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METRO AREA · 2010 ACS

Boston Metro

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · 7 counties · 4,552,402 residents · 3,486 sq mi
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The short version

With 4,552,402 people, Boston is a metro area. The typical home is worth $386,158, having more than doubled since 2000. This is an unusually credentialed place: 42% of adults have a four-year degree. The median household earns $70,417, about 34% above the national median. Median rent is $1,129 a month. The poverty rate is 9.7%, under the national 13.8%.

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

Total population
4,552,402
+4%since 2000
from 4,391,344 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,306 / sq mi
+4%since 2000
from 1,260 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
38.5
+7%since 2000
from 36.1 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
3,486 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
4.1M4.3M4.5M4.8M5.0M19902000201020202024Boston
20245.0M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 55.6%(256,902)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 95.9%(268,753)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.2%(280,044)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.9%(314,191)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.4%(336,178)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3413.6%(619,747)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4413.8%(628,670)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5415.5%(705,655)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6412%(546,219)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 746.7%(306,169)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.3%(197,788)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over2%(92,086)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$70,417
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $55,174 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,601
+31%since 2000
from $28,016 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
46.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 46.7% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
9.7%
+1.2 ptssince 2000
from 8.6% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.464
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information10.4%
US avg: 11.5%
Retail trade9.1%
US avg: 10.9%
Other services8.8%
US avg: 7%
Public administration6.8%
US avg: 4.9%
Wholesale trade5.5%
US avg: 7.2%
Finance & insurance3.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical3%
US avg: 4.2%
Arts, entertainment, food3%
US avg: 2.4%
Transportation & warehousing2.6%
US avg: 3.1%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.4%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$386,158
+44%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $212,436 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,129
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $773 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
61.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2000
from 61.3% in 2000
38.2% rent
Vacancy rate
7.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.50 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.57 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
36.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 36.7% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
47.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 46.5% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
5.6
−2%since 2009
from 5.7 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
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)
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)
Macedonian0%(310)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
42.1%
+5.2 ptssince 2000
from 36.8% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
90.0%
+3.4 ptssince 2000
from 86.6% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
18.3%
+3.0 ptssince 2000
from 15.3% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.6 min
+41%since 2000
from 20.4 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
69.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 69.4% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
8.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.1% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
11.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
4.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
5.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.8%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
13.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
13.3%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 12.9% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
45.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 44.6% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.6% in 2009
Female
51.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.4% in 2009
Foreign born
16.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 15.8% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
7.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
2.7%
−1.8 ptssince 2013
from 4.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
65.1%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 65.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 14.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 16.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 19.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
76.1%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 77.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
33.9%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 32.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)20.8%(33,022)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.8%(26,771)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.3%(56,072)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.2%(11,492)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.5%(2,442)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 158,895 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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

Middlesex CountyCENTRAL1,669,979Essex CountyCENTRAL826,653Suffolk CountyCENTRAL791,891Norfolk CountyCENTRAL739,749Plymouth CountyCENTRAL546,829Rockingham CountyCENTRAL324,077Strafford County135,043
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 Boston
Head to head

Compare Boston side by side

BOSTON VS
Seattle
Income$116,172+65%
Home value$749,490+94%
Population4,161,883−17%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOSTON VS
San Francisco
Income$136,713+94%
Home value$1,186,704+207%
Population4,630,041−8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOSTON VS
Washington
Income$130,074+85%
Home value$613,108+59%
Population6,465,724+28%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOSTON VS
Riverside
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

How we source and harmonize this data →

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (2010): population, income & housing data · CensusEasy