%
Depression	19.0%
Fair or poor health	16.9%
Poor mental health	16.2%
Poor physical health	10.3%
No health insurance	10.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.8%
Visited dentist	59.4%
Cholesterol screening	89.2%
Teeth loss	17.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,269	3.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.4%
Under 18	8.4%
18–64 years	14.3%
65 and over	47.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	55.1%
Public insurance	52.6%
No insurance	4.6%
Uninsured under 19	3.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	52,170	94.3%
Spanish	9,018	17.3%
Other Indo-European	3,573	6.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	3,250	6.2%
Other languages	1,989	3.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	37,767	68.3%
Born in same state	36,013	65.1%
Born in different state	28,643	51.8%
Foreign born	1,754	3.2%
Naturalized citizen	17,569	31.7%
Not a US citizen	11,222	63.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	5,070	9.2%
Arab	1,286	2.3%
French	1,218	2.2%
German	342	0.6%
Polish	78	0.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	53	0.1%
English	47	0.1%
Norwegian	37	0.1%
Dutch	13	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.6%
Internet access	93.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 02124

What part of Dorchester Center is ZIP code 02124?

ZIP code 02124 covers a portion of Dorchester Center, Massachusetts, within Suffolk County.

What county is ZIP code 02124 in?

ZIP code 02124 falls within Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

Is ZIP code 02124 mostly rentals?

58% of occupied units in ZIP code 02124 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 02124?

18% of residents in ZIP code 02124 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 02124?

The median home value in ZIP code 02124 is $570,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 02124?

ZIP code 02124 has an estimated population of 55,336 residents, with a density of 18,644 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 02124 in?

ZIP code 02124 observes the EST timezone.