METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS
Boston Metro
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · 7 counties · 4,133,895 residents · 3,486.097 sq mi
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The short version
Boston is significantly wealthier than the US average, with a median household income of $40,213. Population has declined 6% since 2000. 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 20%. Median home value is $174,711.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 33.4
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
20245.0M
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.8%(281,170)
5 to 96.1%(251,728)
10 to 145.6%(232,577)
15 to 196.6%(273,563)
20 to 248.7%(359,616)
25 to 3419.3%(799,046)
35 to 4415.5%(641,097)
45 to 5410.3%(425,626)
55 to 648.4%(348,737)
65 to 747.1%(293,845)
75 to 844.1%(169,515)
85 and over1.4%(57,375)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$40,213
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $55,174 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$174,711
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $212,436 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
RELATED:See current rent listings in Boston on RentDataNow
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic80.7%(3,545,277)
Black5.6%(247,524)
Hispanic / Latino6.4%(281,605)
Asian4.6%(200,625)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic89%(3,678,592)
Black5.7%(233,937)
Hispanic / Latino4.4%(182,315)
Asian2.9%(118,294)
Other2.5%(103,072)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
Hispanic origin
Dominican3.3%(162,289)
Central American2.8%(139,953)
Puerto Rican2.6%(129,188)
South American1.6%(79,682)
Salvadoran1.3%(64,568)
Guatemalan0.9%(46,493)
Mexican0.8%(39,977)
Colombian0.8%(37,964)
Honduran0.3%(16,653)
Ecuadorian0.3%(12,833)
Cuban0.2%(12,100)
Peruvian0.2%(9,901)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.2%(9,897)
Venezuelan0.1%(7,298)
Costa Rican0.1%(4,523)
Argentine0.1%(3,969)
Chilean0.1%(3,722)
Nicaraguan0.1%(2,960)
Panamanian0%(2,338)
Bolivian0%(1,494)
Uruguayan0%(902)
Paraguayan0%(729)
Asian origin
Chinese3.3%(161,270)
Asian Indian2.2%(106,650)
Vietnamese0.9%(43,369)
Cambodian0.5%(26,217)
Korean0.5%(24,823)
Filipino0.2%(11,751)
Japanese0.2%(7,900)
Taiwanese0.1%(7,357)
Pakistani0.1%(7,121)
Nepalese0.1%(5,976)
Bangladeshi0.1%(4,150)
Thai0.1%(3,572)
+ 11 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0.1%(2,338)
Indonesian0%(2,073)
Sri Lankan0%(1,389)
Burmese0%(933)
Malaysian0%(725)
Kazakh0%(519)
Hmong0%(512)
Uzbek0%(332)
Singaporean0%(270)
Mongolian0%(169)
Bhutanese0%(32)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0%(1,418)
Samoan0%(816)
Chamorro0%(685)
Tongan0%(270)
Guamanian0%(102)
Fijian0%(55)
Marshallese0%(16)
Ancestry
Irish19.8%(980,874)
Italian11.8%(583,055)
English10.1%(499,378)
German5.7%(282,978)
French3.8%(186,364)
American3.2%(156,036)
Polish3%(147,205)
French Canadian2.5%(125,957)
West Indian2.2%(110,215)
Subsaharan African2.1%(105,316)
Scottish2.1%(103,695)
Portuguese1.9%(95,397)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Brazilian1.4%(68,582)
Russian1.4%(67,054)
Haitian1.3%(66,108)
Swedish1.2%(60,607)
Greek1.2%(59,526)
Arab1.2%(57,183)
Cape Verdean0.9%(42,978)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(31,323)
Canadian0.5%(26,754)
Norwegian0.5%(26,248)
Lithuanian0.5%(24,956)
Lebanese0.5%(24,226)
Dutch0.5%(23,009)
Jamaican0.5%(22,407)
Armenian0.4%(21,426)
Ukrainian0.4%(20,273)
British0.4%(19,154)
Welsh0.3%(16,279)
Hungarian0.3%(13,239)
Nigerian0.3%(13,157)
Finnish0.2%(11,982)
Danish0.2%(10,832)
Moroccan0.2%(9,910)
Iranian0.2%(9,439)
Austrian0.2%(8,997)
Swiss0.2%(8,827)
Czech0.2%(8,045)
Romanian0.2%(7,864)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.2%(7,426)
Turkish0.1%(6,966)
Ethiopian0.1%(6,793)
Barbadian0.1%(6,223)
Kenyan0.1%(5,165)
Syrian0.1%(5,049)
Slovak0.1%(4,955)
Egyptian0.1%(4,936)
Belgian0.1%(4,267)
Israeli0.1%(3,789)
Bulgarian0.1%(3,708)
Latvian0.1%(3,221)
Croatian0.1%(2,996)
Ghanaian0.1%(2,672)
Serbian0%(2,046)
Australian0%(1,939)
Iraqi0%(1,920)
Guyanese0%(1,871)
Palestinian0%(1,563)
Somali0%(1,414)
Slovene0%(1,337)
Jordanian0%(1,104)
Macedonian0%(990)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
82.7%
−3.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 86.6% 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 married39.9%(806,704)
Married50.9%(1,029,599)
Widowed2.2%(44,679)
Divorced7%(141,895)
Women 15+
Never married36%(773,631)
Married46.6%(1,001,017)
Widowed7.2%(155,077)
Divorced10.2%(218,847)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
In this metro
Largest cities
BostonCENTRAL672,973CambridgeCENTRAL122,588Lowell119,971Brockton106,134Lynn104,236Quincy103,173NewtonCENTRAL90,741Lawrence89,320Somerville84,211FraminghamCENTRAL73,021Haverhill68,361Malden66,370WalthamCENTRAL65,037Brookline63,266Revere60,141Medford59,834Weymouth59,759Peabody55,953Everett53,572Arlington46,350Salem45,381Woburn43,962Beverly43,363Marlborough42,772Chelsea40,130Braintree38,957Randolph34,948Dover34,623Lexington34,295Franklin33,955
The 30 most populous of 128 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
7 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Boston
Seattle
Pop 4,161,883
San Francisco
Pop 4,630,041
Washington
Pop 6,465,724
Riverside
Pop 4,769,007
Places similar to BostonHead to head
Compare Boston side by side
BOSTON VS
Seattle
Income$116,172+189%
Home value$749,490+329%
Population4,161,883−17%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOSTON VS
San Francisco
Income$136,713+240%
Home value$1,186,704+579%
Population4,630,041−8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOSTON VS
Washington
Income$130,074+223%
Home value$613,108+251%
Population6,465,724+28%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOSTON VS
Riverside
Income$89,505+123%
Home value$532,724+205%
Population4,769,007−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH has about 4,133,895 residents according to the 1990 Census.
What is the median household income in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The typical household in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH earns about $40,213 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH expensive?
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, the median home is worth about $174,711, and the typical rent is about $640 a month.
How educated are people in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
About 30.2% of adults age 25 and over in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
About 8.3% of people in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH live below the federal poverty line.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024