02740 ZIP Code — New Bedford, MA

Bristol County, Massachusetts

ZIP code 02740 is located in New Bedford, Massachusetts, within Bristol County. It covers approximately 5.75 square miles and serves a population of 46,623 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 508/774.

About ZIP code 02740

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 $280,000. Renters make up the majority at 62%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $51,599. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 31% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 34% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 02740 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

46,623

population

5.75

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

02740 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 02740

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 02740. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
New Bedford	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

02744 New Bedford (2 mi) 02746 New Bedford (2.1 mi) 02719 Fairhaven (3.8 mi) 02745 New Bedford (5.6 mi) 02743 Acushnet (6 mi) 02739 Mattapoisett (7.1 mi) 02790 Westport (7.4 mi) 02717 East Freetown (8.6 mi) 02770 Rochester (9.6 mi) 02723 Fall River (10.7 mi) 02721 Fall River (11 mi) 02738 Marion (11 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	46,623
Population density	8,108 / sq mi
State FIPS	25
County FIPS	005

Geography
Land area	5.75 sq mi
Water area	0.82 sq mi
Latitude	41.6322
Longitude	-70.9406
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	508/774

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	52.5%	36.8%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	27.3%	28.5%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	18.3%	26.6%	28.5%
Over $200k	1.9%	8.1%	14.3%

Demographics & statistics

46,623

Population

8,108

People per sq mi

36.8

Median age

$51,599

Median household income

$28,832

Per capita income

$280,000

Median home value

$1,002

Median monthly rent

38.4%

Home ownership

18.8%

Poverty rate

7.1%

Unemployment

2,357

Housing units

18.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,428

Under 5

1,419

1,354

5–9

1,345

1,688

10–14

1,676

1,422

15–19

1,413

1,806

20–24

1,793

3,190

25–34

3,167

3,148

35–44

3,127

2,788

45–54

2,768

1,355

55–59

1,345

1,395

60–64

1,386

2,219

65–74

2,203

993

75–84

986

607

85+

602

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	10,732	23.0%
18 and over	35,891	77.0%
65 and over	7,610	16.3%
Median age	36.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 44.2%

Hispanic or Latino 23.4%

Other race 14.7%

Two or more races 10.3%

Black or African American 5.1%

Asian 1.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Group	Count	%
White	26,894	44.2%
Hispanic or Latino	14,259	23.4%
Other race	8,945	14.7%
Two or more races	6,283	10.3%
Black or African American	3,100	5.1%
Asian	926	1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	475	0.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	52.5%	36.8%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	27.3%	28.5%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	18.3%	26.6%	28.5%
Over $200k	1.9%	8.1%	14.3%

Under $10k 7.4%

$10k–$15k 6.7%

$15k–$25k 11.0%

$25k–$35k 10.7%

$35k–$50k 13.0%

$50k–$75k 15.0%

$75k–$100k 13.5%

$100k–$150k 14.5%

$150k–$200k 4.1%

$200k+ 4.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.4%
$10k–$15k	6.7%
$15k–$25k	11.0%
$25k–$35k	10.7%
$35k–$50k	13.0%
$50k–$75k	15.0%
$75k–$100k	13.5%
$100k–$150k	14.5%
$150k–$200k	4.1%
$200k+	4.1%
Median income	$51,599

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.0%

$50k–$100k 0.4%

$100k–$150k 2.9%

$150k–$200k 9.5%

$200k–$300k 43.0%

$300k–$500k 35.2%

$500k–$1M 4.4%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$280,000
Median rent / month	$1,002
Owner occupied	38.4%
Renter occupied	61.6%
Vacant	5.4%
Single-family detached	30.1%
Large apartment buildings	9.1%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.68

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	1.2%
2000–2009	2.3%
1990–1999	3.5%
1980–1989	5.2%
1970–1979	6.8%
1960–1969	7.9%
1950–1959	9.8%
1940–1949	6.5%
1939 or earlier	56.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.0%
1 bedroom	17.4%
2 bedrooms	30.6%
3 bedrooms	35.1%
4 bedrooms	10.9%
5+ bedrooms	4.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	19.0%
1 vehicle	43.0%
2 vehicles	26.8%
3 or more	11.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	76.4%
Electricity	10.2%
Propane / LP gas	2.3%
Fuel oil	9.7%
Wood	0.2%
Solar	0.4%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,651	29.0%
Cohabiting couple	1,974	10.1%
Male householder, no spouse	4,847	24.9%
Female householder, no spouse	6,995	35.9%
Households with children under 18	5,751	29.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	5,651	29.0%
Average household size	2.33

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	46.7%	40.0%
Married	34.8%	31.9%
Separated	2.9%	4.2%
Widowed	3.3%	9.4%
Divorced	12.3%	14.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 11.5%

Some HS, no diploma 11.1%

HS graduate 35.0%

Some college, no degree 16.1%

Associate's degree 8.3%

Bachelor's degree 12.2%

Graduate / professional 5.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	77.4%
Bachelor's or higher	18.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	390	3.6%
Kindergarten	795	7.3%
Elementary school	4,654	42.9%
High school	2,314	21.3%
College / grad school	2,688	24.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.4%

Retail trade 12.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.7%

Manufacturing 10.2%

Professional & management 7.9%

Construction 7.5%

Transportation & utilities 5.4%

Other services 4.4%

Wholesale trade 3.8%

Finance & real estate 3.6%

Public administration 3.5%

Information 1.7%

Agriculture & mining 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.1%
Service	24.2%
Sales & office	20.4%
Natural resources & construction	10.8%
Production & transportation	17.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	85.0%
Government	11.7%
Self-employed	3.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.0%
Carpool	14.2%
Public transit	3.3%
Walk	3.8%
Work from home	4.8%
Other means	1.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.0

Poverty

All people 18.8%

Under 18 years 21.1%

18 and over 18.1%

Married-couple families 4.5%

Female-led households 27.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.7%
Retirement income	16.9%
Supplemental Security	11.9%
Cash public assistance	5.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	31.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	30.1%
High blood pressure	34.3%
High cholesterol	30.4%
Diabetes	11.3%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	13.0%
Arthritis	30.1%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	9.0%
Cancer	6.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.5%
Binge drinking	15.6%
No physical activity	29.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.6%
Depression	23.3%
Fair or poor health	19.8%
Poor mental health	17.5%
Poor physical health	12.7%
No health insurance	11.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.0%
Visited dentist	58.1%
Cholesterol screening	87.5%
Teeth loss	22.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,605	4.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.5%
Under 18	5.5%
18–64 years	14.8%
65 and over	40.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	48.7%
Public insurance	59.3%
No insurance	4.3%
Uninsured under 19	3.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	43,776	93.9%
Spanish	5,529	12.6%
Other Indo-European	2,632	6.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	2,604	5.9%
Other languages	198	0.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	38,437	82.4%
Born in same state	35,647	76.5%
Born in different state	30,591	65.6%
Foreign born	2,790	6.0%
Naturalized citizen	8,186	17.6%
Not a US citizen	4,486	54.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	4,116	8.8%
French	3,032	6.5%
German	901	1.9%
Arab	701	1.5%
Polish	165	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	45	0.1%
English	26	0.1%
Irish	11	0%
Dutch	2	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.8%
Internet access	88.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 02740

What city is ZIP code 02740 in?

ZIP code 02740 is primarily assigned to New Bedford, Massachusetts.

What county is ZIP code 02740 in?

ZIP code 02740 falls within Bristol County, Massachusetts.

Is ZIP code 02740 mostly rentals?

62% of occupied units in ZIP code 02740 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 02740?

19% of residents in ZIP code 02740 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the population of ZIP code 02740?

ZIP code 02740 has an estimated population of 46,623 residents, with a density of 8,113 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 02740?

The median household income in ZIP code 02740 is $51,599, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 02740 in?

ZIP code 02740 observes the EST timezone.