Research Publications

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).

This presentation examines high-skilled immigrant workers in Massachusetts (defined as having a Bachelor's degree or higher) and where they obtained their degree: in the U.S. or in their home country.

Immigrants are an increasingly important source of labor for the Massachusetts economy. This presentation explores immigrant workers in Massachusetts with a Bachelor's degree or higher, defined as "high-skilled."

This report is a profile on Boston's unemployed population. It includes 2008-2012 and 2012 American Community Survey data by neighborhood, race, age, sex, nativity, and more. This report was revised to use the boundaries for the West End and Downtown that went into effect in 2014. See the original report using the previous boundaries