Research Publications

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes the official national monthly unemployment rate, as well official rates at the state, county, and city level through the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. The BLS does not publish unemployment data at the neighborhood level or any other geography below the citywide level. This report explains attempts to estimate neighborhood-level unemployment rates.

This document includes profiles of each of Boston's neighborhoods, including demographic, employment, housing, and development information. Click the thumbnail image for a compilation of all profiles, or click on the following links for individual neighborhood profiles: Allston, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Brighton, Charlestown, Dorchester, Downtown, East Boston, Fenway, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Longwood, Mattapan, Mission Hill, North End, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston, South Boston Waterfront, South End, West End, West Roxbury

This report by the Boston Planning and Development Agency Research Division is a short reference guide to the city of Boston. It breaks down the population by age group, gender, and nativity. It also looks at Boston's colleges and universities, housing, and land use.

The BPDA Research Division presents profiles of the seven largest Latino groups in Boston. These profiles supplement the report "Powering Greater Boston's Economy: Why the Latino Community is Critical to our Shared Future"prepared by the BPDA Research Division and Boston Indicators in June 2017. Click the thumbnail image for a compilation of all seven profiles, or click on the following links for individual profiles: Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, Colombians, Mexicans, Guatemalans, and Brazilians.

A Special Report from Boston Indicators and the BPDA in support of the Latino Legacy Fund

The BPDA Research Division's annual economy report describes conditions and trends in Boston's economy, focusing on economic growth, employment and wages, and the real estate market. This 2017 report includes a spotlight on Boston's economic environment in comparison to a set of 25 peer cities.

Presentation by Alvaro Lima, BPDA Director of Research, to The Boston Foundation's April 19, 2017 forum "Our Shared Future: Charting a Path for Immigrant Advancement in a New Political Landscape"

In 2005, the Boston Planning and Development Agency (then known as the BRA), in collaboration with Create Boston, released a report titled “Boston’s Creative Economy” assessing the size, scope, and economic impact of creative industries in the city. This follow-up revisits the report, asking how the size and composition of employment in Boston’s Creative Economy has changed over the last decade. The original report can be accessed here.

Fiscal Year 2016 marked the 22nd consecutive year that Boston received the most NIH funding of any U.S. city. Forty-two Boston institutions received 3,592 NIH awards for more than $1.85 billion in funding. This total represents 7.5% of all NIH spending and 72% of all NIH funding in Massachusetts. Eight Boston organizations received over $100 million in NIH funding, reinforcing Boston as a powerhouse in medical research.

This publication compares Boston and its neighborhoods to the U.S. and Massachusetts on several demographic, economic and housing characteristics. This report uses 2011-2015 American Community Survey data from the U.S. Census.