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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Boston Metro

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · 7 counties · 4,941,632 residents · 3,486 sq mi
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The short version

Boston is home to 4,941,632 people. The typical home is worth $480,342, having more than doubled since 2000. This is an unusually credentialed place: 49% of adults have a four-year degree. The median household earns $93,991, about 42% above the national median. Renters pay $1,547 a month at the median. 19% of residents were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 39.4
US median: 38.8
More educated
49% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 50%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
4,941,632
+13%since 2000
from 4,391,344 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,418 / sq mi
+13%since 2000
from 1,260 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
39.4
+9%since 2000
from 36.1 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
3,486 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
4.1M4.3M4.5M4.8M5.0M19902000201020202024Boston
20245.0M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.9%(242,590)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.2%(258,810)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.7%(280,364)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.3%(309,220)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.5%(371,506)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3415.1%(744,225)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.5%(616,584)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.7%(625,756)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.5%(668,938)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749.7%(480,064)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.8%(238,966)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.1%(104,609)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$93,991
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $55,174 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$49,547
+77%since 2000
from $28,016 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
59.0%
+12.3 ptssince 2009
from 46.7% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
9.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 8.6% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information9.6%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade8.6%
US avg: 10%
Other services8%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration6.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade5.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.7%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.1%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food2.5%
US avg: 2%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$480,342
+50%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $212,436 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,547
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $773 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
59.7%
−1.5 ptssince 2000
from 61.3% in 2000
40.3% rent
Persons per household
2.53 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.57 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
5.2
−9%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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic66.6%(3,292,281)
Black6.9%(339,635)
Hispanic / Latino11.8%(580,852)
Asian8.6%(426,194)
Other3.6%(175,797)
Segregation Score
47
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Dominican2.8%(137,310)
Puerto Rican2.8%(136,015)
Central American2.4%(118,151)
South American1.3%(63,184)
Salvadoran1.2%(57,630)
Guatemalan0.8%(36,709)
Mexican0.7%(33,919)
Colombian0.6%(30,155)
Honduran0.3%(13,974)
Cuban0.3%(12,722)
Spaniard0.2%(9,142)
Ecuadorian0.2%(8,864)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.2%(7,940)
Venezuelan0.1%(5,325)
Argentine0.1%(4,647)
Costa Rican0.1%(3,336)
Chilean0.1%(3,081)
Panamanian0%(2,106)
Bolivian0%(1,796)
Nicaraguan0%(1,572)
Paraguayan0%(624)
Uruguayan0%(338)
Asian origin
Chinese3.1%(152,274)
Asian Indian2%(96,145)
Vietnamese0.8%(38,719)
Cambodian0.5%(23,407)
Korean0.4%(21,186)
Filipino0.3%(12,542)
Japanese0.2%(8,439)
Pakistani0.1%(5,649)
Taiwanese0.1%(4,606)
Nepalese0.1%(4,310)
Thai0.1%(3,169)
Bangladeshi0.1%(3,117)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0.1%(2,861)
Indonesian0.1%(2,684)
Sri Lankan0%(1,495)
Burmese0%(971)
Malaysian0%(652)
Hmong0%(260)
Mongolian0%(170)
Bhutanese0%(143)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(957)
Samoan0%(653)
Fijian0%(50)
Ancestry
Irish20.8%(1,009,694)
Italian12.9%(623,347)
English9.6%(466,777)
German5.8%(281,280)
French4.3%(208,232)
American3.5%(167,625)
Polish3.2%(155,600)
French Canadian3.1%(152,660)
West Indian2.3%(113,628)
Subsaharan African2.2%(106,672)
Scottish2.2%(106,150)
Portuguese2.1%(101,632)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1.5%(74,909)
Haitian1.5%(73,627)
Swedish1.4%(68,061)
Greek1.3%(65,041)
Brazilian1.2%(56,077)
Cape Verdean1%(47,221)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(34,996)
Canadian0.7%(33,084)
British0.6%(29,737)
Lithuanian0.6%(28,946)
Dutch0.6%(26,949)
Norwegian0.6%(26,854)
Lebanese0.5%(23,685)
Armenian0.5%(22,488)
Jamaican0.4%(21,091)
Welsh0.4%(19,273)
Ukrainian0.4%(18,059)
Hungarian0.3%(14,795)
Finnish0.3%(12,849)
Nigerian0.2%(11,303)
Danish0.2%(10,729)
Austrian0.2%(10,425)
Czech0.2%(8,820)
Swiss0.2%(7,742)
Iranian0.2%(7,372)
Moroccan0.1%(6,733)
Romanian0.1%(6,671)
Turkish0.1%(6,247)
Slovak0.1%(4,835)
Ethiopian0.1%(4,682)
Belgian0.1%(4,677)
Barbadian0.1%(4,606)
Syrian0.1%(4,328)
Arab0.1%(4,064)
Egyptian0.1%(3,950)
Kenyan0.1%(3,929)
Bulgarian0.1%(3,609)
Israeli0.1%(3,373)
Croatian0.1%(3,366)
Latvian0.1%(3,271)
Ghanaian0.1%(2,813)
Serbian0%(2,204)
Somali0%(1,889)
Palestinian0%(1,876)
Australian0%(1,748)
Slovene0%(1,736)
Iraqi0%(1,276)
Guyanese0%(1,270)
Jordanian0%(737)
Macedonian0%(355)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
48.9%
+12.1 ptssince 2000
from 36.8% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
92.0%
+5.4 ptssince 2000
from 86.6% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
22.3%
+7.0 ptssince 2000
from 15.3% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
31.5 min
+55%since 2000
from 20.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
64.7%
−4.7 ptssince 2009
from 69.4% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
12.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.9%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 7.6% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
69.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2011
from 69.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.8%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
50.9%
+6.2 ptssince 2009
from 44.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.6%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 48.6% in 2009
Female
51.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 51.4% in 2009
Foreign born
18.9%
+3.1 ptssince 2009
from 15.8% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
2.9%
−1.6 ptssince 2013
from 4.5% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
93.7%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
86.8%
US average: 86.2%
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

Uninsured
2.9%
−1.6 ptssince 2013
from 4.5% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
65.7%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
14.1%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
16.3%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
19.4%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.3%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
77.1%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
32.5%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)16.5%(31,103)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)14.8%(28,002)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era34.5%(65,079)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War11.6%(21,929)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4.5%(8,461)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 188,799 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+24%
Home value$749,490+56%
Population4,161,883−17%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOSTON VS
San Francisco
Income$136,713+45%
Home value$1,186,704+147%
Population4,630,041−8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOSTON VS
Washington
Income$130,074+38%
Home value$613,108+28%
Population6,465,724+28%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BOSTON VS
Riverside
Income$89,505−5%
Home value$532,724+11%
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 4,941,632 residents according to the 2020 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 $93,991 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 $480,342, and the typical rent is about $1,547 a month.

How educated are people in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?

About 48.9% 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 9.0% 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 807,737 residents, a change of about 20 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 →