ZIP Code 01851 — Lowell city, MA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 01851 covers Lowell, MA in Middlesex County with a population of about 32,308.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 35.6 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 351, 978; U.S. House district MA-3; the BOSTON (MANCHESTER) media market.

Lowell, MA sits in a university / college context (near university of massachusetts-lowell (1.8 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 01851 is about $87,962 — about 17% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 16.6%; unemployment rate near 5.0%; 32.0% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 1.7 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Retail trade; about 10.5% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 4.7 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $432,100 — about 24% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,484 (about 28% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 44.8% (about 20.7 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 01851 in Lowell, MA, a household would need roughly $119,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $2,776. That is about 35% above the local median household income ($87,962), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Lowell city, MA as Relatively High (composite score 96.9), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (98.5) and hurricane (95.5). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Lowell city, MA show little to no average snow and around 48.5 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,525 for ZIP 01851 (Lowell city, MA) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.