Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Boston metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

2020 Census data for the city of Boston, Boston neighborhoods, census tracts, block groups, and voting districts. In the 2020 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau divided Boston into 207 census tracts (~4,000 residents) made up of 581 smaller block groups. The Boston Planning and Development Agency uses the 2020 tracts to approximate Boston neighborhoods. The 2020 Census Redistricting data also identify Boston’s voting districts.

For analysis of Boston’s 2020 Census data including graphs and maps by the BPDA Research Division and Office of Digital Cartography and GIS, see 2020 Census Research Publications

For a complete official data dictionary, please go to 2020 Census State Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Chapter 6. Data Dictionary. 2020 Census State Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File

2020 Census Tracts In Boston

2020 Census Block Groups In Boston

Boston Neighborhood Boundaries Approximated By 2020 Census Tracts

Boston Voting District Boundaries

Demographic Data for Boston’s Neighborhoods, 1950-2019

Boston is a city defined by the unique character of its many neighborhoods. The historical tables created by the BPDA Research Division from U.S. Census Decennial data describe demographic changes in Boston’s neighborhoods from 1950 through 2010 using consistent tract-based geographies. For more analysis of these data, please see Historical Trends in Boston's Neighborhoods. The most recent available neighborhood demographic data come from the 5-year American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS tables also present demographic data for Census-tract approximations of Boston’s neighborhoods. For pdf versions of the data presented here plus earlier versions of the analysis, please see Boston in Context.

This file contains the 65 cities and towns in Massachusetts for which MBTA bus or rapid transit service is provided. This data is based off of the 2010 census. The legislative intent for some boundaries could not be mapped. Boundaries where that is true are identified in the attribute information. Name Description Data Type Example town_name Full name for the MA town or city identification. String Boston town_id MassGIS Town-ID Code (alphabetical, 1-351) Numeric 34 sum_acres Area covered by the town or city in acres. Double 31304.22 sum_square Area covered by the town or city in square miles. Double 48.91 Use constraints: This data set, like all other cartographic products may contain inherent aberrations in geography or thematical errors. The boundaries included in this data set were developed using accepted GIS methodology. Cartographic products can never truly represent real-world conditions due to several factors. These factors can include, but are not limited to: human error upon digitizing, computational tolerance of the computer, or the distortion of map symbology. Because of these factors MassGIS cannot be held legally responsible for personal or property damages resulting from any type of use of the data set. These boundaries are suitable for map display and planning purposes. They cannot be used as a substitute for the work of a professional land surveyor.MassDOT/MBTA shall not be held liable for any errors in this data. This includes errors of omission, commission, errors concerning the content of the data, and relative and positional accuracy of the data. This data cannot be construed to be a legal document. Primary sources from which this data was compiled must be consulted for verification of information contained in this data.

High resolution land cover dataset for City of Boston, MA. Seven land cover classes were mapped: (1) tree canopy, (2) grass/shrub, (3) bare earth, (4) water, (5) buildings, (6) roads, and (7) other paved surfaces. The primary sources used to derive this land cover layer were 2013 LiDAR data, 2014 Orthoimagery, and 2016 NAIP imagery. Ancillary data sources included GIS data provided by City of Boston, MA or created by the UVM Spatial Analysis Laboratory. Object-based image analysis techniques (OBIA) were employed to extract land cover information using the best available remotely sensed and vector GIS datasets. OBIA systems work by grouping pixels into meaningful objects based on their spectral and spatial properties, while taking into account boundaries imposed by existing vector datasets. Within the OBIA environment a rule-based expert system was designed to effectively mimic the process of manual image analysis by incorporating the elements of image interpretation (color/tone, texture, pattern, location, size, and shape) into the classification process. A series of morphological procedures were employed to insure that the end product is both accurate and cartographically pleasing. Following the automated OBIA mapping a detailed manual review of the dataset was carried out at a scale of 1:2500 and all observable errors were corrected.

High resolution land cover dataset for City of Boston, MA. Seven land cover classes were mapped: (1) tree canopy, (2) grass/shrub, (3) bare earth, (4) water, (5) buildings, (6) roads, and (7) other paved surfaces. The primary sources used to derive this land cover layer were 2013 LiDAR data, 2014 Orthoimagery, and 2016 NAIP imagery. Ancillary data sources included GIS data provided by City of Boston, MA or created by the UVM Spatial Analysis Laboratory. Object-based image analysis techniques (OBIA) were employed to extract land cover information using the best available remotely sensed and vector GIS datasets. OBIA systems work by grouping pixels into meaningful objects based on their spectral and spatial properties, while taking into account boundaries imposed by existing vector datasets. Within the OBIA environment a rule-based expert system was designed to effectively mimic the process of manual image analysis by incorporating the elements of image interpretation (color/tone, texture, pattern, location, size, and shape) into the classification process. A series of morphological procedures were employed to insure that the end product is both accurate and cartographically pleasing. Following the automated OBIA mapping a detailed manual review of the dataset was carried out at a scale of 1:2500 and all observable errors were corrected.

Credits: University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Laboratory in collaboration with the City of Boston, Trust for Public Lands, and City of Cambridge.

Urban heat islands are small areas where temperatures are unnaturally high - usually due to dense buildings, expansive hard surfaces, or a lack of tree cover or greenspace. People living in these communities are exposed to more dangerous conditions, especially as daytime high and nighttime low temperatures increase over time. NOAA Climate Program Office and CAPA Strategies have partnered with cities around the United States to map urban heat islands. Using Sentinel-2 satellite thermal data along with on-the-ground sensors, air temperature and heat indexes are calculated for morning, afternoon, and evening time periods. The NOAA Visualization Lab, part of the NOAA Satellite and Information Service, has made the original heat mapping data available as dynamic image services.Dataset SummaryPhenomenon Mapped: Sensing package time step valuesUnits: decimal degrees Cell Size: 30 metersPixel Type: 32 bit floating pointData Coordinate Systems: WGS84 Mosaic Projection: WGS84 Extent: cities within the United StatesSource: NOAA and CAPA StrategiesPublication Date: September 20, 2021What can you do with this layer?This imagery layer supports communities' UHI spatial analysis and mapping capabilities. The symbology can be manually changed, or a processing template applied to the layer will provide a custom rendering. Each city can be queried.Cities IncludedBaltimore, Boise, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Nampa, Oakland-Berkeley, Portland, Richmond, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Juan, Victorville, Washington, West Palm Beach, Worcester, Charleston and YonkersCities may apply to be a part of the Heat Watch program through the CAPA Strategies website. Attribute Table Informationcity_name: Boston MAEvening air temperatures in cities

This dataset is no longer being updated as of 6/30/2022. It is being retained on the Open Data Portal for its potential historical interest.

In November 2020, the City of Cambridge began collecting and analyzing COVID-19 data from municipal wastewater, which can serve as an early indicator of increased COVID-19 infections in the city. The Cambridge Public Health Department and Cambridge Department of Public Works are using technology developed by Biobot, a Cambridge based company, and partnering with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). This Cambridge wastewater surveillance initiative is funded through a $175,000 appropriation from the Cambridge City Council.

This dataset indicates the presence of the COVID-19 virus (measured as viral RNA particles from the novel coronavirus per ml) in municipal wastewater. The Cambridge site data here were collected as a 24-hour composite sample, which is taken weekly. The MWRA site data ere were collected as a 24-hour composite sample, which is taken daily. MWRA and Cambridge data are listed here in a single table.

An interactive graph of this data is available here: https://cityofcambridge.shinyapps.io/COVID19/?tab=wastewater

All areas within the City of Cambridge are captured across four separate catchment areas (or sewersheds) as indicated on the map viewable here: https://cityofcambridge.shinyapps.io/COVID19/_w_484790f7/BioBot_Sites.png. The North and West Cambridge sample also includes nearly all of Belmont and very small areas of Arlington and Somerville (light yellow). The remaining collection sites are entirely -- or almost entirely -- drawn from Cambridge households and workplaces.

Data are corrected for wastewater flow rate, which adjusts for population in general. Data listed are expected to reflect the burden of COVID-19 infections within each of the four sewersheds. A lag of approximately 4-7 days will occur before new transmissions captured in wastewater data would result in a positive PCR test for COVID-19, the most common testing method used. While this wastewater surveillance tool can provide an early indication of major changes in transmission within the community, it remains an emerging technology. In assessing community transmission, wastewater surveillance data should only be considered in conjunction with other clinical measures, such as current infection rates and test positivity.

Each location is selected because it reflects input from a distinct catchment area (or sewershed) as identified on the color-coded map. Viral data collected from small catchment areas like these four Cambridge sites are more variable than data collected from central collection points (e.g., the MWRA facility on Deer Island) where wastewater from dozens of communities are joined and mixed. Data from each catchment area will be impacted by daily activity among individuals living in that area (e.g., working from home vs. traveling to work) and by daytime activities that are not from residences (businesses, schools, etc.) As such, the Regional MWRA data provides a more stable measure of regional viral counts. COVID wastewater data for Boston North and Boston South regions is available at https://www.mwra.com/biobot/biobotdata.htm

In spring 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey, as part of its Boston 133 Cities Urban Area mapping program, contracted for true-color imagery covering the metropolitan Boston area and beyond. Image type for the entire region (more than 1.7 million acres) is 24-bit, 3-band (red, green, blue) natural color. Each band has pixel values ranging 0-255. Pixel resolution is 30 cm., or approximately one foot. In spring 2009, USGS continued the project and 4-band 30cm imagery was obtained for the remainder of the state.This digital orthoimagery can serve a variety of purposes, from general planning, to field reference for spatial analysis, to a tool for data development and revision of vector maps. It can also serve as a reference layer or basemap for myriad applications inside geographic information system (GIS) software.The data are served from MassGIS' ArcGIS Online account as a tiled cached map service for fast display.For full metadata and links to download the imagery visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massgis-data-20082009-aerial-imagery.

Street trees, from Treekeeper Web Feature Service. Updated daily.

Urban heat islands are small areas where temperatures are unnaturally high - usually due to dense buildings, expansive hard surfaces, or a lack of tree cover or greenspace. People living in these communities are exposed to more dangerous conditions, especially as daytime high and nighttime low temperatures increase over time. NOAA Climate Program Office and CAPA Strategies have partnered with cities around the United States to map urban heat islands. Using Sentinel-2 satellite thermal data along with on-the-ground sensors, air temperature and heat indexes are calculated for morning, afternoon, and evening time periods. The NOAA Visualization Lab, part of the NOAA Satellite and Information Service, has made the original heat mapping data available as dynamic image services.Dataset SummaryPhenomenon Mapped: heat indexUnits: degrees Fahrenheit Cell Size: 30 metersPixel Type: 32 bit floating pointData Coordinate Systems: WGS84 Mosaic Projection: WGS84 Extent: cities within the United StatesSource: NOAA and CAPA StrategiesPublication Date: September 20, 2021What can you do with this layer?This imagery layer supports communities' UHI spatial analysis and mapping capabilities. The symbology can be manually changed, or a processing template applied to the layer will provide a custom rendering. Each city can be queried.Related layers include Morning Heat Index and Evening Heat Index. Cities IncludedBoulder, CO Brooklyn, NY Greenwich Village, NY Columbia, SC Columbia, MO Columbus, OH Knoxville, TN Jacksonville, FL Las Vegas, NV Milwaukee, WI Nashville, TN Omaha, NE Philadelphia, PA Rockville, MD Gaithersburg, MD Takoma Park, MD San Francisco, CA Spokane, WA Abingdon, VA Albuquerque, NM Arlington, MA Woburn, MA Arlington, VA Atlanta, GA Charleston, SC Charlottesville, VA Clarksville, IN Farmville, VA Gresham, OR Harrisonburg, VA Kansas City, MO Lynchburg, VA Manhattan, NY Bronx, NY Newark, NJ Jersey City, NJ Elizabeth, NJ Petersburg, VA Raleigh, NC Durham, NC Richmond, VA Richmond, IN Salem, VA San Diego, CA Virginia Beach, VA Winchester, VA Austin, TX Burlington, VT Cincinnati, OH Detroit, MI El Paso, TX Houston, TX Jackson, MS Las Cruces, NM Miami, FL New Orleans, LA Providence, RI Roanoke, VA San Jose, CA Seattle, WA Vancouver, BC Canada Boston, MA Fort Lauderdale, FL Honolulu, HI Boise, ID Nampa, ID Los Angeles, CA Yonkers, NY Oakland, CA Berkeley, CA San Juan, PR Sacramento, CA San Bernardino, CA Victorville, CA West Palm Beach, FL Worcester, MA Washington, D.C. Baltimore, MD Portland, ORCities may apply to be a part of the Heat Watch program through the CAPA Strategies website. Attribute Table Informationcity_name: Afternoon Heat Index Observations in Floating-Point (°F)

This layer represents Zoning Subdistrict boundaries indicating geographic areas subject to specific zoning guidelines. Developed and maintained by the Planning Department GIS in accordance with the Boston Zoning Code.

Traffic-related data collected by the Boston Transportation Department, as well as other City departments and State agencies. Various types of counts: Turning Movement Counts, Automated Traffic Recordings, Pedestrian Counts, Delay Studies, and Gap Studies.

~_Turning Movement Counts (TMC)_ present the number of motor vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists passing through the particular intersection. Specific movements and crossings are recorded for all street approaches involved with the intersection. This data is used in traffic signal retiming programs and for signal requests. Counts are typically conducted for 2-, 4-, 11-, and 12-Hr periods.

~_Automated Traffic Recordings (ATR)_ record the volume of motor vehicles traveling along a particular road, measures of travel speeds, and approximations of the class of the vehicles (motorcycle, 2-axle, large box truck, bus, etc). This type of count is conducted only along a street link/corridor, to gather data between two intersections or points of interest. This data is used in travel studies, as well as to review concerns about street use, speeding, and capacity. Counts are typically conducted for 12- & 24-Hr periods.

~_Pedestrian Counts (PED)_ record the volume of individual persons crossing a given street, whether at an existing intersection or a mid-block crossing. This data is used to review concerns about crossing safety, as well as for access analysis for points of interest. Counts are typically conducted for 2-, 4-, 11-, and 12-Hr periods.

~_Delay Studies (DEL)_ measure the delay experienced by motor vehicles due to the effects of congestion. Counts are typically conducted for a 1-Hr period at a given intersection or point of intersecting vehicular traffic.

~_Gap Studies (GAP)_ record the number of gaps which are typically present between groups of vehicles traveling through an intersection or past a point on a street. This data is used to assess opportunities for pedestrians to cross the street and for analyses on vehicular “platooning”. Counts are typically conducted for a specific 1-Hr period at a single point of crossing.

Throughout history, government and industries have neglected investments in some neighborhoods, especially communities of color, who are more likely to have fewer resources.