Moving to Lowell, Massachusetts

by btobers · Published June 18, 2019 · Updated November 18, 2024

Lowell, Massachusetts is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Merrimack River and is the fourth largest city in Massachusetts. The population of Lowell was estimated to be 106,519 in 2019. Lowell has a total area of 36.2 square miles, with 0.2 square miles being water.

The climate in Lowell is humid continental, with hot summers and cold winters. The average temperature ranges from 18°F to 83°F throughout the year. Snowfall averages around 40 inches annually, while rainfall averages around 45 inches per year.

Lowell was first settled in 1653 and incorporated as a town in 1826; it became a city in 1836. Since then, politics have been dominated by the Democratic Party and liberal causes have been championed by many Lowell politicians over the years.

Lowell’s economy has traditionally relied heavily on manufacturing and industry, with textiles playing a significant role for over 150 years until their decline in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, technology companies such as Kronos Incorporated are major employers within the city limits while local universities such as UMass Lowell also provide employment opportunities for residents of Lowell.

The public schools within Lowell are managed by the Lowell Public Schools system which consists of 19 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 2 high schools and one alternative school program for students at risk of dropping out or who have behavioral issues that make them difficult to educate within traditional structures. UMass Lowell also offers educational opportunities for those looking to pursue higher education within the city limits through their undergraduate and graduate programs as well as its medical school offerings at UMMS-Baystate Regional Campus located just outside of downtown Lowell near Cawley Stadium.

Some of the notable landmarks within Lowell include St Anne’s Church (the first parish church built in New England), The Boott Cotton Mills Museum (which displays artifacts from when textiles were king), The American Textile History Museum (which houses exhibits about all aspects of textile manufacturing), and The Tsongas Industrial History Center (which provides interactive exhibits about industrialization).

Population: 105,167. Estimated population in July 2024: 103,111 (-2.0% change)
Males: 51,807 (49.3%), Females: 53,360 (50.7%)

Middlesex County

Demographics

Median resident age: 31.4 years
Median household income: $39,192
Median house value: $134,200

Population by Race

Races in Lowell:

White Non-Hispanic (62.5%)
Hispanic (14.0%)
Other Asian (11.8%)
Other race (6.5%)
Black (4.2%)
Two or more races (3.9%)
Asian Indian (2.3%)
Vietnamese (1.5%)
American Indian (0.6%)
Chinese (0.6%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

Ancestries: Irish (19.5%), French (11.0%), French Canadian (8.4%), English (5.9%), Portuguese (5.8%), Italian (5.7%).

Elevation: 102 feet

Land area: 13.8 square miles

Map of Lowell, MA

Population by Education

Lowell, Massachusetts is a city of approximately 110,000 people located in the northeastern United States. It is situated along the Merrimack River in Middlesex County and is part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The city has a diverse population with a mix of different ethnicities and backgrounds. According to the 2019 American Community Survey, Lowell had a population of 108,863 people with a median age of 35.7 years. The racial makeup of Lowell was 48.6% White, 18.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 12.7% Black or African American and 6.1% Other Races/Ethnicity groups.

Lowell is an affordable place to live; the median household income for 2019 was $56,326 and the median home value was $269,400 according to Zillow real estate data for Lowell Massachusetts in January 2021. The cost of living in Lowell is relatively low compared to other cities in Massachusetts and other parts of the United States; goods and services are around 3-4 percent cheaper than the national average according to Sperling’s Best Places Cost Of Living Index (2020). Renters will find that apartment rental prices are lower than many other cities in Massachusetts; one bedroom apartments rent for an average price of $1200 per month while two bedroom apartments rent for around $1500 per month on average according to Rent Jungle (2021).

For population 25 years and over in Lowell

High school or higher: 71.2%
Bachelor’s degree or higher: 18.1%
Graduate or professional degree: 6.7%
Unemployed: 6.6%
Mean travel time to work: 24.3 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Lowell city

Never married: 37.0%
Now married: 43.5%
Separated: 3.1%
Widowed: 7.1%
Divorced: 9.3%

22.1% Foreign born (11.9% Asia, 4.9% Latin America, 3.5% Europe).

Population change in the 1990s: +1,749 (+1.7%).

Hospitals

Hospitals/medical centers in Lowell:

DR HARRY SOLOMON MHC (391 VARNUM AVE)
LOWELL GENERAL HOSPITAL (295 VARNUM AVENUE)
SAINTS MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER INC (220 PAWTUCKET STREET)

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Lowell:

LAURENCE G HANSCOM FLD (about 13 miles; BEDFORD, MA; Abbreviation: BED)
MANCHESTER (about 22 miles; MANCHESTER, NH; Abbreviation: MHT)
GENERAL EDWARD LAWRENCE LOGAN INTL (about 30 miles; BOSTON, MA; Abbreviation: BOS)

Other public-use airports nearest to Lowell:

MERRIMACK VALLEY (about 9 miles; METHUEN, MA; Abbreviation: MA2)
LAWRENCE MUNI (about 15 miles; LAWRENCE, MA; Abbreviation: LWM)
BOIRE FIELD (about 16 miles; NASHUA, NH; Abbreviation: ASH)

Amtrak stations near Lowell:

15 miles: WOBURN (100 ATLANTIC AVE.). Services: ticket office.
19 miles: HAVERHILL (WASHINGTON ST. @ RAILROAD SQUARE). Services: ticket office.

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/Universities in Lowell:

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS-LOWELL (Full-time enrollment: 8,373; Location: 1 UNIVERSITY AVE; Public; Website: WWW.UML.EDU; Offers Doctor’s degree)
BLAINE THE BEAUTY CAREER SCHOOL (Full-time enrollment: 115; Location: 231 CENTRAL ST; Private, for-profit; Website: [email protected])
LOWELL ACADEMY OF HAIRDRESSING (Full-time enrollment: 44; Location: 136 CENTRAL ST; Private, for-profit)
TRAINING UNLIMITED INC (Location: 850 CHELMFORD ST; Private, for-profit; Website: www.training.lowellarea.com)
DICK LEPINE REAL ESTATE INC (Location: 757 BRIDGE ST; Private, for-profit)

Other colleges/universities with over 2000 students near Lowell:

MIDDLESEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 11 miles; BEDFORD, MA; Full-time enrollment: 4,501)
MERRIMACK COLLEGE (about 15 miles; NORTH ANDOVER, MA; Full-time enrollment: 2,384)
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY (about 17 miles; WALTHAM, MA; Full-time enrollment: 4,444)
BENTLEY COLLEGE (about 19 miles; WALTHAM, MA; Full-time enrollment: 4,651)
NORTHERN ESSEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 20 miles; HAVERHILL, MA; Full-time enrollment: 3,388)
TUFTS UNIVERSITY (about 21 miles; MEDFORD, MA; Full-time enrollment: 8,627)
HARVARD UNIVERSITY (about 23 miles; CAMBRIDGE, MA; Full-time enrollment: 20,531)

Schools

Public high schools in Lowell:

LOWELL HIGH (Students: 3,906; Location: 50 FR. MORRISSETTE BLVD; Grades: 09 – 12)
LOWELL MIDDLESEX ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL (Students: 108; Location: 33 KEARNEY SQUARE; Grades: 09 – 12)

Private high schools in Lowell:

LOWELL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL (Students: 288; Location: 530 STEVENS ST; Grades: 9 – 12)
COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN ACAD. (Students: 113; Location: 205 INDUSTRIAL AVE E; Grades: KG – 12)

Biggest public primary/middle schools in Lowell:

JAMES S DALEY MIDDLE SCH (Students: 856; Location: 150 FLEMING STREET; Grades: 05 – 08)
E N ROGERS (Students: 737; Location: 43 HIGHLAND STREET; Grades: 05 – 08)
JAMES SULLIVAN MIDDLE SCH (Students: 720; Location: 150 DRAPER STREET; Grades: 05 – 08)
DR AN WANG SCHOOL (Students: 683; Location: 365 WEST MEADOW RD; Grades: 05 – 08)
HENRY J ROBINSON MIDDLE (Students: 644; Location: 110 JUNE STREET; Grades: 05 – 08)
PETER W REILLY (Students: 614; Location: 115 DOUGLAS RD; Grades: PK – 04)
B.F.BUTLER MIDDLE SCH (Students: 565; Location: 1140 GORHAM STREET; Grades: 05 – 08)
LOWELL COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL (Students: 542; Location: 206 JACKSON STREET; Grades: KG – 06)
BARTLETT MIDDLE SCH (Students: 540; Location: 79 WANNALANCIT STREET; Grades: 05 – 08)
JOSEPH MCAVINNUE (Students: 525; Location: 117 MAMMOTH RD; Grades: PK – 04)

Biggest private primary/middle schools in Lowell:

ST JEANNE DARC ELEM (Students: 491; Location: 68 DRACUT STREET; Grades: KG – 8)
ST MARGARET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 442; Location: 486 STEVENS STREET; Grades: PK – 8)
ST LOUIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 400; Location: 77 BOISVERT STREET; Grades: PK – 8)
FRANCO AMERICAN ELEMENTARY SCH (Students: 386; Location: 357 PAWTUCKET STREET; Grades: KG – 8)
ST MICHAEL SCHOOL (Students: 337; Location: 21 SIXTH STREET; Grades: PK – 8)
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION ELEM SCH (Students: 310; Location: 218 E MERRIMACK ST; Grades: PK – 8)
SACRED HEART ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 211; Location: 122 ANDREWS STREET; Grades: PK – 8)
ST PATRICK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (Students: 193; Location: 311 ADAMS STREET; Grades: PK – 8)
ST STANISLAUS SCHOOL (Students: 165; Location: 368 HIGH ST; Grades: KG – 8)
C.T.I.CHILDRENS CORNER D C C (Students: 130; Location: 554 PAWTUCKET ST; Grades: PK – KG)

Libraries

Library in Lowell:

SAMUEL S. POLLARD MEMORIAL LIBRARY (Operating income: $1,183,932; Location: 33 MIDDLE ST.; 161,478 books; 3,289 audio materials; 3,172 video materials; 546 serial subscriptions)