City profile · Massachusetts · Census ACS 2023

Boston, MA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Boston - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

663,972
Residents
$94,755
Median income
$710,400
Median home
$2,941
Median rent (state)

Boston - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Boston lands in the 74th percentile for household income and the 20th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

74th
percentile, household income
93rd
percentile, home value
97th
percentile, median rent
20th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Boston, MA

Boston is a mid-sized U.S. city in Massachusetts, home to 663,972 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $94,755 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.7%. Typical homes in Boston are valued around $710,400, and the median resident age is 33.2 years. 54.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 66.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 1,789 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 40% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2649.6 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Massachusetts carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Massachusetts scores 105.8 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,941 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Massachusetts run around $330, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Boston report an average commute of 24.6 minutes, with 34.1% driving alone and 18.8% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 93.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

663,972 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Massachusetts

Median Household Income

$94,755 /yr

Poverty 11.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

105.8 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Massachusetts average

How does Boston compare to other US cities?

Here's how Boston stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 74% higher than other cities
Home value 93% pricier than other cities
Median rent 97% pricier than other cities
Safety 20% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Massachusetts and the picture shifts: Boston ranks #143 of 149 Massachusetts cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Boston's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Massachusetts, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

74thIncome percentile
20thSafety percentile

74th percentile nationally for median household income · 20th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Boston's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Boston's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 33 Avg. percentile National median
Boston's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Boston's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$710,400 7th percentile more affordable than 7% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Boston $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Boston, MA Boston, MA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Boston, MA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Boston, MA median $94,755/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Boston, MA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Boston, MA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 54.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 66.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
663,972
Median Income
$94,755
Median Home Value
$710,400
Median Age
33.2
Poverty Rate
11.7%
Labor force participation
66.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
54.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2649.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
627.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2021.7
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
16
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
655,000 residents660,000 residents665,000 residents670,000 residents675,000 residents680,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 669,665 residents 672,973 residents ▲ +0.5%
Boston's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1,789
housing units authorized
Single-Family
72
detached homes
Multifamily
1,717
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.7
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2,993
2020 3,532
2021 3,512
2022 3,935
2023 2,051
2024 1,789

Permit volume decreased 40% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
24.6 minutes
Drive Alone
34.1%
Carpool
5.4%
Public Transit
24.0%
Walk
13.8%
Work from Home
18.8%
Other
3.9%

Based on 370,029 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Massachusetts - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$160
avg/month
Natural Gas
$110
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$60
avg/month
Total Utilities
$330
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Massachusetts state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Massachusetts state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Boston sits in

Cost of Living Index
105.8
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,941/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
93.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Massachusetts

Worcester
205,501 people
Springfield
154,751 people
Cambridge
117,794 people
Lowell
114,799 people
Brockton
105,080 people
Quincy
101,361 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Boston's 663,972 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Washington, DC
672,079 people
Las Vegas, NV
650,873 people
El Paso, TX
678,147 people
Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government (balance), TN
684,298 people
Portland, OR
642,715 people
Oklahoma City, OK
688,693 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Boston's $94,755 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Rochester, WA
$94,754 median income
Lake Darby, OH
$94,743 median income
South San Jose Hills, CA
$94,740 median income
Sonterra, TX
$94,728 median income
Bradley Beach, NJ
$94,722 median income
Alta, CA
$94,718 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Boston, MA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Boston, MA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 47.8% 21.5% 10.0% 7.0% 13.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.9% White 47.8% Black or African American 21.5% Asian 10.0% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 7.0% Two or more races 13.2% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Boston compares to nearby Massachusetts cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Boston (this city) 663,972 $94,755
Worcester 205,501 $67,544
Springfield 154,751 $51,339
Cambridge 117,794 $126,469
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Boston, MA?

What is the population of Boston, MA? +

The population of Boston, MA stands at 663,972 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Boston, MA? +

Median annual household income in Boston runs $94,755, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Boston? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Boston; the closest available measure is the Massachusetts state average, a cost of living index of 105.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Massachusetts vary by metro area.

Is Boston, MA safe? +

Boston has a total crime rate of 2649.6 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Boston, MA? +

The median home value in Boston is $710,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.