Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area

Metro Area

Population: 4,917,661 (2023 estimate)

Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA)

Metro area data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) are defined by the Office of Management and Budget and group counties with a central urban core plus surrounding communities that are economically tied to it. Metro areas often cross county and state lines, making them the best unit for understanding regional labor markets, housing costs, and commute patterns.

Metro income rankings Compare to another metro

Trends 2017–2023

Income Poverty Home Values Rent Homeownership Education Unemployment Commute Time Work From Home Foreign-Born Uninsured

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).

Quick Facts — Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area

What is the median household income in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area?: The median household income in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area is $112,484 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
What is the poverty rate in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area?: The poverty rate in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area is 5.7% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What is the median home value in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area?: $610,900 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What is the average rent in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area?: The median gross rent in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area is $1,940 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
What percentage of Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area residents have a college degree?: 51.2% of adults in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).

Population

4,917,661

Median Income

$112,484

Median Home Value

$610,900

Poverty Rate

5.7%

Unemployment (ACS 2023)

4.8%

Median Age

39.0 yrs

Since 2019 Median Income: +$22,151 (+24.5%) Home Value: +$173,400 (+39.6%) Poverty Rate: -0.5 pp (-8.1%) Bachelor's+: +3.1 pp (+6.4%) Unemployment: +0.3 pp (+6.7%)

Demographics

Total Population 4,917,661

Median Age 39.0

Female 51.1%

Race & Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino 12.0% White (non-Hisp.) 66.6% Black 7.5% Asian 8.5% Two or More 9.1% Other 5.5%

Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)

Chinese

3.4%

Indian

2.1%

Vietnamese

0.8%

Korean

0.5%

Filipino

0.2%

Japanese

0.2%

Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)

Puerto Rican

2.7%

Mexican

0.8%

Cuban

0.3%

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

Income & Poverty

Median Household Income $112,484 ±$779

Per Capita Income $160,008

Median Family Income $141,288

Poverty Rate 5.7%

Child Poverty Rate 8.4%

Working-Age Poverty Rate —

SNAP Recipients 11.5%

Social Security Income —

Retirement Income 21.6%

Household Income Distribution

< $10k

4.1%

$10–15k

3.1%

$15–25k

4.9%

$25–35k

4.5%

$35–50k

6.7%

$50–75k

11.2%

$75–100k

10.5%

$100–150k

17.7%

$150–200k

12.5%

$200k+

24.7%

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

Housing

Total Housing Units 2,046,121

Owner-Occupied 61.8%

Renter-Occupied 38.2%

Vacancy Rate 5.9%

Median Home Value $610,900

Median Gross Rent $1,940

Owner Cost Burden (30%+) 22.5%

Renter Cost Burden (30%+) 40.9%

Home Value Distribution

< $50k

1.7%

$50–100k

0.9%

$100–200k

0.8%

$200–300k

5.8%

$300–500k

25.4%

$500k–$1M

48.7%

$1M+

15.6%

Gross Rent Distribution

< $500

9.4%

$500–1k

8.3%

$1–1.5k

13.6%

$1.5–2k

21.1%

$2–2.5k

19.8%

$2.5–3.5k

12.2%

$3.5k+

15.5%

Vehicle Availability

No vehicle

12.6%

1 vehicle

35.8%

2 vehicles

35.6%

16.1%

Housing Type

Single-fam. det.

47.0%

Single-fam. att.

6.4%

2–4 units

9.7%

5–19 units

5.8%

20+ units

14.8%

Mobile home

1.1%

Housing Age

Pre-1940

31.5%

1940–1969

4.8%

1970–1999

10.6%

2000–2009

7.5%

2010+

7.1%

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

Education

High School or Higher 92.3%

Bachelor's or Higher 51.2%

Graduate Degree 23.7%

Some College / Associate 13.3%

Less Than High School 4.0%

Enrolled in School —

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

Employment

Labor Force Participation 69.0%

Unemployment Rate 4.8%

Work from Home 18.7%

Self-Employed 5.4%

Government Workers 11.8%

Private For-Profit 82.7%

Industry

Edu/Health

27.2%

Prof. Services

17.4%

Retail

9.3%

Manufacturing

8.9%

Finance

8.0%

Arts/Entmt.

7.5%

Construction

5.6%

Transportation

3.9%

Public Admin

3.8%

Information

2.3%

Wholesale

1.7%

Agriculture

0.3%

Occupation

Management

54.0%

Sales

17.4%

Food Prep

14.6%

Production

8.0%

Construction

6.1%

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

Commute

Median Travel Time 30.5 min

Drove Alone 58.6%

Carpool 6.3%

Public Transit 9.0%

Work from Home 18.7%

Walked 4.7%

Bicycle —

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

Households & Families

Total Households 1,925,474

Avg. Household Size 2.00

Avg. Family Size —

Married-Couple Households 47.3%

Single-Mother Households —

Single-Father Households —

Living Alone —

Households with Children 19.2%

Multigenerational —

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

Age Distribution

Under 5

5.1%

5–9

5.2%

10–14

5.6%

15–19

6.4%

20–24

6.8%

25–34

14.8%

35–44

13.2%

45–54

12.6%

55–64

7.0%

65–74

6.5%

75–84

9.8%

85+

4.7%

Under 18: 19.5% Working age (18–64): 80.5% 65 and over: 16.6%

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

Social Characteristics

Immigration

Foreign Born 19.7%

Naturalized Citizen 54.0%

Speaks English Less Than Very Well 10.1%

Foreign-Born Origin

Latin America

40.4%

Asia

32.6%

Europe

15.6%

Africa

9.0%

Veterans & Disability

Veteran 4.2%

With a Disability 10.9%

Cognitive Difficulty —

Ambulatory Difficulty —

Health Insurance

Insured 97.2%

Uninsured 2.8%

Employer Insurance —

Medicaid —

Medicare —

Technology & Mobility

Broadband Internet 92.8%

Has a Computer 95.8%

Same House 1 Year Ago 87.5%

Moved from Abroad 0.9%

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