Research Publications

Boston has experienced rapid population growth in recent years. This report uses the most recent American Community Survey to examine how the composition of Boston's population has changed from 2010 to 2017. Variables covering age, race, educational attainment, income, housing, and transportation are included.

This report analyzes trends in Boston neighborhoods since 1950 in the areas of population, housing, age distribution, race and ethnicity, nativity, educational attainment and labor force participation using data from the 1950-2010 Decennial Censuses and the 2006-2010 and 2011-2015 5-year American Community Surveys.

Boston at a Glance is a series that presents some selected demographic, economic and housing characteristics of Boston. The data used in this report is a combination of 2013 ACS 1-Year Estimate and 2009-2013 ACS 5-Years Estimates. Updated January 28, 2019 to ensure consistency across publications.

“Imagine all the People” is a series of publications produced by the Boston Redevelopment Authority for the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians, that provides a comprehensive profile of Boston’s diverse immigrant communities and their numerous contributions to the city’s social, cultural, and economic landscape. It is part of an ongoing effort to celebrate new Bostonians and gain insight into how our city is shaped by their presence.

The BRA Research Division prepared this presentation for the Boston Citywide Plan to provide a factual basis to understand 1) historical trends that have shaped poverty and inequality in Boston, 2) the extent of poverty and inequality in Boston today, and 3) specific populations that are disproportionately affected by poverty and inequality.

This publication compares Boston and its neighborhoods to the U.S. and Massachusetts on several demographic, economic and housing characteristics. This report uses a combination of 2010 Census data and 2009-2013 American Community Survey data.

This presentation provides statistics showing historical trends that shaped the present population of Boston. Presentation sections include population growth, diversity, educational attainment, age distribution, and changing families.

This report presents additional demographic statistics for the Boston City Council Districts from the 2009-2013 American Community Survey.

This report was produced by the BRA Research DIvision in collaboration with the UMass Donahue Institute and attempts to reframe a long-running debate about the Boston metro area's ability to retain the college and university graduates it produces annually.

On October 14, 2014, Alvaro Lima, Director of Research at the BRA, presented information on the characteristics of Boston and its neighborhoods to a group from Boston Education Funders. The presentation discusses recent demographic changes in Boston and highlights the 0-24 population.