Who Lives Here
Demographics
A Portrait of Lawrence
Lawrence is one of the youngest, densest, and most heavily immigrant cities in Massachusetts: about 89,000 people pressed into roughly seven square miles on the Merrimack. More than four in five residents are Latino, and the city holds one of the largest Dominican-American communities in the entire country. The median resident is about 33 years old, which means a lot of this city is your age or close to it.
Key Figures
89,143Population (2020)
6.9Square Miles
$60.4KMedian HH Income
43,530Registered Voters
Sources: Secretary of the Commonwealth, voter enrollment · US Census Bureau (data.census.gov).
Population & Households
- Population: 89,143 (2020 Census).
- Land area: about 6.9 square miles.
- Density: roughly 12,800 people per square mile, among the densest cities in the state.
- Median age: about 32.6 years.
Race & Ethnicity
- Hispanic or Latino: about 83%.
- White (non-Hispanic): about 12%.
- Black or African American: about 2%.
- Asian: about 2%.
- Two or more / other: the remainder.
- Immigrant city: a large share of residents are foreign-born, and Spanish is widely spoken.
Economy & Education
- Median household income: about $60,400.
- Per capita income: about $29,300.
- Poverty rate: about 18%.
- Workforce: top sectors include manufacturing, health care, and retail.
Registered Voters
As of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s February 1, 2025 count, Lawrence had 43,530 registered voters.
- Democrat: 14,399 (33.08%)
- Republican: 2,002 (4.60%)
- Unenrolled: 26,804 (61.58%)
- Other / minor parties: 325 (0.75%)
Students
- Enrollment: about 12,955 students in Lawrence Public Schools.
- Schools: 26, including one of the state’s largest high schools.
- Student body: about 95% Hispanic/Latino, with many English learners.
- More: see the student data page.
Sources
See how Lawrence compares to the rest of the Commonwealth.