01985 ZIP Code — West Newbury, MA

Essex County, Massachusetts

ZIP code 01985 is located in West Newbury, Massachusetts, within Essex County. It covers approximately 13.45 square miles and serves a population of 4,521 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 978.

About ZIP code 01985

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $726,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 94%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($181,125) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 4% is below the national average. 42% 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 33 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 64% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 01985 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

4,521

population

13.45

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

01985 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 01985

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 01985. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
West Newbury	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

01922 Byfield (3.5 mi) 01860 Merrimac (3.8 mi) 01913 Amesbury (4.3 mi) 01830 Haverhill (4.4 mi) 01833 Georgetown (4.7 mi) 01950 Newburyport (5 mi) 01969 Rowley (6.3 mi) 03858 Newton (6.3 mi) 01835 Haverhill (6.5 mi) 01951 Newbury (6.5 mi) 03865 Plaistow (7.3 mi) 01832 Haverhill (8.1 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	4,521
Population density	336 / sq mi
State FIPS	25
County FIPS	009

Geography
Land area	13.45 sq mi
Water area	1.28 sq mi
Latitude	42.7915
Longitude	-70.9688
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	978

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	11.8%	32.1%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	21.0%	26.4%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	32.4%	27.2%	28.5%
Over $200k	34.8%	14.3%	14.3%

Demographics & statistics

4,521

Population

336

People per sq mi

50.5

Median age

$181,125

Median household income

$74,521

Per capita income

$726,300

Median home value

$2,143

Median monthly rent

94.2%

Home ownership

3.5%

Poverty rate

3.8%

Unemployment

1,712

Housing units

64.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

151

10–14

155

157

15–19

162

115

20–24

118

207

25–34

213

182

35–44

187

330

45–54

339

217

55–59

222

185

60–64

190

372

65–74

381

133

75–84

136

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	838	18.5%
18 and over	3,683	81.5%
65 and over	1,052	23.3%
Median age	50.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 83.9%

Two or more races 8.5%

Hispanic or Latino 5.1%

Asian 1.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%

Group	Count	%
White	3,994	83.9%
Two or more races	405	8.5%
Hispanic or Latino	241	5.1%
Asian	92	1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	30	0.6%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	11.8%	32.1%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	21.0%	26.4%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	32.4%	27.2%	28.5%
Over $200k	34.8%	14.3%	14.3%

Under $10k 0.7%

$10k–$15k 0.6%

$15k–$25k 1.2%

$25k–$35k 2.6%

$35k–$50k 7.9%

$50k–$75k 1.5%

$75k–$100k 9.2%

$100k–$150k 18.8%

$150k–$200k 11.9%

$200k+ 45.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	0.7%
$10k–$15k	0.6%
$15k–$25k	1.2%
$25k–$35k	2.6%
$35k–$50k	7.9%
$50k–$75k	1.5%
$75k–$100k	9.2%
$100k–$150k	18.8%
$150k–$200k	11.9%
$200k+	45.4%
Median income	$181,125

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.7%

$100k–$150k 1.2%

$150k–$200k 0.6%

$200k–$300k 5.6%

$300k–$500k 11.0%

$500k–$1M 69.9%

$1M+ 11.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$726,300
Median rent / month	$2,143
Owner occupied	94.2%
Renter occupied	5.8%
Vacant	10.1%
Single-family detached	92.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	7.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.83

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	7.9%
2000–2009	6.1%
1990–1999	16.2%
1980–1989	17.5%
1970–1979	11.5%
1960–1969	9.2%
1950–1959	6.2%
1940–1949	3.8%
1939 or earlier	21.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	1.7%
2 bedrooms	13.2%
3 bedrooms	38.1%
4 bedrooms	35.9%
5+ bedrooms	11.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.9%
1 vehicle	15.5%
2 vehicles	51.0%
3 or more	31.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	14.3%
Electricity	2.8%
Propane / LP gas	19.9%
Fuel oil	58.4%
Wood	2.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,162	71.6%
Cohabiting couple	189	11.6%
Male householder, no spouse	77	4.7%
Female householder, no spouse	196	12.1%
Households with children under 18	470	28.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	690	42.5%
Average household size	2.78

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.9%	24.7%
Married	61.1%	59.0%
Separated	0.9%	0.0%
Widowed	2.3%	5.8%
Divorced	7.7%	10.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 2.1%

HS graduate 10.3%

Some college, no degree 15.3%

Associate's degree 8.0%

Bachelor's degree 34.1%

Graduate / professional 30.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	97.9%
Bachelor's or higher	64.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	64	5.9%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	438	40.4%
High school	253	23.4%
College / grad school	328	30.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.0%

Professional & management 20.6%

Retail trade 10.5%

Manufacturing 9.5%

Finance & real estate 7.6%

Information 5.1%

Other services 4.6%

Construction 4.3%

Transportation & utilities 4.2%

Public administration 3.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.8%

Wholesale trade 1.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	58.6%
Service	10.4%
Sales & office	22.4%
Natural resources & construction	3.7%
Production & transportation	4.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.6%
Government	9.9%
Self-employed	12.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.5%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.8%
Carpool	3.3%
Public transit	0.9%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	18.6%
Other means	2.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	33.1

Poverty

All people 3.5%

Under 18 years 7.1%

18 and over 2.7%

Married-couple families 1.0%

Female-led households 4.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	41.9%
Retirement income	33.3%
Supplemental Security	2.4%
Cash public assistance	1.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	1.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	24.6%
High blood pressure	25.9%
High cholesterol	30.9%
Diabetes	7.0%
Heart disease	4.9%
Stroke	2.1%
Asthma	10.5%
Arthritis	24.7%
Kidney disease	2.3%
Pulmonary disease	4.4%
Cancer	7.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	9.9%
Binge drinking	16.9%
No physical activity	16.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	27.1%
Depression	18.4%
Fair or poor health	8.1%
Poor mental health	11.9%
Poor physical health	7.3%
No health insurance	3.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.9%
Visited dentist	82.5%
Cholesterol screening	94.2%
Teeth loss	6.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	325	8.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.9%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	8.9%
65 and over	29.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	89.3%
Public insurance	29.4%
No insurance	0.4%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,375	96.8%
Spanish	57	1.3%
Other Indo-European	23	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	10	0.2%
Other languages	24	0.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,250	94.0%
Born in same state	4,205	93.0%
Born in different state	2,987	66.1%
Foreign born	45	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	271	6.0%
Not a US citizen	189	69.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,018	22.5%
French	894	19.8%
German	305	6.7%
Arab	165	3.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	42	0.9%
Norwegian	41	0.9%
Dutch	10	0.2%
Irish	9	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.9%
Internet access	100.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 01985

What city is ZIP code 01985 in?

ZIP code 01985 is primarily assigned to West Newbury, Massachusetts.

What county is ZIP code 01985 in?

ZIP code 01985 falls within Essex County, Massachusetts.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 01985?

64% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

Is ZIP code 01985 mostly owner-occupied?

94% of occupied units in ZIP code 01985 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 01985 have a large retiree population?

42% of households in ZIP code 01985 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 01985?

The median household income in ZIP code 01985 is $181,125, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 01985 in?

ZIP code 01985 observes the EST timezone.