Boston Demographics and Statistics
The city of Boston is home to more than 610,000 residents. When the Greater Boston Region is considered there are around 4.5 million people. This makes the Greater Boston metropolitan area one of the largest in the country. An interesting note regarding the population of the inner-city is that it fluctuates greatly and can reach a million or more during working days and can soar up to two million when there are celebrations, festivals and other special events. Another factor that is responsible for the fluid nature of the city’s population is the influx of workers from other adjoining regions for education, medical services and for work.
When one takes a good look at the breakdown of the population statistics, one will see that Whites make up more than 50%, while African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, Native Hawaiian, Hispanics and other races make up the rest. These other groups include Jews and those that descended from migrants from European nations such as Italy and Ireland.
Boston (city), Massachusetts
| People QuickFacts | Boston | Massachusetts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population, 2006 estimate | 590,763 | 6,437,193 | |
| Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 | 0.3% | 1.4% | |
| Population, 2000 | 589,141 | 6,349,097 | |
| Persons under 5 years old, percent, 2000 | 5.4% | 6.3% | |
| Persons under 18 years old, percent, 2000 | 19.8% | 23.6% | |
| Persons 65 years old and over, percent, 2000 | 10.4% | 13.5% | |
| Female persons, percent, 2000 | 51.9% | 51.8% | |
| White persons, percent, 2000 (a) | 54.5% | 84.5% | |
| Black persons, percent, 2000 (a) | 25.3% | 5.4% | |
| American Indian and Alaska Native persons, percent, 2000 (a) | 0.4% | 0.2% | |
| Asian persons, percent, 2000 (a) | 7.5% | 3.8% | |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, percent, 2000 (a) | 0.1% | Z | |
| Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2000 | 4.4% | 2.3% | |
| Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2000 (b) | 14.4% | 6.8% | |
| Living in same house in 1995 and 2000, pct 5 yrs old & over | 47.8% | 58.5% | |
| Foreign born persons, percent, 2000 | 25.8% | 12.2% | |
| Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2000 | 33.4% | 18.7% | |
| High school graduates, percent of persons age 25+, 2000 | 78.9% | 84.8% | |
| Bachelor's degree or higher, pct of persons age 25+, 2000 | 35.6% | 33.2% | |
| Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2000 | 28.8 | 27.0 | |
| Housing units, 2000 | 251,935 | 2,621,989 | |
| Homeownership rate, 2000 | 32.2% | 61.7% | |
| Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000 | $190,600 | $185,700 | |
| Households, 2000 | 239,528 | 2,443,580 | |
| Persons per household, 2000 | 2.31 | 2.51 | |
| Median household income, 1999 | $39,629 | $50,502 | |
| Per capita money income, 1999 | $23,353 | $25,952 | |
| Persons below poverty, percent, 1999 | 19.5% | 9.3% | |
| Business QuickFacts | Boston | Massachusetts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale trade sales, 2002 ($1000) | 11,392,716 | 127,129,789 | |
| Retail sales, 2002 ($1000) | 5,424,321 | 73,903,837 | |
| Retail sales per capita, 2002 | $9,268 | $11,527 | |
| Accommodation and foodservices sales, 2002 ($1000) | 2,581,415 | 11,789,582 | |
| Total number of firms, 2002 | 48,732 | 563,539 | |
| Black-owned firms, percent, 2002 | 7.3% | 2.3% | |
| American Indian and Alaska Native owned firms, percent, 2002 | 0.5% | 0.4% | |
| Asian-owned firms, percent, 2002 | 5.7% | 3.2% | |
| Hispanic-owned firms, percent, 2002 | 6.1% | 2.8% | |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander owned firms, percent, 2002 | F | S | |
| Women-owned firms, percent, 2002 | 25.8% | 28.7% | |
| Geography QuickFacts | Boston | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Land area, 2000 (square miles) | 48 | 7,840 |
| Persons per square mile, 2000 | 12,164.8 | 809.8 |
| FIPS Code | 07000 | 25 |
| Counties | Suffolk County |