Research Publications

A presentation on historical trends in Boston’s neighborhoods between 1950 and 2020, with a focus on population, housing, age distribution, race & ethnicity, nativity, educational attainment, and labor force participation.

A look at Boston's neighborhood through Decennial Census Data from 1950-2020.

This Historical Boston in Context document compares how Boston, Boston’s neighborhoods, Massachusetts, and the United States changed demographically between 1950 and 2021. It uses data from the United States Census Bureau’s Decennial Censuses and American Community Surveys.

This presentation looks at the young adult demographic in Boston across the generations. How have the demographics of the population changed between 1980, 2000 and 2020?

Young Adults 18-34 make up 39% of Boston’s population, but only 23% of the U.S. Population. This presentation looks at how Boston's young adult population compares to the rest of the country.

Boston in Context tabulates various social, demographic, and economic characteristics from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey by Boston Neighborhood. Citywide totals as well as totals for Massachusetts and the United States are provided for comparison.

Limited English-Speaking (LES) adults are those who self-report as speaking English less than "very well." This report details where LES adults live in Massachusetts, their population demographics, and workforce statistics.

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.

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.

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.