ZIP Code 02740 — New Bedford city, MA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 02740 covers New Bedford, MA in Bristol County with a population of about 46,336.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 37.0 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 508, 774; U.S. House district MA-9; the PROVIDENCE - NEW BEDFORD media market.

Median household income in ZIP 02740 is about $54,563 — about 27% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 19.6%; unemployment rate near 7.2%; 18.1% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 15.6 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Retail trade, and Manufacturing; about 5.7% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 9.5 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 $303,400 — about 13% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $876 (about 25% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 37.9% (about 27.5 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 02740 in New Bedford, MA, a household would need roughly $84,000 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 $1,949. That is about 54% above the local median household income ($54,563), 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 New Bedford city, MA as Relatively Moderate (composite score 89.9), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (93.6) and hurricane (91.4). 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 New Bedford city, MA show little to no average snow and around 45.9 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 2,187 for ZIP 02740 (New Bedford 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.