Population 1,391 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Boston
Household size in Boston
| Period | Boston | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.67 | 2.51 | 2.51 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.64 | 2.55 | 2.53 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.70 | 2.55 | 2.52 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.57 | 2.50 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | −0.01 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Boston average 2.57 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.67, 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 | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.5 | 38.5 | 38.5 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.4 | 39.4 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.4 | 40.0 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.0 | 40.2 | 39.9 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +1.7 | +1.5 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Boston are younger than 41.0 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1.
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 | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.7% | 12.6% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 12.6% | 11.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 11.6% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.6% | 12.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +7.9 pts | −0.2 pts | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Boston (16.6%), well above the national share of 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 | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 30.5% | 30.1% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 32.3% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.3% | 32.5% | 32.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 31.1% | 31.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +0.6 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.4% of households in Boston rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 43.3% have no mortgage at all, above 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 | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.8% | 9.8% | 12.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.3% | 9.8% | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.1% | 9.8% | 12.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 7.9% | 10.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −9.7 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Boston: 8.0% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of the Louisville area.
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 | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1975 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1976 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1989 | 1976 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1994 | 1980 | 1982 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +5 | +5 | +6 |
Boston has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1994, versus 1980 nationally.
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 | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $909 | $769 | $657 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $768 | $826 | $728 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $817 | $928 | $814 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,043 | $1,200 | $1,024 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$134 | +$431 | +$367 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Boston costs $1,043 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 12.5% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 24.9% | 21.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 26.7% | 22.5% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.8% | 29.0% | 24.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.9% | 32.8% | 27.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.3 pts | +7.9 pts | +6.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Boston: 22.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.6% | 86.4% | 81.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 81.9% | 87.8% | 83.9% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.9% | 90.1% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.5% | 91.1% | 88.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | +4.7 pts | +7.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Boston have finished high school (91.5%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across the Louisville area.
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 | Louisville area | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 9.1% | 9.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.6% | 4.8% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.0 pts | −3.6 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Boston has been low: just 0.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 | 2.57 | 41.0 | 16.6% | 15.4% | 8.0% | 1994 | $1,043 | 22.9% | 91.5% | 0.6% |
| Nelsonville | 2.73 | 37.1 | 10.6% | 12.8% | 11.5% | 1988 | $960 | 19.6% | 92.1% | 1.5% |
| Bellwood | 2.41 | 43.5 | 12.9% | 19.5% | 7.0% | 1995 | $883 | 25.3% | 93.7% | 1.4% |
| Lyons | 2.52 | 43.8 | 4.4% | 14.0% | 21.9% | 1987 | $770 | 24.8% | 93.0% | 3.4% |
| Younger Creek | 2.62 | 44.0 | 10.3% | 11.3% | 7.6% | 1978 | $1,178 | 36.2% | 94.2% | 5.7% |
| Cravens | 2.52 | 42.7 | 8.6% | 16.9% | 8.7% | 1995 | $1,033 | 33.7% | 91.8% | 2.2% |
| Culvertown | 2.65 | 42.5 | 9.3% | 11.7% | 3.5% | 1993 | $919 | 9.9% | 93.4% | 4.5% |
| New Haven | 2.55 | 38.7 | 8.6% | 20.8% | 19.3% | 1982 | $836 | 15.6% | 94.5% | 5.7% |
| Lebanon Junction | 2.53 | 47.6 | 7.1% | 13.3% | 5.0% | 1982 | $1,002 | 14.9% | 85.8% | 6.2% |
| Rogersville | 2.50 | 45.6 | 8.8% | 13.3% | 11.1% | 1988 | $885 | 17.1% | 89.8% | 11.7% |
| Gethsemane | 2.59 | 40.0 | 13.0% | 5.7% | 10.4% | 1994 | $826 | 19.2% | 83.8% | 3.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Willshire, OH · Monument Valley, UT · Melcher-Dallas, IA · Middleville, NY · Milford, NY · Mill Neck, NY · Minden, TX · Minnesott Beach, NC · Mokane, MO · Monroe City, IN
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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