The Boston Indicators Project

Profiles: Peoples & Places

Central Boston

US Census Bureau data by Boston’s neighborhoods are only available from the 2000 Census. However, the 2010 Census is under way and new neighborhood data will be available in 2011. Visit the Census Bureau for more information on the 2010 Census. For more recent sub-municipal Boston data, see the “at-a-glance” pages for Boston’s 5 Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA's) with data through 2008. Click for a map of Boston's 5 PUMA's.

POPULATION

	1990		2000		Change
	#	%	#	%	%
Total Population	21,625	100.0%	25,602	100.0%	18.4%
% of Boston Population		3.8%		4.3%

RACE & ETHNICITY

Non-Hispanic	20,911	96.7%	24,236	95.9%	15.9%
White	15,975	73.9%	17,748	69.3%	11.1%
Black or Afr American	616	2.8%	1,007	3.9%	63.5%
Asian or Pacific Islander	4,285	19.8%	5,280	20.6%	23.2%
Native American	27	0.1%	114	0.4%	322.2%
Some other race	8	0.0%	87	0.3%	987.5%
Two or more races	na	na	323	1.3%	na
Hispanic	714	3.3%	1,043	4.1%	46.1%

AGE

< 5	627	2.9%	667	2.6%	6.4%
5-9	341	1.6%	516	2.0%	51.3%
10-14	388	1.8%	340	1.3%	-12.4%
15-19	613	2.8%	1,187	4.6%	93.6%
20-24	2,450	11.3%	2,936	11.5%	19.8%
25-34	6,010	27.8%	7,084	27.7%	17.9%
35-44	3,335	15.4%	3,621	14.1%	8.6%
45-54	2,151	9.9%	2,911	11.4%	35.3%
55-64	2,034	9.4%	2,115	8.3%	47.0%
65-79	2,777	12.8%	2,857	11.2%	2.9%
80+	901	4.2%	1,368	5.3%	51.8%

POPULATION BY AGE AND GENDER (2000)	TOTAL	Male	Female
All Ages	25,602	13,141	12,461
Under 5	667	350	317
5 - 9	516	286	230
10 - 14	340	211	129
15 - 17	239	149	90
18 - 24	3,884	1,932	1,952
25 - 44	10,705	5,827	4,878
45 - 64	5,026	2,665	2,361
65+	4,225	1,721	2,504

POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLDS (2000)	Neighborhood		Boston
	#	%	#	%
Total Population	25,602	100.0%	589,141	100.0%
Population in families	10,342	40.4%	382,668	65.0%
Foreign born (naturalized)	3,022	11.8%	56,681	9.6%
Foreign born (not a citizen)	3,747	14.6%	95,155	16.2%

Population 5 and older	24,935	100.0%	557,376	100.0%
Same house in 1995	9,954	39.9%	266,242	47.8%
Speak Spanish	913	3.7%	75,711	13.6%
Speak other Indo-European languages	2,482	10.0%	67,706	12.1%
Speak Asian languages	4,471	17.9%	34,765	6.2%
Speak other language	145	0.6%	8,009	1.4%

Total Households	13,423	100.0%	239,603	100.0%
Linguistically isolated	1,852	13.8%	25,660	10.7%

Average household size	1.64		2.31
Family households	2.59		3.28
Non-family households	1.24		1.39

Median household income	$46,841		$39,629
Family households	$61,124		$44,151
Non-family households	$43,528		$33,332

Workers 16 years and over	14,503	100.0%	278,463	100.0%
Took public transit to work	3,657	25.2%	89,906	32.3%
Walked to work	6,721	46.3%	36,323	13.0%

INCOME & POVERTY

	1990		2000		Change
Median Household Income *	$40,282		$46,666		15.8%
Per Capita Income *	$36,084		$42,358		17.4%
Individuals in Poverty **	3,462	16.6%	3,874	16.9%	11.9%

*Income data from the 1990 and 2000 Census are for the prior calendar year (1989 and 1999). The 1989 income data were adjusted for inflation to 1999 dollars.

** Excludes institutionalized people, people in military group quarters, people in college dormitories, and unrelated individuals under 15 years old

HOUSING

	1990		2000		Change
	#	%	#	%	%
Total Housing Units	13,361	100.0%	14,220	100.0%	6.4%
% of Boston Housing		5.3%		5.6%

Occupied Housing Units	11,766	88.1%	13,180	92.7%	12.0%
Owner Occupied	2,554	21.7%	3,359	25.5%	31.5%
Renter Occupied	9,212	78.3%	9,821	74.5%	6.6%
Vacant Housing Units	1,595	11.9%	1,040	7.3%	-34.8%

Family Households	3,782	32.1%	3,995	29.8%	5.6%
Married-couple family	2,934	24.9%	3,172	23.6%	8.1%
Single-person household	848	7.2%	823	6.1%	-2.9%
Nonfamily Households	7,984	67.9%	9,428	70.2%	18.1%

Residential Housing, by Type (2005)

	#	%
Single Family	75	5.5%
Two Family	58	4.3%
Three Family	128	9.4%
SubTotal 1, 2, 3 Family Properties	261	19.2%
Four-Six Family	329	24.3%
Apartment Buildings	134	9.9%
Mixed Residential/Commercial	353	26.0%
Condominium Associations	279	20.6%
Total Residential & Mixed Properties	1,356	NA

	Neighborhood		Boston
Median Residential Sales Prices	2003	2004	2003	2004
Single Family	*	*	$338,950	$379,000
Two-Family	*	*	$386,000	$456,000
Three-Family	*	*	$430,000	$515,000
Condominium	$439,000	$500,000	$319,000	$350,000
All Residential Sales	$441,000	$505,250	$340,000	$380,000
Median Monthly Rent (two-bedroom)	$2,100	$2,200	$1,500	$1,450
Foreclosure Deeds	0	0	33	43

	Neighborhood		Boston
Median Residential Sales Prices	2005	2006	2005	2006
Single Family	*	*	$386,995	$370,000
Two-Family	*	*	$480,000	$479,450
Three-Family	*	*	$540,000	$526,250
Condominium	$594,000	$575,000	$350,000	$350,000
All Residential Sales	$601,000	$575,000	$390,000	$382,000
Median Asking Monthly Rent	$2,200	$2,300	$1,500	$1,650
Foreclosure Deeds	1	0	60	261

	Neighborhood		Boston
Median Residential Sales Prices	2007	2008	2007	2008
Single Family	*	*	$370,000	$335,000
Two-Family	*	*	$440,100	$308,750
Three-Family	*	*	$470,000	$305,000
Condominium	$525,000	$525,000	$355,000	$370,000
All Residential Sales	$527,500	$525,000	$374,500	$352,000
Median Asking Monthly Rent	$2,925	$525,000	$1,800	$1,850
Foreclosure Deeds	7	8	703	1,215

LAND & OPEN SPACE (2000)

Land Area (Sq Miles)	1.3
Persons per Sq Mile	19,364
% open space	6.7%
Protected open space per 1,000 people	1.9

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NEWS RESOURCES & INFORMATION ABOUT CENTRAL BOSTON

For more detailed demographic data about Central Boston from the US Census Bureau, download the Boston Redevelopment Authority's Central 2000 Census of Population and Housing , as well as the Health Commission's Health of Boston 2009 , an annual compendium of Boston health statistics, with data by neighborhood.

See also the Greater Boston Data Portal on the Boston Indicators Project homepage.