Boston Combined Statistical Area
Boston–Worcester–Providence | |
---|---|
Boston in July 2015 | |
Coordinates: 42°21′18″N 71°03′54″W / 42.35500°N 71.06500°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State(s) |
|
Principal cities | |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 8,466,186 (CSA) 4,941,632 (MSA) |
• Rank | |
Time zone | EST |
Area code(s) | 617, 781, 857, 339, 978, 508, 351, 774, 603, 401 |
Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston (the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England) and its surrounding areas. The region forms the northern arc of the Northeast megalopolis, so Greater Boston means both a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and a combined statistical area (CSA), which is broader. The MSA consists of most of the eastern third of Massachusetts, excluding the South Coast and Cape Cod; the CSA additionally includes the municipalities of Providence (capital of Rhode Island), Manchester (the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire), Worcester (the second largest city in Massachusetts and in New England), the South Coast region, and Cape Cod. While the city of Boston covers 48.4 square miles (125 km2) and has 675,647 residents as of the 2020 census, the urbanization has extended well into surrounding areas and the CSA has a population of more than 8.4 million people, making it one of the most populous such regions in the U.S. The CSA is one of two in Massachusetts, the other being Greater Springfield. Greater Boston is the only CSA in New England that lies in three states (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island); some definitions extend it into a fourth (Connecticut), and a fifth (Maine).
Some of Greater Boston's most well-known contributions involve the region's higher education and medical institutions. Greater Boston has been influential upon American history and industry. The region and the state of Massachusetts are global leaders in biotechnology, engineering, higher education, finance, and maritime trade.[1]
As of 2020, 64% of Massachusetts' population lives in the Greater Boston metropolitan region, and 88% of Massachusetts' population lives in the Boston Combined Statistical Area.[citation needed] Greater Boston is ranked tenth in population among US metropolitan statistical areas, home to 4,941,632 people as of the 2020 United States Census, and sixth among combined statistical areas, with a population of 8,466,186. The area has hosted many people and sites significant to American culture and history, particularly American literature,[2] politics, and the American Revolution.
Plymouth was the site of the first colony in New England, founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, passengers of the Mayflower. In 1692, the town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem witch trials.[3] In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty"[4] for the agitation there that led to the American Revolution.
The Greater Boston region has played a powerful scientific, commercial, and cultural role in the history of the United States. Before the American Civil War, the region was a center for the abolitionist, temperance,[5] and transcendentalist[6] movements.[7] In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage as a result of the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Boston.[8] Many prominent American political dynasties have hailed from the Boston region, including the Adams and Kennedy families.
Harvard University in Cambridge is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States,[9] with the largest financial endowment of any university,[10] and whose Law School has spawned a contemporaneous majority of United States Supreme Court Justices.[11] Kendall Square in Cambridge has been called "the most innovative square mile on the planet", in reference to the high concentration of entrepreneurial start-ups and quality of innovation which have emerged in the vicinity of the square since 2010.[12][13] Both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also in Cambridge, have been ranked among the most highly regarded academic institutions in the world.[14]
The most restrictive definition of the Greater Boston area is the region administered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.[15] The MAPC is a regional planning organization created by the Massachusetts legislature to oversee transportation infrastructure and economic development concerns in the Boston area. The MAPC includes 101 cities and towns that are grouped into eight subregions. These include most of the area within the region's outer circumferential highway, I-495. In 2013, the population of the MAPC district was 3.2 million, which was 48% of the total population of Massachusetts,[16] in an area of 1,422 square miles (3,680 km2),[15] of which 39% is forested and an additional 11% is water, wetland, or other open space.[17]
The eight sub regions and their principal towns are: Inner Core (Boston), Minuteman (Route 2 corridor), MetroWest (Framingham), North Shore (Lynn), North Suburban (Woburn), South Shore (Route 3 corridor), SouthWest (Franklin), and Three Rivers (Norwood).
Notably excluded from the MAPC and its partner planning body, the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, are the Merrimack Valley cities of Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill, much of Plymouth County, and all of Bristol County; these areas have their own regional planning bodies. Bristol County is part of the Greater Boston CSA, as part of the Providence MSA.
Because New England's local governance model is organized around the smaller New England town unit, and has weak or non-existent county governments, the US Census Bureau organizes its urban regions in the New England around clusters of towns known as New England city and town areas (NECTAs) rather than around county borders as it does in the rest of the country. The set of towns containing the core urbanized area, along with surrounding towns with strong social and economic ties to the core area, is defined as the Boston–Cambridge–Nashua, MA–NH Metropolitan NECTA.[18] The Boston NECTA region is further subdivided into several NECTA divisions, which are listed below. The Boston, Framingham, and Peabody NECTA divisions together correspond roughly to the MAPC area. The total population of the Boston NECTA was 4,540,941 (as of 2000[update]).
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1850 | 650,357 | — | |
1860 | 830,998 | 27.8% | |
1870 | 978,346 | 17.7% | |
1880 | 1,205,439 | 23.2% | |
1890 | 1,515,684 | 25.7% | |
1900 | 1,890,122 | 24.7% | |
1910 | 2,260,762 | 19.6% | |
1920 | 2,563,123 | 13.4% | |
1930 | 2,866,567 | 11.8% | |
1940 | 2,926,650 | 2.1% | |
1950 | 3,186,970 | 8.9% | |
1960 | 3,516,435 | 10.3% | |
1970 | 3,918,092 | 11.4% | |
1980 | 3,938,585 | 0.5% | |
1990 | 4,133,895 | 5.0% | |
2000 | 4,391,344 | 6.2% | |
2010 | 4,552,402 | 3.7% | |
2020 | 4,941,632 | 8.5% | |
US Decennial Census |
An alternative definition defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, using counties as building blocks instead of towns, is the Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is further subdivided into three metropolitan divisions. The metropolitan statistical area had a total population of 4,941,632 as of the 2020 census and is the tenth-largest in the United States. The components of the metropolitan area are listed below.
A wider functional metropolitan area based on commuting patterns is also defined by the Office of Management and Budget as the Boston–Worcester–Providence combined statistical area. This area consists of the metropolitan areas of Manchester, Worcester, Providence, as well as Cape Cod, in addition to greater Boston. The total population for the extended region was estimated at 8,466,186 at the 2020 census. The following areas, along with the above MSA, are included in the combined statistical area:
Plymouth County:
Bristol County:
Norfolk County:
Suffolk County:
Essex County:
Middlesex County:
Worcester County:
The Census Bureau defines the following as principal cities in the Boston NECTA[18] using criteria developed for what the Office of Management and Budget calls a Core Based Statistical Area:[19]
Cities and towns in the Boston CSA with at least 50,000 residents:
Rank | City | 2000 population |
2010 population |
2014 population[20] |
% change (2010 to 2014) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Boston | 589,141 | 617,594 | 655,884 | +6.20% |
2 | Worcester | 172,648 | 181,045 | 183,016 | +1.09% |
3 | Providence | 173,618 | 178,042 | 179,154 | +0.62% |
4 | Manchester | 107,006 | 109,565 | 110,448 | +0.81% |
5 | Lowell | 105,167 | 106,519 | 109,945 | +3.22% |
6 | Cambridge | 101,355 | 105,162 | 109,694 | +4.31% |
7 | New Bedford | 93,768 | 95,072 | 94,845 | −0.24% |
8 | Brockton | 94,304 | 93,810 | 94,779 | +1.03% |
9 | Quincy | 88,025 | 92,271 | 93,397 | +1.22% |
10 | Lynn | 89,050 | 90,329 | 92,137 | +2.00% |
11 | Fall River | 91,938 | 88,857 | 88,712 | −0.16% |
12 | Newton | 83,829 | 85,146 | 88,287 | +3.69% |
13 | Nashua | 86,605 | 86,494 | 87,259 | +0.88% |
14 | Warwick | 85,808 | 82,672 | 81,963 | −0.86% |
15 | Cranston | 79,269 | 80,387 | 81,037 | +0.81% |
16 | Somerville | 77,478 | 75,754 | 78,901 | +4.15% |
17 | Lawrence | 72,043 | 76,377 | 78,197 | +2.38% |
18 | Pawtucket | 72,958 | 71,148 | 71,499 | +0.49% |
19 | Framingham | 66,910 | 68,318 | 70,068 | +2.56% |
20 | Waltham | 59,226 | 60,632 | 63,014 | +3.93% |
21 | Haverhill | 58,969 | 60,879 | 62,488 | +2.64% |
22 | Malden | 56,340 | 59,450 | 60,859 | +2.37% |
23 | Brookline | 57,107 | 58,732 | 59,115 | +0.65% |
24 | Plymouth | 51,701 | 56,468 | 57,463 | +1.76% |
25 | Medford | 55,765 | 56,173 | 57,437 | +2.25% |
26 | Taunton | 55,976 | 55,874 | 56,544 | +1.20% |
27 | Weymouth | 53,988 | 53,743 | 55,643 | +3.54% |
28 | Revere | 47,283 | 51,755 | 54,157 | +4.64% |
29 | Peabody | 48,129 | 51,251 | 52,376 | +2.20% |
30 | Methuen | 43,789 | 47,255 | 52,044 | +10.13% |
The most densely populated census tracts in the Boston CSA (2010):[22]
Rank | City or neighborhood | Census tract | Population | Population density | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
/sq mi | /km2 | ||||
1 | Fenway–Kenmore | 10404 | 5,817 | 110,108 | 285,180 |
2 | Fenway–Kenmore | 10403 | 3,003 | 87,828 | 227,470 |
3 | Fenway–Kenmore | 10408 | 1,426 | 85,137 | 220,500 |
4 | Beacon Hill | 202 | 3,649 | 80,851 | 209,400 |
5 | North End | 301 | 1,954 | 66,288 | 171,690 |
6 | North End | 302 | 1,665 | 64,642 | 167,420 |
7 | North End | 304 | 2,451 | 58,435 | 151,350 |
8 | Cambridge | 3539 | 7,090 | 56,819 | 147,160 |
9 | Back Bay | 10801 | 2,783 | 56,534 | 146,420 |
10 | East Boston | 502 | 5,231 | 55,692 | 144,240 |
The 40 most diverse Census tracts in the Boston CSA:[22]
Rank | City or neighborhood | Census tract | Population | % White | % Black | % Hispanic | % Asian | % multiracial or other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dorchester | 916 | 3,138 | 12 | 32 | 15 | 26 | 14 |
2 | Pawtucket | 161 | 4,607 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 1 | 18 |
3 | Pawtucket | 151 | 4,472 | 24 | 24 | 29 | 1 | 23 |
4 | Pawtucket | 164 | 4,938 | 29 | 26 | 21 | 2 | 20 |
5 | Dorchester | 912 | 3,234 | 30 | 24 | 22 | 6 | 18 |
6 | Dorchester | 92101 | 6,451 | 30 | 22 | 11 | 31 | 6 |
7 | Brockton | 5115 | 4,308 | 21 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 32 |
8 | Brockton | 511 | 3,040 | 28 | 33 | 15 | 1 | 24 |
9 | New Bedford | 6519 | 1,942 | 26 | 11 | 33 | 1 | 29 |
10 | Mission Hill | 80801 | 3,885 | 32 | 20 | 35 | 10 | 2 |
11 | Pawtucket | 154 | 2,258 | 35 | 20 | 35 | 0 | 11 |
12 | Brockton | 5114 | 3,716 | 24 | 36 | 14 | 2 | 23 |
13 | Brockton | 5109 | 2,531 | 24 | 36 | 16 | 1 | 24 |
14 | Brockton | 5103 | 3,798 | 23 | 38 | 15 | 2 | 24 |
15 | Brockton | 5104 | 3,706 | 19 | 38 | 15 | 2 | 25 |
16 | Dorchester | 90901 | 3,730 | 38 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 4 |
17 | Worcester | 733 | 3,762 | 38 | 10 | 37 | 12 | 4 |
18 | Providence | 26 | 3,098 | 23 | 22 | 39 | 10 | 6 |
19 | Malden | 3415 | 4,780 | 39 | 23 | 14 | 19 | 5 |
20 | Cambridge | 3524 | 2,126 | 27 | 39 | 16 | 12 | 5 |
21 | South End | 71202 | 3,131 | 39 | 19 | 24 | 15 | 3 |
22 | Brockton | 511301 | 5,334 | 39 | 31 | 11 | 2 | 17 |
23 | Providence | 15 | 2,994 | 28 | 13 | 41 | 14 | 4 |
24 | South Boston | 61 | 3,098 | 41 | 15 | 29 | 11 | 4 |
25 | Lynn | 2072 | 2,939 | 30 | 12 | 42 | 13 | 2 |
26 | Cambridge | 3549 | 6,058 | 35 | 30 | 9 | 20 | 5 |
27 | South Boston | 61101 | 2,232 | 20 | 21 | 42 | 14 | 2 |
28 | Brockton | 5116 | 7,211 | 42 | 29 | 10 | 2 | 16 |
29 | Roxbury | 801 | 3,350 | 15 | 43 | 28 | 1 | 11 |
30 | Lowell | 3114 | 5,986 | 44 | 11 | 14 | 26 | 5 |
31 | Brockton | 5108 | 6,339 | 18 | 44 | 12 | 2 | 22 |
32 | Mission Hill | 81001 | 4,890 | 45 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 2 |
33 | Malden | 3418 | 6,554 | 46 | 20 | 13 | 16 | 5 |
34 | South Boston | 607 | 1,893 | 19 | 20 | 46 | 10 | 5 |
35 | Brockton | 5107 | 5,656 | 46 | 31 | 8 | 4 | 11 |
36 | Brockton | 5112 | 4,849 | 47 | 26 | 11 | 1 | 13 |
37 | Somerville | 351404 | 4,289 | 47 | 7 | 22 | 13 | 11 |
38 | Lynn | 2071 | 3,513 | 18 | 11 | 48 | 19 | 3 |
39 | Framingham | 383101 | 4,923 | 23 | 10 | 48 | 1 | 18 |
40 | Mission Hill | 811 | 4,091 | 48 | 21 | 15 | 13 | 2 |
The 40 census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Hispanic or Latino:[22]
Rank | City or Neighborhood | Census Tract | Population | % Hispanic or Latino |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lawrence | 2525 | 3,810 | 94 |
2 | Lawrence | 2509 | 2,193 | 93 |
3 | Lawrence | 2504 | 3,858 | 90 |
4 | Lawrence | 2503 | 2,101 | 89 |
5 | Lawrence | 2513 | 3,721 | 89 |
6 | Lawrence | 2512 | 1,356 | 86 |
7 | Lawrence | 2507 | 4,756 | 86 |
8 | Lawrence | 251 | 1,782 | 85 |
9 | Chelsea | 1602 | 4,043 | 83 |
10 | Lawrence | 2506 | 5,599 | 83 |
11 | Lawrence | 2514 | 5,053 | 77 |
12 | Chelsea | 160101 | 7,551 | 76 |
13 | Lawrence | 2501 | 2,329 | 75 |
14 | Lawrence | 2516 | 5,977 | 74 |
15 | Lawrence | 2511 | 2,937 | 73 |
16 | Lawrence | 2502 | 5,524 | 72 |
17 | Chelsea | 1604 | 2,716 | 71 |
18 | Chelsea | 160501 | 5,604 | 71 |
19 | Providence | 16 | 8,540 | 70 |
20 | Lawrence | 2515 | 6,149 | 70 |
21 | Worcester | 732001 | 3,327 | 67 |
22 | East Boston | 506 | 2,063 | 67 |
23 | East Boston | 502 | 5,231 | 66 |
24 | East Boston | 507 | 4,504 | 65 |
25 | East Boston | 50901 | 4,165 | 65 |
26 | Providence | 2 | 6,452 | 64 |
27 | Providence | 4 | 3,761 | 64 |
28 | Providence | 14 | 6,693 | 63 |
29 | Providence | 5 | 3,040 | 63 |
30 | Central Falls | 11 | 5,534 | 63 |
31 | Lawrence | 2508 | 6,932 | 63 |
32 | Chelsea | 160502 | 4,460 | 62 |
33 | Methuen | 2524 | 4,175 | 62 |
34 | Providence | 17 | 3,744 | 62 |
35 | Providence | 18 | 7,114 | 61 |
36 | Central Falls | 111 | 4,176 | 61 |
37 | East Boston | 50101 | 5,115 | 61 |
38 | Lawrence | 2517 | 5,145 | 61 |
39 | Providence | 3 | 7,714 | 60 |
40 | Central Falls | 108 | 4,763 | 59 |
Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Black American:[22]
Rank | City or Neighborhood | Census Tract | Population | % Black |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mattapan | 101101 | 3,115 | 84 |
2 | Mattapan | 101102 | 4,396 | 84 |
3 | Mattapan | 101001 | 5,480 | 83 |
4 | Mattapan | 1003 | 3,303 | 80 |
5 | Mattapan | 1002 | 2,787 | 78 |
6 | Mattapan | 101002 | 4,979 | 77 |
7 | Dorchester | 923 | 2,893 | 77 |
8 | Roxbury | 82 | 2,815 | 74 |
9 | Roxbury | 817 | 3,820 | 71 |
10 | Hyde Park | 1404 | 7,650 | 71 |
11 | Roxbury | 901 | 4,571 | 71 |
12 | Dorchester | 919 | 3,860 | 70 |
13 | Dorchester | 1004 | 4,865 | 68 |
14 | Roxbury | 819 | 3,115 | 66 |
15 | Roxbury | 924 | 5,277 | 66 |
16 | Roxbury | 818 | 2,898 | 65 |
17 | Mattapan | 1001 | 5,510 | 64 |
18 | Roxbury | 815 | 2,134 | 62 |
19 | Roxbury | 821 | 5,025 | 62 |
20 | Roxbury | 803 | 1,769 | 60 |
21 | Roxbury | 903 | 3,179 | 58 |
22 | Dorchester | 1009 | 4,072 | 58 |
23 | Dorchester | 1005 | 5,909 | 55 |
24 | Hyde Park | 1403 | 6,382 | 54 |
25 | Dorchester | 92 | 4,945 | 54 |
26 | Roxbury | 902 | 2,233 | 53 |
27 | Dorchester | 918 | 3,452 | 52 |
28 | Roxbury | 904 | 3,659 | 52 |
29 | Roxbury | 814 | 3,003 | 50 |
30 | Roxbury | 80401 | 2,710 | 50 |
31 | Roslindale | 140106 | 1,901 | 49 |
32 | Dorchester | 917 | 3,069 | 47 |
33 | Dorchester | 914 | 2,741 | 46 |
34 | Brockton | 5108 | 6,339 | 44 |
35 | Roxbury | 805 | 3,096 | 44 |
36 | Roxbury | 801 | 3,350 | 43 |
37 | Randolph | 420302 | 7,703 | 42 |
38 | Roxbury | 813 | 4,760 | 42 |
39 | Dorchester | 922 | 3,349 | 42 |
40 | Randolph | 420202 | 6,303 | 40 |
Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Asian American:[22]
Rank | City or Neighborhood | Census Tract | Population | % Asian |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | South End | 70402 | 1,723 | 70 |
2 | Chinatown | 702 | 5,218 | 58 |
3 | Lowell | 3112 | 3,267 | 55 |
4 | Lowell | 3118 | 3,513 | 54 |
5 | Lowell | 3117 | 5,098 | 47 |
6 | Quincy | 417502 | 4,639 | 45 |
7 | Quincy | 4172 | 8,182 | 44 |
8 | Malden | 3413 | 5,439 | 39 |
9 | Lowell | 3113 | 4,057 | 38 |
10 | Westborough | 742402 | 3,026 | 38 |
11 | Quincy | 417501 | 5,004 | 37 |
12 | Cambridge | 353102 | 5,040 | 36 |
13 | Quincy | 417802 | 3,150 | 35 |
14 | Lowell | 3111 | 2,410 | 34 |
15 | Lowell | 3115 | 2,974 | 33 |
16 | Dorchester | 92101 | 6,451 | 31 |
17 | Quincy | 417601 | 5,196 | 30 |
18 | Fenway–Kenmore | 10103 | 4,569 | 29 |
19 | Quincy | 4180002 | 7,020 | 28 |
20 | Quincy | 417602 | 5,155 | 28 |
21 | Chinatown/Leather District/Downtown | 70101 | 5,902 | 27 |
22 | Cambridge | 3539 | 7,090 | 27 |
23 | Lowell | 3114 | 5,986 | 26 |
24 | Lowell | 3116 | 5,295 | 26 |
25 | Lowell | 3107 | 4,441 | 26 |
26 | Quincy | 4171 | 4,264 | 26 |
27 | Dorchester | 916 | 3,138 | 26 |
28 | Malden | 3412 | 6,857 | 25 |
29 | Malden | 341102 | 4,564 | 25 |
30 | Malden | 341101 | 3,675 | 25 |
31 | Acton | 363102 | 5,909 | 25 |
32 | Dorchester | 911 | 4,861 | 25 |
33 | Allston-Brighton | 703 | 2,791 | 24 |
34 | Lexington | 3583 | 5,526 | 24 |
35 | Quincy | 418004 | 4,280 | 23 |
36 | Brookline | 4009 | 3,865 | 22 |
37 | Cambridge | 3532 | 4,897 | 22 |
38 | Cambridge | 352101 | 1,654 | 22 |
39 | Shrewsbury | 7391 | 9,557 | 22 |
40 | Westborough | 7612 | 5,780 | 22 |
Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Irish American:[23]
City or Neighborhood | Census Tract | Population | % Irish |
---|---|---|---|
South Boston | 60101 | 3,106 | 68 |
Milton | 416400 | 6,069 | 63 |
Charlestown | 040401 | 2,439 | 63 |
Dorchester | 1007 | 4,322 | 63 |
South Boston | 608 | 3,964 | 62 |
South Boston | 604 | 4,904 | 61 |
Milton | 416101 | 5,724 | 58 |
Marshfield | 506204 | 4,886 | 57 |
Weymouth | 422100 | 5,293 | 57 |
Quincy | 417801 | 5,443 | 55 |
Hull | 500101 | 3,702 | 55 |
Scituate | 505101 | 3,860 | 55 |
West Roxbury | 130402 | 4,637 | 54 |
Quincy | 417400 | 2,566 | 53 |
South Boston | 60301 | 3,076 | 52 |
Abington | 520100 | 6,458 | 52 |
Braintree | 419200 | 5,002 | 52 |
Braintree | 419600 | 6,766 | 52 |
Abington | 520201 | 3,952 | 52 |
Pembroke | 508200 | 6,031 | 52 |
Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Italian American:[24]
City or Neighborhood | Census Tract | Population | % Italian |
---|---|---|---|
Johnston | 012402 | 2,486 | 63 |
Cranston | 014501 | 5,179 | 58 |
Johnston | 012500 | 5,490 | 57 |
Johnston | 012200 | 7,187 | 57 |
Providence | 011902 | 4,780 | 55 |
Cranston | 014800 | 5,591 | 55 |
Saugus | 208102 | 3,343 | 51 |
Cranston | 014300 | 4,716 | 49 |
Cranston | 014600 | 6,991 | 49 |
Cranston | 014502 | 4,096 | 48 |
Johnston | 012300 | 6,656 | 48 |
Johnston | 012401 | 6,950 | 48 |
Stoneham | 337102 | 5,042 | 45 |
Stoneham | 337202 | 4,849 | 45 |
Revere | 170200 | 4,564 | 45 |
Revere | 170502 | 2,818 | 43 |
Cranston | 013900 | 2,992 | 43 |
Revere | 170300 | 9,040 | 43 |
North Providence | 012103 | 2,965 | 43 |
Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Portuguese American:[25]
City or Neighborhood | Census Tract | Population | % Portuguese |
---|---|---|---|
New Bedford | 652800 | 3,277 | 72 |
Fall River | 640600 | 4,450 | 69 |
Dartmouth | 653203 | 5,005 | 65 |
New Bedford | 652400 | 2,664 | 64 |
New Bedford | 652000 | 2,676 | 62 |
Fall River | 640500 | 5,165 | 60 |
Fall River | 641200 | 2,803 | 59 |
New Bedford | 650500 | 3,141 | 58 |
Fall River | 640901 | 5,071 | 58 |
New Bedford | 650400 | 3,773 | 57 |
New Bedford | 652500 | 2,589 | 56 |
East Providence | 010400 | 6,661 | 55 |
New Bedford | 652300 | 2,870 | 54 |
Fall River | 641000 | 2,419 | 54 |
Fall River | 640300 | 3,693 | 53 |
Westport | 646101 | 7,356 | 53 |
Fall River | 640700 | 2,900 | 53 |
Fall River | 640400 | 2,682 | 53 |
New Bedford | 650101 | 5,753 | 53 |
Fall River | 640100 | 5,358 | 52 |
Census tracts in the Boston CSA with French or French Canadian listed as first ancestry:[26]
City or Neighborhood | Census Tract | Population | % French |
---|---|---|---|
Woonsocket | 018500 | 2,831 | 66 |
Woonsocket | 017700 | 3,518 | 61 |
Woonsocket | 017500 | 3,128 | 59 |
Woonsocket | 017800 | 2,514 | 58 |
Burrillville | 013001 | 3,479 | 56 |
North Smithfield | 012802 | 2,391 | 54 |
North Smithfield | 012803 | 4,776 | 53 |
Burrillville | 013002 | 7,539 | 53 |
North Smithfield | 012801 | 4,800 | 52 |
Manchester | 002300 | 3,758 | 52 |
Woonsocket | 017900 | 3,049 | 51 |
Burrillville | 012900 | 4,937 | 50 |
Manchester | 000202 | 2,297 | 49 |
Manchester | 002100 | 4,782 | 49 |
Woonsocket | 017600 | 2,560 | 49 |
Manchester | 002600 | 5,746 | 48 |
Manchester | 002200 | 3,232 | 47 |
Woonsocket | 018400 | 6,527 | 47 |
Blackstone | 747101 | 5,110 | 47 |
Woonsocket | 018000 | 2,680 | 46 |
Greater Boston has a sizable Jewish community, estimated at between 210,000 people,[27][28] and 261,000[29] or 5–6% of the Greater Boston metro population, compared with about 2% for the nation as a whole. Contrary to national trends, the number of Jews in Greater Boston has been growing, fueled by the fact that 60% of children in Jewish mixed-faith families are raised Jewish, compared with roughly one in three nationally.[27]
The City of Boston also has one of the largest LGBT populations per capita. It ranks fifth of all major cities in the country (behind San Francisco, and slightly behind Seattle, Atlanta, and Minneapolis respectively), with 12.3% of the city identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.[30]
County | 2021 Estimate | 2020 Census | Change | Area | Density |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Middlesex County, Massachusetts | 1,614,742 | 1,632,002 | −1.06% | 817.82 sq mi (2,118.1 km2) | 1,974/sq mi (762/km2) |
Essex County, Massachusetts | 807,074 | 809,829 | −0.34% | 492.56 sq mi (1,275.7 km2) | 1,639/sq mi (633/km2) |
Suffolk County, Massachusetts | 771,245 | 797,936 | −3.35% | 58.15 sq mi (150.6 km2) | 13,263/sq mi (5,121/km2) |
Norfolk County, Massachusetts | 724,505 | 725,981 | −0.20% | 396.11 sq mi (1,025.9 km2) | 1,829/sq mi (706/km2) |
Plymouth County, Massachusetts | 533,003 | 530,819 | +0.41% | 659.07 sq mi (1,707.0 km2) | 809/sq mi (312/km2) |
Rockingham County, New Hampshire | 316,947 | 314,176 | +0.88% | 694.72 sq mi (1,799.3 km2) | 456/sq mi (176/km2) |
Strafford County, New Hampshire | 132,416 | 130,889 | +1.17% | 368.97 sq mi (955.6 km2) | 359/sq mi (139/km2) |
Total | 4,899,932 | 4,941,642 | −0.84% | 3,487.40 sq mi (9,032.3 km2) | 1,405/sq mi (542/km2) |
See also: Boston, Massachusetts § Education; List of colleges and universities in metropolitan Boston; and List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts |
A long established center of higher education, the area includes many community colleges, two-year schools, and internationally prominent undergraduate and graduate institutions. The graduate schools include highly regarded schools of law, medicine, business, technology, international relations, public health, education, and religion. Greater Boston contains seven R1 Research Institutions as per the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This is, by far, the highest number of such institutions in a single Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States.
Changes in house prices for the Greater Boston area are publicly tracked on a regular basis using the Case–Shiller index; the statistic is published by Standard & Poor's and is also a component of S&P's 10-city composite index of the value of the residential real estate market.
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Main article: Sports in Boston |
Club | Sport | League | Stadium | Established | League titles |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boston Bruins | Ice hockey | National Hockey League | TD Garden (Boston) | 1924 | 6 Stanley Cups 7 Eastern Conference Titles |
Boston Cannons | Lacrosse | Major League Lacrosse | Harvard Stadium (Boston) | 2001 | 1 MLL Championship |
Boston Celtics | Basketball | National Basketball Association | TD Garden (Boston) | 1946 | 17 NBA Championships 21 Eastern Conference Titles |
Boston Pride | Ice hockey | National Women's Hockey League | Bright Hockey Center (Boston) | 2015 | 2 Isobel Cups |
Boston Red Sox | Baseball | Major League Baseball | Fenway Park (Boston) | 1901 | 9 MLB World Series Championships 14 American League Pennants |
New England Patriots | Football | National Football League | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro) | 1960 | 6 Super Bowl Championships 11 AFC Championships |
New England Revolution | Soccer | Major League Soccer | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro) | 1995 | 1 US Open Cup 1 SuperLiga |
Annual sporting events include:
See also: Transportation in Boston |
The first railway line in the United States was in Quincy. See Neponset River.
The following Regional Transit Authorities have bus service that connects with MBTA commuter rail stations:
The Boston area has humid continental climates (Dfa and Dfb under the Köppen climate classification system), with high humidity and precipitation year-round.
Climate data for Concord Municipal Airport, New Hampshire (1991−2020 normals,[a] extremes 1868–present)[b] | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 72 (22) |
74 (23) |
89 (32) |
95 (35) |
98 (37) |
101 (38) |
102 (39) |
101 (38) |
98 (37) |
92 (33) |
80 (27) |
73 (23) |
102 (39) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 52.4 (11.3) |
54.3 (12.4) |
65.6 (18.7) |
81.6 (27.6) |
89.6 (32.0) |
92.8 (33.8) |
93.8 (34.3) |
92.4 (33.6) |
89.0 (31.7) |
79.0 (26.1) |
68.6 (20.3) |
56.9 (13.8) |
96.1 (35.6) |
Average high °F (°C) | 31.6 (−0.2) |
34.8 (1.6) |
43.6 (6.4) |
57.5 (14.2) |
69.3 (20.7) |
77.8 (25.4) |
83.0 (28.3) |
81.7 (27.6) |
73.7 (23.2) |
60.9 (16.1) |
48.4 (9.1) |
37.1 (2.8) |
58.3 (14.6) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 22.3 (−5.4) |
24.7 (−4.1) |
33.4 (0.8) |
45.4 (7.4) |
56.7 (13.7) |
65.8 (18.8) |
71.1 (21.7) |
69.5 (20.8) |
61.4 (16.3) |
49.3 (9.6) |
38.6 (3.7) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
47.2 (8.4) |
Average low °F (°C) | 12.9 (−10.6) |
14.7 (−9.6) |
23.3 (−4.8) |
33.3 (0.7) |
44.1 (6.7) |
53.7 (12.1) |
59.2 (15.1) |
57.2 (14.0) |
49.0 (9.4) |
37.8 (3.2) |
28.7 (−1.8) |
19.5 (−6.9) |
36.1 (2.3) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −9.2 (−22.9) |
−7.2 (−21.8) |
1.6 (−16.9) |
19.2 (−7.1) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
39.0 (3.9) |
47.1 (8.4) |
44.1 (6.7) |
32.1 (0.1) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
11.8 (−11.2) |
−0.9 (−18.3) |
−12.4 (−24.7) |
Record low °F (°C) | −35 (−37) |
−37 (−38) |
−20 (−29) |
4 (−16) |
21 (−6) |
30 (−1) |
35 (2) |
29 (−2) |
20 (−7) |
10 (−12) |
−17 (−27) |
−24 (−31) |
−37 (−38) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.80 (71) |
2.75 (70) |
3.28 (83) |
3.43 (87) |
3.47 (88) |
3.77 (96) |
3.62 (92) |
3.63 (92) |
3.63 (92) |
4.43 (113) |
3.44 (87) |
3.70 (94) |
41.95 (1,066) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 17.1 (43) |
16.9 (43) |
13.6 (35) |
2.5 (6.4) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.8 (2.0) |
2.5 (6.4) |
14.3 (36) |
67.7 (172) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.2 | 10.0 | 11.5 | 11.4 | 12.4 | 12.8 | 10.9 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 12.0 | 132.8 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 8.1 | 7.6 | 5.2 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 6.3 | 30.3 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 67.9 | 66.0 | 64.8 | 62.0 | 65.0 | 70.9 | 71.8 | 74.5 | 76.3 | 72.8 | 73.3 | 72.3 | 69.8 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 162.8 | 171.8 | 210.5 | 223.2 | 258.4 | 274.3 | 295.8 | 261.9 | 214.7 | 183.4 | 127.8 | 134.8 | 2,519.4 |
Percent possible sunshine | 56 | 58 | 57 | 56 | 57 | 60 | 64 | 61 | 57 | 54 | 44 | 48 | 56 |
Average ultraviolet index | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961–1990)[37][38][39] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[40] |
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
73 (23) |
89 (32) |
94 (34) |
97 (36) |
100 (38) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
102 (39) |
90 (32) |
83 (28) |
76 (24) |
104 (40) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 58.3 (14.6) |
57.9 (14.4) |
67.0 (19.4) |
79.9 (26.6) |
88.1 (31.2) |
92.2 (33.4) |
95.0 (35.0) |
93.7 (34.3) |
88.9 (31.6) |
79.6 (26.4) |
70.2 (21.2) |
61.2 (16.2) |
96.4 (35.8) |
Average high °F (°C) | 36.8 (2.7) |
39.0 (3.9) |
45.5 (7.5) |
56.4 (13.6) |
66.5 (19.2) |
76.2 (24.6) |
82.1 (27.8) |
80.4 (26.9) |
73.1 (22.8) |
62.1 (16.7) |
51.6 (10.9) |
42.2 (5.7) |
59.3 (15.2) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 29.9 (−1.2) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
38.3 (3.5) |
48.6 (9.2) |
58.4 (14.7) |
68.0 (20.0) |
74.1 (23.4) |
72.7 (22.6) |
65.6 (18.7) |
54.8 (12.7) |
44.7 (7.1) |
35.7 (2.1) |
51.9 (11.1) |
Average low °F (°C) | 23.1 (−4.9) |
24.6 (−4.1) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
40.8 (4.9) |
50.3 (10.2) |
59.7 (15.4) |
66.0 (18.9) |
65.1 (18.4) |
58.2 (14.6) |
47.5 (8.6) |
37.9 (3.3) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
44.5 (6.9) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 4.8 (−15.1) |
8.3 (−13.2) |
15.6 (−9.1) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
41.2 (5.1) |
49.7 (9.8) |
58.6 (14.8) |
57.7 (14.3) |
46.7 (8.2) |
35.1 (1.7) |
24.4 (−4.2) |
13.1 (−10.5) |
2.6 (−16.3) |
Record low °F (°C) | −13 (−25) |
−18 (−28) |
−8 (−22) |
11 (−12) |
31 (−1) |
41 (5) |
50 (10) |
46 (8) |
34 (1) |
25 (−4) |
−2 (−19) |
−17 (−27) |
−18 (−28) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.39 (86) |
3.21 (82) |
4.17 (106) |
3.63 (92) |
3.25 (83) |
3.89 (99) |
3.27 (83) |
3.23 (82) |
3.56 (90) |
4.03 (102) |
3.66 (93) |
4.30 (109) |
43.59 (1,107) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 14.3 (36) |
14.4 (37) |
9.0 (23) |
1.6 (4.1) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.7 (1.8) |
9.0 (23) |
49.2 (125) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.8 | 10.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.8 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 10.5 | 10.3 | 11.9 | 128.4 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 6.6 | 6.2 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 4.2 | 23.0 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 62.3 | 62.0 | 63.1 | 63.0 | 66.7 | 68.5 | 68.4 | 70.8 | 71.8 | 68.5 | 67.5 | 65.4 | 66.5 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 16.5 (−8.6) |
17.6 (−8.0) |
25.2 (−3.8) |
33.6 (0.9) |
45.0 (7.2) |
55.2 (12.9) |
61.0 (16.1) |
60.4 (15.8) |
53.8 (12.1) |
42.8 (6.0) |
33.4 (0.8) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
38.9 (3.8) |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 163.4 | 168.4 | 213.7 | 227.2 | 267.3 | 286.5 | 300.9 | 277.3 | 237.1 | 206.3 | 143.2 | 142.3 | 2,633.6 |
Percent possible sunshine | 56 | 57 | 58 | 57 | 59 | 63 | 65 | 64 | 63 | 60 | 49 | 50 | 59 |
Average ultraviolet index | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point and sun 1961−1990)[42][43][44] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[45] |
Climate data for Boston, Massachusetts | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average sea temperature °F (°C) | 41.3 (5.2) |
38.1 (3.4) |
38.4 (3.5) |
43.1 (6.2) |
49.2 (9.5) |
58.4 (14.7) |
65.7 (18.7) |
67.9 (20.0) |
64.8 (18.2) |
59.4 (15.3) |
52.3 (11.3) |
46.6 (8.2) |
52.1 (11.2) |
Source: Weather Atlas[45] |
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) |
72 (22) |
90 (32) |
98 (37) |
96 (36) |
98 (37) |
102 (39) |
104 (40) |
100 (38) |
88 (31) |
81 (27) |
77 (25) |
104 (40) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 58.7 (14.8) |
57.9 (14.4) |
67.1 (19.5) |
79.3 (26.3) |
87.2 (30.7) |
91.5 (33.1) |
94.8 (34.9) |
97.2 (36.2) |
87.6 (30.9) |
78.9 (26.1) |
70.1 (21.2) |
61.5 (16.4) |
96.6 (35.9) |
Average high °F (°C) | 38.3 (3.5) |
40.5 (4.7) |
47.7 (8.7) |
58.9 (14.9) |
68.9 (20.5) |
77.7 (25.4) |
83.6 (28.7) |
82.2 (27.9) |
74.8 (23.8) |
63.8 (17.7) |
53.2 (11.8) |
43.4 (6.3) |
61.1 (16.2) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 30.2 (−1.0) |
32.0 (0.0) |
38.9 (3.8) |
49.3 (9.6) |
59.1 (15.1) |
68.2 (20.1) |
74.4 (23.6) |
73.0 (22.8) |
65.6 (18.7) |
54.4 (12.4) |
44.5 (6.9) |
35.5 (1.9) |
52.1 (11.2) |
Average low °F (°C) | 22.1 (−5.5) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
39.6 (4.2) |
49.2 (9.6) |
58.8 (14.9) |
65.2 (18.4) |
63.9 (17.7) |
56.5 (13.6) |
45.1 (7.3) |
35.8 (2.1) |
27.6 (−2.4) |
43.1 (6.2) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 4.1 (−15.5) |
7.4 (−13.7) |
15.1 (−9.4) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
38.1 (3.4) |
47.2 (8.4) |
56.2 (13.4) |
54.3 (12.4) |
43.1 (6.2) |
31.7 (−0.2) |
21.8 (−5.7) |
12.3 (−10.9) |
2.0 (−16.7) |
Record low °F (°C) | −13 (−25) |
−17 (−27) |
1 (−17) |
11 (−12) |
29 (−2) |
39 (4) |
48 (9) |
40 (4) |
32 (0) |
20 (−7) |
6 (−14) |
−12 (−24) |
−17 (−27) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.96 (101) |
3.44 (87) |
4.90 (124) |
4.29 (109) |
3.37 (86) |
3.81 (97) |
2.91 (74) |
3.59 (91) |
4.17 (106) |
4.18 (106) |
4.27 (108) |
4.65 (118) |
47.54 (1,208) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10.3 (26) |
10.5 (27) |
6.4 (16) |
0.6 (1.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
1.0 (2.5) |
7.6 (19) |
36.6 (93) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.2 | 10.3 | 11.6 | 11.7 | 12.2 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 10.2 | 9.6 | 11.9 | 127.0 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.7 | 5.4 | 3.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 19.3 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 63.9 | 63.0 | 62.9 | 61.4 | 66.6 | 70.1 | 71.0 | 72.5 | 73.0 | 70.2 | 68.9 | 67.0 | 67.5 |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 16.3 (−8.7) |
17.4 (−8.1) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
33.1 (0.6) |
45.0 (7.2) |
55.6 (13.1) |
61.5 (16.4) |
61.0 (16.1) |
53.8 (12.1) |
42.6 (5.9) |
33.3 (0.7) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
38.9 (3.8) |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 171.7 | 172.6 | 215.6 | 225.1 | 254.9 | 274.1 | 290.6 | 262.8 | 233.0 | 208.7 | 148.0 | 148.6 | 2,605.7 |
Percent possible sunshine | 58 | 58 | 58 | 56 | 57 | 60 | 63 | 61 | 62 | 61 | 50 | 52 | 58 |
Average ultraviolet index | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point, and sun 1961–1990)[47][48][49] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Weather Atlas [50] |
Climate data for Providence | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average sea temperature °F (°C) | 41.4 (5.2) |
38.1 (3.4) |
38.7 (3.8) |
44.1 (6.7) |
50.9 (10.5) |
59.6 (15.3) |
67.0 (19.4) |
69.3 (20.7) |
66.7 (19.3) |
61.6 (16.4) |
54.2 (12.3) |
47.7 (8.8) |
53.3 (11.8) |
Source: Weather Atlas [50] |