Population 587 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Boston
Household size in Boston
| Period | Boston | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.56 | 2.57 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.27 | 2.59 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.65 | 2.54 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.09 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Boston average 2.65 people, the same as the country as a whole. The typical household here is bigger than in Indiana overall, where it has 2.54 people. Household size has climbed from 2.56 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Boston
| Period | Boston | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.9 | 37.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.1 | 38.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 49.4 | 39.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.8 | 39.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.9 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
Boston skews older: half of its residents are older than 46.8, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Boston
| Period | Boston | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 11.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 12.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +9.1 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Boston than nationally: 14.4%, against 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Boston
Renters in Boston
| Period | Boston | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.8% | 28.5% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.6% | 30.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 30.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 8.3% | 29.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Boston is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 8.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 34.4% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Boston
| Period | Boston | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.0% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 1.0% | 11.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.5% | 9.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +12.5 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Boston: 13.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Boston
| Period | Boston | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1963 | 1977 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Boston is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1963, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Boston
| Period | Boston | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $565 | $763 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $736 | $819 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $835 | $903 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $878 | $1,146 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$313 | +$384 | +$606 |
The median renter in Boston pays $878 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 21.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Boston
Bachelor's degrees in Boston
| Period | Boston | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.2% | 23.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.5% | 24.6% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 33.5% | 27.1% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.0% | 30.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +16.9 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Boston as nationally: 36.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is higher than in Indiana as a whole (30.0%).
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Boston
| Period | Boston | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.2% | 86.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.7% | 87.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.7% | 88.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.4% | 89.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +3.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Boston have finished high school (92.4%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Boston
| Period | Boston | Indiana | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 1.8% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 4.9% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 4.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.7 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Boston runs below the national rate: 3.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Boston compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 2.65 | 46.8 | 14.4% | 8.3% | 13.5% | 1963 | $878 | 36.0% | 92.4% | 3.6% |
| West Florence | 2.78 | 38.0 | 3.3% | 18.1% | 8.6% | 1951 | $1,324 | 23.3% | 88.9% | 8.7% |
| Richmond | 2.38 | 40.8 | 13.4% | 36.4% | 12.7% | 1958 | $820 | 20.7% | 86.8% | 6.5% |
| New Westville | 2.91 | 40.6 | 3.2% | 10.4% | 6.9% | 1960 | $927 | 26.3% | 89.9% | 9.1% |
| Spring Grove | 2.28 | 51.8 | 11.4% | 35.3% | 4.9% | 1965 | $866 | 29.0% | 91.7% | 7.0% |
| Lotus | 2.80 | 41.2 | 14.0% | 9.7% | 10.5% | 1965 | $1,361 | 18.0% | 95.5% | 6.9% |
| Philomath | 2.89 | 45.4 | 5.9% | 5.7% | 9.4% | 1987 | $806 | 35.1% | 91.7% | 5.0% |
| Brownsville | 2.43 | 46.6 | 7.5% | 10.9% | 5.5% | 1974 | $807 | 12.9% | 84.4% | 1.4% |
| Centerville | 2.53 | 44.9 | 9.5% | 19.1% | 11.7% | 1970 | $891 | 19.0% | 88.3% | 5.5% |
| Fairhaven | 2.46 | 40.5 | 6.1% | 19.4% | 16.2% | 1941 | $1,488 | 19.8% | 90.3% | 4.3% |
| New Hope | 2.96 | 39.5 | 3.3% | 11.8% | 6.9% | 1959 | $944 | 26.8% | 90.5% | 10.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cash Corner, ME · Geigertown, PA · Sylvester, MI · Clatonia, NE · Fairview, IA · Fairview, IL · Churubusco, NY · Tenth Legion, VA · Cherry Hill, AR · Chatawa, MS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Boston. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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