01851 ZIP Code — Lowell, MA
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
ZIP code 01851 is located in Lowell, Massachusetts, within Middlesex County. It covers approximately 3.23 square miles and serves a population of 32,323 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 978/781.
About ZIP code 01851
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 $398,900. Renters make up the majority at 57%, typical of denser urban areas.
Median household income is $79,330. SNAP benefit usage at 27% 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. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 30% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
Notable community characteristics include Spanish spoken in 25% of households.
32,323
population
3.23
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
01851 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 01851
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 01851. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Lowell | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
01854 Lowell (1.8 mi)
01852 Lowell (2.2 mi)
01863 North Chelmsford (2.6 mi)
01824 Chelmsford (2.6 mi)
01850 Lowell (2.8 mi)
01862 North Billerica (4.5 mi)
01826 Dracut (5 mi)
01879 Tyngsboro (5.3 mi)
01876 Tewksbury (5.5 mi)
01886 Westford (5.8 mi)
01741 Carlisle (6.4 mi)
01821 Billerica (6.7 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 32,323 |
| Population density | 10,007 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 25 |
| County FIPS | 017 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 3.23 sq mi |
| Water area | 0.11 sq mi |
| Latitude | 42.6243 |
| Longitude | -71.3391 |
| Timezone | Eastern (ET) |
| Area code | 978/781 |
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics
updated 05/2026
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 37.9% | 23.8% | 31.3% |
| $50k – $100k | 32.4% | 23.1% | 25.9% |
| $100k – $200k | 23.1% | 32.1% | 28.5% |
| Over $200k | 6.7% | 20.9% | 14.3% |
Demographics & statistics
32,323
Population
10,007
People per sq mi
34.8
Median age
$79,330
Median household income
$35,409
Per capita income
$398,900
Median home value
$1,566
Median monthly rent
42.6%
Home ownership
16.0%
Poverty rate
5.2%
Unemployment
5,254
Housing units
30.1%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
1,092
Under 5
1,116
910
5–9
930
864
10–14
883
929
15–19
949
1,392
20–24
1,422
2,874
25–34
2,936
2,311
35–44
2,360
1,964
45–54
2,006
982
55–59
1,004
1,113
60–64
1,136
1,026
65–74
1,047
372
75–84
380
161
85+
164
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 6,740 | 20.9% |
| 18 and over | 25,583 | 79.1% |
| 65 and over | 3,150 | 9.7% |
| Median age | 34.8 years | |
Race & ethnicity
Asian
38.3%
White
34.2%
Black or African American
8.3%
Hispanic or Latino
8.2%
Two or more races
6.2%
Other race
4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Asian | 13,492 | 38.3% |
| White | 12,037 | 34.2% |
| Black or African American | 2,907 | 8.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,876 | 8.2% |
| Two or more races | 2,187 | 6.2% |
| Other race | 1,594 | 4.5% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 106 | 0.3% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 37.9% | 23.8% | 31.3% |
| $50k – $100k | 32.4% | 23.1% | 25.9% |
| $100k – $200k | 23.1% | 32.1% | 28.5% |
| Over $200k | 6.7% | 20.9% | 14.3% |
Under $10k
4.0%
$10k–$15k
4.7%
$15k–$25k
6.4%
$25k–$35k
7.3%
$35k–$50k
9.3%
$50k–$75k
13.8%
$75k–$100k
15.4%
$100k–$150k
19.3%
$150k–$200k
9.8%
$200k+
10.0%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 4.0% |
| $10k–$15k | 4.7% |
| $15k–$25k | 6.4% |
| $25k–$35k | 7.3% |
| $35k–$50k | 9.3% |
| $50k–$75k | 13.8% |
| $75k–$100k | 15.4% |
| $100k–$150k | 19.3% |
| $150k–$200k | 9.8% |
| $200k+ | 10.0% |
| Median income | $79,330 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
2.2%
$50k–$100k
0.2%
$100k–$150k
2.6%
$150k–$200k
1.7%
$200k–$300k
16.1%
$300k–$500k
56.6%
$500k–$1M
14.4%
$1M+
6.2%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $398,900 |
| Median rent / month | $1,566 |
| Owner occupied | 42.6% |
| Renter occupied | 57.4% |
| Vacant | 3.6% |
| Single-family detached | 32.2% |
| Large apartment buildings | 8.7% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% |
| Median rooms | 5.0 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 3.14 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.1% |
| 2010–2019 | 3.2% |
| 2000–2009 | 2.9% |
| 1990–1999 | 4.8% |
| 1980–1989 | 9.6% |
| 1970–1979 | 7.3% |
| 1960–1969 | 7.4% |
| 1950–1959 | 7.8% |
| 1940–1949 | 3.3% |
| 1939 or earlier | 53.5% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 4.6% |
| 1 bedroom | 10.5% |
| 2 bedrooms | 36.9% |
| 3 bedrooms | 30.6% |
| 4 bedrooms | 13.0% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 4.5% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 13.4% |
| 1 vehicle | 37.5% |
| 2 vehicles | 32.8% |
| 3 or more | 16.3% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 70.0% |
| Electricity | 17.4% |
| Propane / LP gas | 3.9% |
| Fuel oil | 6.9% |
| Solar | 0.2% |
| No fuel used | 0.5% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 4,311 | 38.0% |
| Cohabiting couple | 1,198 | 10.6% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 2,593 | 22.8% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 3,251 | 28.6% |
| Households with children under 18 | 4,032 | 35.5% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 2,561 | 22.6% |
| Average household size | 2.81 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 45.0% | 42.5% |
| Married | 41.9% | 35.5% |
| Separated | 0.9% | 2.4% |
| Widowed | 2.2% | 6.5% |
| Divorced | 9.9% | 13.1% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
14.4%
Some HS, no diploma
7.0%
HS graduate
29.0%
Some college, no degree
12.5%
Associate's degree
6.9%
Bachelor's degree
18.5%
Graduate / professional
11.6%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 78.6% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 30.1% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 410 | 5.3% |
| Kindergarten | 305 | 4.0% |
| Elementary school | 2,755 | 35.8% |
| High school | 1,273 | 16.5% |
| College / grad school | 2,950 | 38.3% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
22.3%
Manufacturing
21.5%
Professional & management
11.5%
Arts, food & hospitality
9.9%
Retail trade
9.7%
Construction
5.9%
Other services
4.4%
Finance & real estate
4.3%
Public administration
3.3%
Transportation & utilities
2.6%
Information
2.4%
Wholesale trade
1.8%
Agriculture & mining
0.4%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 38.6% |
| Service | 17.8% |
| Sales & office | 15.8% |
| Natural resources & construction | 7.2% |
| Production & transportation | 20.6% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 85.7% |
| Government | 10.3% |
| Self-employed | 3.5% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.4% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 72.6% |
| Carpool | 12.0% |
| Public transit | 2.9% |
| Walk | 3.7% |
| Work from home | 6.9% |
| Other means | 1.9% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 27.5 |
Poverty
All people
16.0%
Under 18 years
20.0%
18 and over
15.0%
Married-couple families
4.5%
Female-led households
15.9%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 20.9% |
| Retirement income | 13.6% |
| Supplemental Security | 12.1% |
| Cash public assistance | 9.0% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 26.8% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 21.5% |
| High blood pressure | 26.1% |
| High cholesterol | 27.2% |
| Diabetes | 8.9% |
| Heart disease | 4.5% |
| Stroke | 2.5% |
| Asthma | 9.9% |
| Arthritis | 18.0% |
| Kidney disease | 2.3% |
| Pulmonary disease | 5.0% |
| Cancer | 4.5% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 15.2% |
| Binge drinking | 14.0% |
| No physical activity | 24.6% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 33.5% |
| Depression | 16.8% |
| Fair or poor health | 12.8% |
| Poor mental health | 14.3% |
| Poor physical health | 8.6% |
| No health insurance | 10.0% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 73.7% |
| Visited dentist | 61.4% |
| Cholesterol screening | 86.3% |
| Teeth loss | 15.3% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 837 | 3.3% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 13.1% |
| Under 18 | 8.8% |
| 18–64 years | 10.3% |
| 65 and over | 43.6% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 58.6% |
| Public insurance | 44.4% |
| No insurance | 4.3% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 0.3% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 30,115 | 93.2% |
| Spanish | 7,637 | 25.4% |
| Other Indo-European | 1,174 | 3.9% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 1,030 | 3.4% |
| Other languages | 5,226 | 17.4% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 20,065 | 62.1% |
| Born in same state | 18,787 | 58.1% |
| Born in different state | 15,286 | 47.3% |
| Foreign born | 1,278 | 4.0% |
| Naturalized citizen | 12,258 | 37.9% |
| Not a US citizen | 6,719 | 54.8% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 3,124 | 9.7% |
| French | 1,375 | 4.3% |
| German | 620 | 1.9% |
| Arab | 484 | 1.5% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Polish | 57 | 0.2% |
| Irish | 50 | 0.2% |
| English | 10 | 0% |
| Norwegian | 10 | 0% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 35.1% |
| Internet access | 91.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 01851
What city is ZIP code 01851 in?
ZIP code 01851 is primarily assigned to Lowell, Massachusetts.
What county is ZIP code 01851 in?
ZIP code 01851 falls within Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
Is Spanish widely spoken in ZIP code 01851?
Approximately 25% of households in ZIP code 01851 speak Spanish as a primary language.
Is ZIP code 01851 mostly rentals?
57% of occupied units in ZIP code 01851 are renter-occupied.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 01851?
16% of residents in ZIP code 01851 live below the poverty line, above the national average.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 01851?
The median home value in ZIP code 01851 is $398,900.
What timezone is ZIP code 01851 in?
ZIP code 01851 observes the EST timezone.