Census-designated place · Plymouth County, Massachusetts

Middleborough Center, Massachusetts

Middleborough Center is a census-designated place in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area. It has 8,155 residents. Middleborough Center, Massachusetts has a quality-of-life score of 78 out of 100 (high), ranking #3,485 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Massachusetts it ranks #158 of 225 cities and towns. It ranks best on mental health providers (high), flu vaccinations (high) and food environment index (high). It ranks worst on time spent in the emergency room (high), average commute time (high) and preventable hospital stays (high).

78High

Quality-of-life score: #3,485 of 15,651 cities and towns
Massachusetts: #158 of 225 in MA
Population: 8,155 (2020-2024)
Land area: 4 mi²
Density: 2,076.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 2540885

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety68#4,935/15,637
Economy68#5,027/15,631
Housing15#12,712/14,977
Health63#5,706/15,609
Healthcare84#2,510/15,650
Environment87#1,953/15,453
Education80#3,129/15,649
Infrastructure50#7,844/15,650
Community78#3,449/15,651
Leisure & amenities66#5,330/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Middleborough Center, Massachusetts ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Plymouth County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Mental health providers · high666 /100k
96/100Massachusetts 787 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePlymouth County value
Flu vaccinations · high56.0%
96/100Massachusetts 55.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePlymouth County value
Food environment index · high9.3
94/100Massachusetts 9.3United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePlymouth County value
Mammography screening · high55.0%
91/100Massachusetts 54.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePlymouth County value
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.0 /10k
91/100Massachusetts 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPlymouth County value
Mental health care shortage · low0.0
91/100Massachusetts 1.9United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationPlymouth County value

Weaknesses

Time spent in the emergency room · high236 min
7/100Massachusetts 216 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesPlymouth County value
Average commute time · high30.0 min
14/100Massachusetts 29.1 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Preventable hospital stays · high3,588 /100k
17/100Massachusetts 3,344 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutePlymouth County value
Depression · high27.4%
18/100Massachusetts 24.4%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Frequent mental distress · high20.3%
18/100Massachusetts 17.5%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Rent-burdened households · high56.1%
21/100Massachusetts 51.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
7,343 (2015-2019) → 8,155 (2020-2024)
+11%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
36.8% (2015-2019) → 7.5% (2020-2024)
−29 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateImproving
18.3% (2015-2019) → 8.8% (2020-2024)
−9.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
84.7% (2015-2019) → 94.0% (2020-2024)
+9.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$66,525 (2015-2019) → $97,616 (2020-2024)
+47%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
25.2% (2015-2019) → 32.2% (2020-2024)
+7 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Middleborough Center, Massachusetts improved on 3 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Poverty−9.5 points18.3% → 8.8%
Household income+47%$66,525 → $97,616
Broadband+9.4 points84.7% → 94.0%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Middleborough Center, Massachusetts between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	27.9 min2015-2019	30.0 min2020-2024	+2.1 min	Within the margin of error	26%
Bachelor's degree or higher	25.2%2015-2019	32.2%2020-2024	+7 points	Within the margin of error	79%
Broadband subscriptions	84.7%2015-2019	94.0%2020-2024	+9.4 points	Improved	56%
Effective property tax rate	1.31%2015-2019	1.20%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	39%
High school diploma or higher	93.4%2015-2019	95.5%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Home price to income ratio	4.4×2015-2019	4.4×2020-2024	−0.1×	Within the margin of error	82%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4412015-2019	0.3832020-2024	−0.058	Within the margin of error	87%
Median household income	$66,5252015-2019	$97,6162020-2024	+47%	Improved	82%
Poverty rate	18.3%2015-2019	8.8%2020-2024	−9.5 points	Improved	92%
Rent as share of income	31.7%2015-2019	33.1%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Rent-burdened households	55.0%2015-2019	56.1%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	2.8%2015-2019	3.1%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	43%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Middleborough Center, Massachusetts five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Middleborough Center, Massachusetts in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Middleborough Center, Massachusetts itself moved +6.8 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

8,155 residents (±596)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

3,404 households (±359)

Middleborough Center, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $25k13%†453
$25k–50k17%†569
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

3,404 households (±359)

Middleborough Center, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Own53%1,798
Rent47%1,606

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

4,612 workers (±553)

Middleborough Center, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Drive alone80%3,702
Carpool7.0%†323
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Plymouth County, the county holding most of Middleborough Center's residents.

Plymouth County has 13,421 employer establishments, 249 for every 10,000 residents (1.00× the US rate of 248; 0.96× Massachusetts's), with 180,733 paid employees at an average annual pay of $60,181. The Census Bureau also counts 46,985 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 13,421; 46,985 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 249; US 248 · Massachusetts 260
Paid employees: 180,733
Average annual pay: $60,181; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Plymouth County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	1,379	25.6	1.65×More than typical	11,780	$92,593	3,828
Restaurants and other eating places	1,015	18.8	1.02×About typical	19,199	$25,734	138
Ambulatory health care services	846	15.7	0.75×Fewer than typical	11,954	$66,597	2,208
Building equipment contractors	615	11.4	1.89×More than typical	6,530	$98,675	929
Services to buildings and dwellings	609	11.3	1.67×More than typical	2,963	$63,163	1,886
Construction of buildings	596	11	1.46×More than typical	2,785	$80,255	1,532
Full-service restaurants	427	7.9	1.03×About typical	10,052	$29,631	43
Lessors of real estate	412	7.6	0.62×Fewer than typical	1,172	$81,625	4,705
Landscaping services	389	7.2	2.06×More than typical	1,647	$74,752	622
Limited-service restaurants	357	6.6	0.82×About typical	5,450	$23,368	64
Personal care services	354	6.6	1.37×More than typical	2,026	$32,893	1,480
Automotive repair and maintenance	350	6.5	1.29×More than typical	1,819	$52,274	388

Rank places for an industry Open Plymouth County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 539,691 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated -$363 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Middleborough Center, Massachusetts: -$0.04 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: -$363; −101% vs FY2025
Per resident: -$0.04; US $1,995
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$3510.0%

Top recipients

MASS TANK INSPECTION SERVICES LLC$3510.0%
HLS, LLC-$7140.0%

Spending by fiscal year

46.4KFY2017
43KFY2018
28.8KFY2019
387.5KFY2020
58.4KFY2021
-31.2KFY2022
1.2KFY2023
11.8KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for mining · 2131$3510.0%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Middleborough Center, Massachusetts, so they do not add up across cities.

Middleborough Center, Massachusetts's figures are part of those of Plymouth County, MA ($140.7M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Middleborough Center is mostly in Plymouth County.

See federal money in Plymouth County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Middleborough Center, Massachusetts is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Elizabeth Warren

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Plymouth County89100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH89

Other cities and towns in Plymouth County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2540885

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends