Research Publications

Boston by the Numbers explores the characteristics of Boston's population and economy. This report breaks down the population by age group, gender, and nativity. It also looks at Boston's colleges and universities, housing, and land use, using the most recent American Community Survey data.

This report delves into the implications of the 2020 Census's revised approach to collecting and processing race and ethnicity data. This methodological change, entailing the reclassification of respondents based on their origin, resulted in substantial growth in the "two or more races" category. Executed without respondents' consent, the reclassification distorts demographic analysis and undermines the reliability of Census data. The City of Boston has filed an official complaint to the US Census Bureau protesting this race reclassification scheme.

Boston at a Glance is a demographic fact sheet for the city of Boston. The 2023 update uses current U.S. Census data from the American Community Survey including ACS 2017-2021 5-year estimates.

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 recounts the history of redlining and the interlocking set of housing policies that helped create contemporary patterns of wealth and segregation. It assesses the impacts of these policies on people and places in Boston using contemporary and historical data. Our focus is on the connections between Black people and place in Boston and how policy’s focus has impacted those connections over time.

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.