CityOfBoston Official An official website of the City of Boston

This is the website for the City of Boston’s new Planning Department, which launched on July 1. The staff and many responsibilities of the Boston Planning & Development Agency have moved to the Planning Department of the City of Boston including planning & zoning, urban design, development review, and real estate divisions. Please excuse any misalignment you may see on our site as we transition to the City. Learn more

Research Publications

Explore the Research Division publications below by keyword, neighborhood, or topic. If you have questions about these documents or are looking for specific information, please review the Frequently Requested Information page. This page features publications covering the most requested economic and demographic data for Boston.

A-to-Z
Profiles of Boston's Latinos

N/A Neighborhoods

Jun 08 2017 Publication Date

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.


Topics: Population & Demographics
Powering Greater Boston's Economy: Why the Latino Community is Critical to our Shared Future

N/A Neighborhoods

Jun 07 2017 Publication Date

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


Topics: Population & Demographics
The Importance of Immigrants to Boston's Continued Prosperity

N/A Neighborhoods

Apr 24 2017 Publication Date

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"


Topics: Foreign-born
Boston in Context 2017

All Neighborhoods Neighborhoods

Jan 25 2017 Publication Date

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.


Topics: Population & Demographics
Boston at a Glance 2017

N/A Neighborhoods

Jan 19 2017 Publication Date

Boston at a Glance is a series of short reference sheets that present some selected demographic, economic and housing characteristics of Boston. The data used in this report are primarily from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2011-2015 American Community Survey. Updated January 28, 2019 to ensure consistency with prior publications.


Topics: Population & Demographics
Boston 2030 Population Projections

N/A Neighborhoods

Nov 17 2016 Publication Date

This presentation examines historical trends in Boston's population and introduces the Boston Planning and Development Agency's population projections for Boston through 2030.


Topics: Population & Demographics
Methodology for Boston's Population Projections

N/A Neighborhoods

Oct 19 2016 Publication Date

To inform the Imagine Boston 2030 planning process and to create internal capacity to provide ongoing demographic analysis and projections, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) Research Division developed a population projection model. The model examines historical population trends, creates projections for Boston’s population through 2030, and provides capability to test hypothetical scenarios and explore the impact of policy proposals. This report describes the population projection methodology.


Topics: Population & Demographics
imagine all the people: Massachusetts Portuguese Speakers

N/A Neighborhoods

May 26 2016 Publication Date

"imagine all the people” is a series of publications produced by the Boston Redevelopment Authority for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement. The series provides a comprehensive profile of Boston’s diverse immigrant communities. This report profiles residents of Massachusetts who are from Portuguese-speaking countries.


Topics: Population & Demographics
imagine all the people: Vietnamese

N/A Neighborhoods

Apr 13 2016 Publication Date

“imagine all the people” is a series of publications produced by the Boston Redevelopment Authority for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement. The series provides a comprehensive profile of Boston’s diverse immigrant communities. This report profiles Bostonians who were born in Vietnam.


Topics: Foreign-born
imagine all the people: Trinidadians and Tobagonians

N/A Neighborhoods

Apr 13 2016 Publication Date

“imagine all the people” is a series of publications produced by the Boston Redevelopment Authority for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Advancement. The series provides a comprehensive profile of Boston’s diverse immigrant communities. This report profiles Bostonians who were born in Trinidad and Tobago.


Topics: Foreign-born