Research Publications

Boston at a Glance is a series that presents some selected demographic, economic and housing characteristics of Boston. The data used in this report is a combination of 2013 ACS 1-Year Estimate and 2009-2013 ACS 5-Years Estimates. Updated January 28, 2019 to ensure consistency across publications.

“Imagine all the People” is a series of publications produced by the Boston Redevelopment Authority for the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians, that provides a comprehensive profile of Boston’s diverse immigrant communities and their numerous contributions to the city’s social, cultural, and economic landscape. It is part of an ongoing effort to celebrate new Bostonians and gain insight into how our city is shaped by their presence.

The BRA Research Division prepared this presentation for the Boston Citywide Plan to provide a factual basis to understand 1) historical trends that have shaped poverty and inequality in Boston, 2) the extent of poverty and inequality in Boston today, and 3) specific populations that are disproportionately affected by poverty and inequality.

This publication compares Boston and its neighborhoods to the U.S. and Massachusetts on several demographic, economic and housing characteristics. This report uses a combination of 2010 Census data and 2009-2013 American Community Survey data.

This presentation provides statistics showing historical trends that shaped the present population of Boston. Presentation sections include population growth, diversity, educational attainment, age distribution, and changing families.

This report presents demographic statistics for the Boston City Council Districts from the 2009-2013 American Community Survey.

On October 14, 2014, Alvaro Lima, Director of Research at the BRA, presented information on the characteristics of Boston and its neighborhoods to a group from Boston Education Funders. The presentation discusses recent demographic changes in Boston and highlights the 0-24 population.

This document was created to contribute to and inform the work of the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement. It provides a demographic overview of women in the city, and includes details on age, race, ethnicity, nativity, educational attainment, labor force characteristics, and more. It also includes information on three key issue areas for women in Boston: poverty, the pay gap between men and women, and female-owned businesses.

This presentation explores recipients of 6 types of public benefits in Boston: public assistance income, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security income, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and food stamps (SNAP).

Immigrants contribute to the American economy as workers, consumers, business owners, entrepreneurs, and investors. However, instead of merely considering the contributions that immigrant laborers make to the economy once they arrive, one must also account for what their home economies have contributed to them before they emigrate. This paper looks at the process of production and reproduction of immigrant labor using educational costs as an example.