Research Publications

The 2025 neighborhood profiles were developed by the Research Division to provide a brief overview Boston and its 23 neighborhoods' demographics, economy, housing, mobility, and past and future trends. Updating the 2019 series, these reports use diverse data sources, including the Division's population estimates and projections, Mastercard spending data, U.S. Census LODES employment data, Citydata mobility data, MBTA ridership data, and Mayor’s Office of Housing data. Explore the citywide profile and 23 neighborhood profiles below: Citywide | Allston | Back Bay | Beacon Hill | Brighton | Charlestown | Chinatown | 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 provides an overview of NIH funding awarded to Boston researchers in fiscal year 2025, a year marked by significant disruption in the federal research funding landscape. Despite proposed budget cuts, grant terminations, and a freeze on Harvard-affiliated funding, Boston received $2.46 billion across 3,983 grants, maintaining its position as the second-largest recipient of NIH funding in the country. The majority of funding supported world-renowned institutions such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Boston Children's Hospital. While Boston's research funding held steady in FY2025, the long-term federal policy outlook remains uncertain.

This presentation provides an analysis of the latest data on Boston's labor market, focusing in particular on the macroeconomic outlook, the uneven impacts of AI-driven investment, and what a “frozen” job market could mean for workers and employers as we head into 2026.

This series profiles Boston's 7 top industries including: Retail, Educational Services, Healthcare, Culture Sports and Tourism, Finance Insurance and Real Estate (FIRE), Industrial, and Professional Services. Each profile includes data on employment, earnings, establishments, associated real estate, and more.

• Industry Profiles 2025: Retail, Food Services, and Other Services Industry
• Industry Profiles 2025: Culture, Sports, and Tourism Industry
• Industry Profiles 2025: Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate Industry
• Industry Profiles 2025: Educational Services Industry
• Industry Profiles 2025: Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry
• Industry Profiles 2025: Professional, Technical, and Scientific Services Industry
• Industry Profiles 2025: Industrial Industry

Boston's Economy 2025 covers trends in employment, wages, mobility, travel, consumer spending, housing prices, and real estate.

This report provides an overview of NIH funding awarded to Boston researchers in fiscal year 2024, highlighting the City’s continued leadership in biomedical research and innovation. Boston received nearly $2.5 billion across 4,194 grants, the second-highest total nationwide. The majority of this funding supported world-renowned institutions such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Boston Children’s Hospital, reflecting the strength of Boston’s hospitals, universities, and life sciences sector in advancing groundbreaking medical research.

This presentation and report present the Research Division's study on the Brazilian scientific diaspora in Greater Boston. Using labor market data analysis from LinkedIn profiles, this study identifies and maps Brazilian professionals contributing to the Greater Boston Area's scientific and innovation ecosystem. View the presentation by clicking here or on the thumbnail. View the report here.

Women in Boston comprise about half of Boston's workforce. This presentation examines the gender pay ratio in Boston at two points in time, 2000 and 2022, to shed light on who the pay ratio has changed for, and what factors contribute to its persistence.

Boston's Economy 2024 covers trends in employment, wages, housing prices, and real estate.

This presentation explores the industries and the people that run Boston at night, comparing Boston's nighttime economy with peer cities and the nation. A summarizing infographic is available here.