Research Publications

Explore the BPDA 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
Global, National and Regional Demographic Trends affecting Boston's Future

All Neighborhoods Neighborhoods

Mar 19 2024 Publication Date

The following presentation explores global, national, and local demographic trends and their impact on Boston's population. A summarizing infographic is available here.


Topics: Age, Education, Foreign-born, Gender, Households & Families, Language, Race
Evolution of Boston's Home Financing: Analyzing Changes in Mortgage Applicants

All Neighborhoods Neighborhoods

Feb 22 2024 Publication Date

This presentation explores Boston's home purchase mortgage environment to understand the trends and changes in mortgage applicant composition by income and race/ethnicity from 2007 to 2022, using HMDA data from the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.


Topics: Age, Education, Foreign-born, Gender, Households & Families, Income & Poverty, Language, Race, Real Estate & Development
Boston by the Numbers 2023

All Neighborhoods Neighborhoods

Dec 13 2023 Publication Date

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.


Topics: Age, Education, Foreign-born, Gender, Households & Families, Language, Race
Race and Ethnicity in the 2020 Census: Self-Identification or Classification?

All Neighborhoods Neighborhoods

Nov 09 2023 Publication Date

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.


Topics: Race
Boston at a Glance 2023

All Neighborhoods Neighborhoods

Aug 14 2023 Publication Date

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.


Topics: Age, Education, Foreign-born, Gender, Households & Families, Language, Race
Historical Trends in Boston’s Neighborhoods

All Neighborhoods Neighborhoods

Jun 01 2023 Publication Date

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.


Topics: Age, Education, Foreign-born, Gender, Households & Families, Language, Race
Historical Profile of Boston's Neighborhoods

All Neighborhoods Neighborhoods

Mar 07 2023 Publication Date

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


Topics: Age, Education, Foreign-born, Gender, Households & Families, Language, Race
Historical Boston in Context: Neighborhood Comparison by Decade

All Neighborhoods Neighborhoods

Mar 07 2023 Publication Date

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.


Topics: Age, Education, Foreign-born, Gender, Households & Families, Language, Race
Redlining in Boston: Black People, Place, and Policy

All Neighborhoods Neighborhoods

Feb 21 2023 Publication Date

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.


Topics: Race
Young Adults in Boston Across the Generations

All Neighborhoods Neighborhoods

Nov 29 2022 Publication Date

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?


Topics: Age, Education, Foreign-born, Gender, Households & Families, Language, Race