METRO AREA · 2010 ACS
Boston Metro
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · 7 counties · 4,552,402 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 $70,417. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. 42% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 28%. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $386,158.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $52,703
Mid-age
median age 38.5
US median: 37.2
More educated
42% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 44%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01
Population & growth
Population, 1990 – 2024
20245.0M
Age distribution, 2010
Under 55.6%(256,902)
5 to 95.9%(268,753)
10 to 146.2%(280,044)
15 to 196.9%(314,191)
20 to 247.4%(336,178)
25 to 3413.6%(619,747)
35 to 4413.8%(628,670)
45 to 5415.5%(705,655)
55 to 6412%(546,219)
65 to 746.7%(306,169)
75 to 844.3%(197,788)
85 and over2%(92,086)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$70,417
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $55,174 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
46.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 46.7% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information10.4%
Retail trade9.1%
Other services8.8%
Public administration6.8%
Wholesale trade5.5%
Finance & insurance3.6%
Professional, scientific, technical3%
Arts, entertainment, food3%
Transportation & warehousing2.6%
Education & health services0.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
Construction0.3%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$386,158
+44%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $212,436 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
5.6
−2%since 2009
from 5.7 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-Hispanic80.7%(3,545,277)
Black5.6%(247,524)
Hispanic / Latino6.4%(281,605)
Asian4.6%(200,625)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic74.9%(3,408,585)
Black6.6%(301,533)
Hispanic / Latino9%(410,516)
Asian6.4%(292,786)
Other2.4%(107,427)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican2.5%(111,996)
Dominican2%(88,500)
Central American1.8%(80,435)
South American1%(43,012)
Salvadoran0.7%(31,888)
Mexican0.7%(29,108)
Guatemalan0.6%(28,724)
Colombian0.5%(21,209)
Honduran0.3%(11,009)
Cuban0.2%(8,778)
Peruvian0.1%(6,033)
Spaniard0.1%(3,456)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.1%(3,375)
Argentine0.1%(3,261)
Venezuelan0.1%(3,203)
Costa Rican0.1%(2,896)
Chilean0.1%(2,523)
Panamanian0.1%(2,249)
Nicaraguan0%(1,710)
Bolivian0%(1,319)
Uruguayan0%(1,074)
Paraguayan0%(248)
Ancestry
Irish24.8%(1,114,855)
Italian15%(673,860)
English11.6%(521,199)
German6.7%(302,355)
French6.4%(287,212)
Polish3.9%(173,786)
French Canadian3.6%(161,220)
American3.1%(140,142)
Scottish2.9%(128,514)
Portuguese2.5%(113,351)
Russian2.1%(93,881)
Scotch-Irish2.1%(93,708)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
West Indian2.1%(92,522)
Swedish1.8%(78,949)
Subsaharan African1.7%(75,777)
Greek1.5%(68,807)
Haitian1.3%(57,802)
Brazilian1.1%(48,485)
Arab1%(46,958)
Canadian1%(46,392)
Lithuanian0.8%(35,426)
Cape Verdean0.8%(33,743)
Dutch0.7%(29,838)
Norwegian0.6%(26,242)
Lebanese0.5%(23,302)
British0.5%(22,541)
Armenian0.5%(22,170)
Welsh0.4%(19,100)
Jamaican0.4%(16,352)
Ukrainian0.4%(16,109)
Hungarian0.3%(15,002)
Finnish0.3%(14,437)
Austrian0.3%(12,352)
Danish0.3%(11,887)
Czech0.2%(9,533)
Swiss0.2%(9,434)
Romanian0.2%(7,035)
Iranian0.1%(6,399)
Moroccan0.1%(5,665)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.1%(4,840)
Turkish0.1%(4,807)
Syrian0.1%(4,801)
Nigerian0.1%(4,549)
Slovak0.1%(4,374)
Ethiopian0.1%(4,238)
Belgian0.1%(4,225)
Barbadian0.1%(4,040)
Latvian0.1%(3,971)
Israeli0.1%(3,749)
Egyptian0.1%(3,232)
Kenyan0.1%(2,710)
Bulgarian0.1%(2,513)
Croatian0%(2,123)
Somali0.1%(1,995)
Australian0%(1,890)
Serbian0%(1,111)
Guyanese0%(1,020)
Slovene0%(1,002)
Ghanaian0%(977)
Jordanian0%(795)
Iraqi0%(653)
Palestinian0%(500)
Macedonian0%(310)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
90.0%
+3.4 ptssince 2000
from 86.6% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Section 08
People & community
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
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BOSTON VS
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Income$116,172+65%
Home value$749,490+94%
Population4,161,883−17%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOSTON VS
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Income$136,713+94%
Home value$1,186,704+207%
Population4,630,041−8%
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BOSTON VS
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Income$130,074+85%
Home value$613,108+59%
Population6,465,724+28%
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BOSTON VS
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Income$89,505+27%
Home value$532,724+38%
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 4,552,402 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The typical household in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH earns about $70,417 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 $386,158, and the typical rent is about $1,129 a month.
How educated are people in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
About 42.1% 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 9.7% of people in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH live below the federal poverty line.
Has Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH grown since 1990?
Yes, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH has grown since 1990. The population has added about 418,507 residents, a change of about 10 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024