CITY · 1990 CENSUS
Boston
Massachusetts · 574,283 residents · 48.34 sq mi
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The short version
Boston has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $29,180. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 20%. Median home value is $160,100. Despite a median home value of $160,100, the poverty rate sits 41% above the US average — a pattern often seen in resort and college towns.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 30.4
US median: 33.0
More educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01
Population & growth
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024666K
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.2%(35,772)
5 to 95.1%(29,542)
10 to 144.8%(27,380)
15 to 197.1%(40,716)
20 to 2413.1%(75,165)
25 to 3423.2%(133,074)
35 to 4413.6%(78,376)
45 to 548.2%(47,237)
55 to 647.1%(40,865)
65 to 746.3%(36,380)
75 to 843.8%(21,665)
85 and over1.4%(8,111)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$29,180
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $39,629 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$160,100
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $210,100 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
RELATED:See current rent listings in Boston on RentDataNow
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic49.5%(291,561)
Black23.8%(140,305)
Hispanic / Latino14.4%(85,089)
Asian7.5%(44,009)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic63%(361,513)
Black25.5%(146,695)
Hispanic / Latino10.4%(59,692)
Asian5.3%(30,457)
Other6.2%(35,618)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
Hispanic origin
Dominican6.1%(40,543)
Puerto Rican4.1%(27,420)
Central American3.6%(24,210)
South American2.6%(17,377)
Salvadoran1.7%(11,540)
Colombian1.5%(10,154)
Mexican1.2%(7,848)
Guatemalan0.9%(6,166)
Honduran0.5%(3,334)
Venezuelan0.3%(2,073)
Cuban0.3%(1,932)
Spaniard0.2%(1,641)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.2%(1,610)
Costa Rican0.2%(1,598)
Peruvian0.2%(1,507)
Panamanian0.1%(778)
Chilean0.1%(776)
Argentine0.1%(542)
Nicaraguan0.1%(518)
Bolivian0%(237)
Uruguayan0%(182)
Paraguayan0%(173)
Asian origin
Chinese4.5%(30,293)
Vietnamese1.8%(11,763)
Asian Indian1.7%(11,420)
Korean0.7%(4,403)
Filipino0.3%(1,951)
Taiwanese0.2%(1,193)
Japanese0.2%(1,010)
Cambodian0.1%(900)
Bangladeshi0.1%(743)
Pakistani0.1%(738)
Thai0.1%(567)
Nepalese0.1%(357)
+ 10 more asian origin groups with data
Indonesian0%(245)
Burmese0%(242)
Sri Lankan0%(222)
Kazakh0%(192)
Laotian0%(86)
Uzbek0%(46)
Malaysian0%(41)
Hmong0%(12)
Mongolian0%(10)
Singaporean0%(4)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(376)
Native Hawaiian0%(302)
Tongan0%(75)
Chamorro0%(58)
Guamanian0%(41)
Fijian0%(29)
Ancestry
Irish13.1%(87,634)
Italian7.3%(48,804)
West Indian6.6%(43,679)
English5.6%(37,182)
German4.9%(32,945)
Subsaharan African4.1%(27,098)
Haitian3.1%(20,574)
Polish2.3%(15,107)
American2.2%(14,700)
Cape Verdean1.8%(12,141)
French1.7%(11,423)
Jamaican1.7%(11,260)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Arab1.2%(7,736)
Scottish1.1%(7,618)
Russian1.1%(7,467)
French Canadian1.1%(7,450)
Portuguese0.9%(6,321)
Greek0.8%(5,420)
Swedish0.8%(5,186)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.7%(4,822)
Nigerian0.6%(4,244)
Barbadian0.5%(3,164)
Norwegian0.5%(3,082)
Brazilian0.4%(2,714)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(2,580)
Dutch0.4%(2,579)
Lebanese0.4%(2,542)
Ukrainian0.4%(2,484)
Ethiopian0.4%(2,336)
Canadian0.3%(2,272)
British0.3%(2,181)
Lithuanian0.3%(2,070)
Iranian0.3%(1,814)
Welsh0.3%(1,719)
Hungarian0.3%(1,692)
Armenian0.2%(1,334)
Swiss0.2%(1,305)
Czech0.2%(1,165)
Danish0.2%(1,151)
Moroccan0.2%(1,145)
Turkish0.2%(1,074)
Guyanese0.2%(1,034)
Somali0.2%(1,031)
Ghanaian0.1%(930)
Austrian0.1%(870)
Belgian0.1%(814)
Kenyan0.1%(773)
Egyptian0.1%(747)
Finnish0.1%(728)
Romanian0.1%(721)
Syrian0.1%(714)
Slovak0.1%(613)
Croatian0.1%(568)
Latvian0.1%(488)
Israeli0.1%(468)
Palestinian0.1%(409)
Australian0.1%(337)
Bulgarian0%(289)
Serbian0%(267)
Jordanian0%(244)
Iraqi0%(243)
Slovene0%(122)
Macedonian0%(88)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
75.7%
−3.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 78.9% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
No data for the years selected.
Section 08
People & community
No data for the years selected.
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married56.4%(155,367)
Married35.9%(98,972)
Widowed1.5%(4,143)
Divorced6.2%(16,995)
Women 15+
Never married55.2%(169,292)
Married30.6%(93,945)
Widowed5.5%(16,758)
Divorced8.7%(26,518)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Explore
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Boston, Massachusetts?
Boston, Massachusetts has about 574,283 residents according to the 1990 Census.
What is the median household income in Boston, Massachusetts?
The typical household in Boston, Massachusetts earns about $29,180 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Boston, Massachusetts expensive?
In Boston, Massachusetts, the median home is worth about $160,100, and the typical rent is about $625 a month.
How educated are people in Boston, Massachusetts?
About 30.0% of adults age 25 and over in Boston, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Boston, Massachusetts?
About 18.7% of people in Boston, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.
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MassachusettsDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024