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CITY · 2020 ACS

Boston

Massachusetts · 675,647 residents · 48.34 sq mi
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The short version

Boston is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $76,298. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. 51% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 33%. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $581,200. At a median age of 31.7, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. Despite a median home value of $581,200, the poverty rate sits 40% above the US average — a pattern often seen in resort and college towns.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 31.7
US median: 38.8
More educated
51% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 84%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
675,647
+15%since 2000
from 589,141 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
31.7
+2%since 2000
from 31.1 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
563K596K629K662K695K1990201020202024Boston
2024666K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.5%(30,712)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 93.9%(26,632)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 144.1%(27,735)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.1%(41,251)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2413.2%(89,144)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3424.4%(165,045)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.9%(80,559)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 549.5%(64,371)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 649.8%(66,285)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 747.2%(48,825)
US avg: 10%
75 to 843.7%(24,795)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.5%(10,293)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$76,298
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,629 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$46,845
+101%since 2000
from $23,353 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
50.7%
+15.1 ptssince 2009
from 35.6% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
18.0%
−1.6 ptssince 2000
from 19.5% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Other services9.1%
US avg: 6.6%
Information8.1%
US avg: 11.1%
Public administration7.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Retail trade4.3%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance3.8%
US avg: 5.5%
Wholesale trade3.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.4%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food2.5%
US avg: 2%
Transportation & warehousing1.5%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.1%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$581,200
+84%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $210,100 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,685
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $803 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
32.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2000
from 32.2% in 2000
68.0% rent
Afford Score
7.6
−1%since 2009
from 7.7 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic44.6%(301,464)
Black19.1%(129,264)
Hispanic / Latino18.7%(126,113)
Asian11.2%(75,588)
Other4%(27,123)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican5.2%(35,521)
Dominican5.1%(35,368)
Central American3.8%(25,869)
South American2.3%(16,196)
Salvadoran2.1%(14,254)
Colombian1.4%(9,845)
Mexican1.2%(8,410)
Guatemalan0.7%(4,520)
Honduran0.5%(3,213)
Cuban0.5%(3,161)
Spaniard0.3%(1,828)
Peruvian0.3%(1,784)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.2%(1,652)
Costa Rican0.2%(1,522)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,270)
Chilean0.1%(622)
Argentine0.1%(567)
Nicaraguan0.1%(544)
Panamanian0.1%(522)
Bolivian0%(292)
Uruguayan0%(47)
Asian origin
Chinese4.8%(32,879)
Vietnamese1.7%(11,625)
Asian Indian1.5%(10,486)
Korean0.5%(3,492)
Filipino0.3%(2,209)
Japanese0.2%(1,517)
Taiwanese0.1%(699)
Thai0.1%(649)
Cambodian0.1%(637)
Pakistani0.1%(594)
Bangladeshi0.1%(388)
Sri Lankan0%(241)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Indonesian0%(211)
Nepalese0%(156)
Laotian0%(70)
Burmese0%(64)
Malaysian0%(43)
Mongolian0%(28)
Hmong0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(160)
Chamorro0%(75)
Ancestry
Irish13.6%(93,446)
Italian7.6%(52,439)
West Indian6.7%(46,429)
German4.8%(33,010)
English4.7%(32,059)
Haitian3.6%(24,642)
American2.3%(16,024)
Polish2.1%(14,629)
Cape Verdean2%(13,605)
French1.8%(12,249)
Jamaican1.7%(11,551)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
French Canadian1.2%(8,239)
Scottish1.1%(7,851)
Russian1.1%(7,794)
Greek0.9%(6,158)
Portuguese0.8%(5,744)
Swedish0.7%(4,570)
Brazilian0.6%(3,985)
British0.5%(3,518)
Norwegian0.5%(3,170)
Dutch0.4%(3,086)
Nigerian0.4%(2,967)
Lithuanian0.4%(2,692)
Ukrainian0.4%(2,537)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(2,510)
Barbadian0.3%(2,326)
Canadian0.3%(2,158)
Lebanese0.3%(2,009)
Hungarian0.3%(1,963)
Welsh0.3%(1,939)
Somali0.2%(1,574)
Iranian0.2%(1,534)
Armenian0.2%(1,444)
Ethiopian0.2%(1,408)
Danish0.2%(1,307)
Czech0.2%(1,265)
Turkish0.2%(1,213)
Swiss0.1%(974)
Finnish0.1%(942)
Austrian0.1%(935)
Romanian0.1%(818)
Arab0.1%(770)
Ghanaian0.1%(647)
Slovak0.1%(640)
Belgian0.1%(622)
Guyanese0.1%(546)
Moroccan0.1%(536)
Egyptian0.1%(512)
Syrian0.1%(499)
Latvian0.1%(475)
Croatian0.1%(458)
Israeli0.1%(421)
Serbian0.1%(411)
Bulgarian0.1%(401)
Australian0.1%(354)
Kenyan0%(233)
Iraqi0%(162)
Slovene0%(121)
Jordanian0%(81)
RANKED:Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population · Largest West Indian population · Largest Puerto Rican population · Largest Dominican population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
51.3%
+15.8 ptssince 2000
from 35.6% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
87.9%
+9.0 ptssince 2000
from 78.9% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
23.5%
+8.2 ptssince 2000
from 15.3% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.7 min
+60%since 2000
from 19.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
37.5%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 39.9% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
33.5%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 34.8% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.9%
−3.3 ptssince 2011
from 10.2% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
69.8%
+1.2 ptssince 2011
from 68.6% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Management & professional
52.3%
−17.9 ptssince 2009
from 70.2% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.4% in 2009
Female
52.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 51.6% in 2009
Foreign born
28.2%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 26.7% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
3.5%
−91.2 ptssince 2013
from 94.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
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

Neighborhoods in Boston

AllstonBack BayBayBeacon HillBrightonCharlestownDowntownEast BostonFenwayHyde ParkJamaica PlainKenmoreMattapanMission HillNorth DorchesterNorth EndRoslindaleRoxburySouth BostonSouth DorchesterSouth EndWest EndWest RoxburyNeighborhoods in Boston
Drill deeper

Places similar to Boston

Denver
Pop 740,613
Portland
Pop 635,109
Washington
Pop 693,645
Sacramento
Pop 536,449
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Head to head

Compare Boston to nearby cities

BOSTON VS
Winthrop
Income$116,167+52%
Home value$649,600+12%
Population18,647−97%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOSTON VS
Chelsea
Income$72,179−5%
Home value$493,500−15%
Population40,130−94%
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BOSTON VS
Everett
Income$85,218+12%
Home value$610,000+5%
Population53,572−92%
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BOSTON VS
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Home value$618,500+6%
Population103,173−85%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Boston, Massachusetts?

Boston, Massachusetts has about 675,647 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Boston, Massachusetts?

The typical household in Boston, Massachusetts earns about $76,298 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 $581,200, and the typical rent is about $1,685 a month.

How educated are people in Boston, Massachusetts?

About 51.3% 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 18.0% of people in Boston, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.

Has Boston, Massachusetts grown since 1990?

Yes, Boston, Massachusetts has grown since 1990. The population has added about 101,364 residents, a change of about 18 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →