Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA

Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)

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2024 Population

124,643

US Senator

Elizabeth Warren

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ed Markey

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

13.8%

4.27% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$119,342

4.27% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$744,300

4.16% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

74,378

1.43% 1-year growth

About

29.3% of the households in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

90.6% of the residents in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA was $744,300, and the homeownership rate was 42.6%.

Most people in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 31.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA was 1 car per household.

Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA borders Essex County--Lynn & Nahant PUMA, MA, Essex County (South Coastline)--Salem, Beverly & Gloucester PUMA, MA, Boston City--Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Charlestown, East Boston, Central & South End PUMA, MA, Boston City--Mattapan & Roxbury PUMA, MA, Suffolk County (North)--Revere, Chelsea & Winthrop PUMA, MA, Norfolk County--Brookline, Milton & Dedham PUMA, MA, Norfolk County--Quincy PUMA, MA, Norfolk County (Northeast)--Weymouth, Braintree, Randolph & Cohasset PUMA, MA, and Plymouth County (North)--Marshfield, Hingham & Scituate PUMA, MA.

United States Massachusetts

Population & Diversity

Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA is home to a population of 125k people, from which 90.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 25.9% of Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA residents were born outside of the country (32.3k people).

In 2024, there were 2.57 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (59.9k people) in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 23.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 14.3k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

The most common non-English languages spoken as the primary language in households in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA are Spanish (12,000 households), Vietnamese (7,440 households), and Haitian (3,258 households).

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90.6%

2024 Citizenship

90.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 90.6% of Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA was 90.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA

White (Non-Hispanic)
59.9k ± 2.42k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
23.3k ± 2.09k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
14.3k ± 1.25k

13.6%

Hispanic Population

17k people

13.6% of the people in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA are hispanic (17k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Vietnam
5,985 ± 1,853 people
Cabo Verde
2,837 ± 1,293 people
Dominican Republic
2,504 ± 1,216 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA was Vietnam, the natal country of 5,985 Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA residents, followed by Cabo Verde with 2,837 and Dominican Republic with 2,504.

Foreign-Born Population

25.9%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

32.3k people

24.5%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

30.3k people

As of 2024, 25.9% of Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA residents (32.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA was 24.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Non-English Households

Most Common Non-English Languages

Spanish
12,000 households (10.1%)
Vietnamese
7,440 households (6.28%)
Haitian
3,258 households (2.75%)

29.3% of the households in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language, which is higher than the national average of 22.3%. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

In 2024, the most common non-English language spoken in households in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA was Spanish. 10.1% of the households in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA reported speaking Spanish at home as the primary shared language between all members living in the household.

Health

N/A% of the population of Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA has health coverage, with N/A% on employee plans, N/A% on Medicaid, N/A% on Medicare, N/A% on non-group plans, and N/A% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Massachusetts see 990 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (990 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 915 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 130 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

990 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Massachusetts

Primary care physicians in Massachusetts see an average of 990 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (990 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Massachusetts in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 16% under 18 years, 33% between 18 and 34 years, 38.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Economy

The economy of Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA employs 74.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA were General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (6,170 people), Computer Systems Design (4,124 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (3,601 people), and the highest paying industries were Data processing, hosting & related services ($358,775), Software publishers ($211,668), and Nondepository credit & related activities ($197,589).

Males in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA have an average income that is 1.22 times higher than the average income of females, which is $100,498. The income inequality in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.443, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Workforce Diversity

Measure

RACE/ETHNICITY

37,499

Women

50.4%

36,879

Men

49.6%

The workforce of Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA in 2024 was 74,378 people, with 50.4% woman, and 49.6% men.

The visualization shows the distribution of the workforce by gender and age in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA.

With the upper buttons you can see the distribution of the average salary and add a filter by race.

Occupations

74.4k

2024 Value

1.43%

1 Year growth

± 1.43%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA grew at a rate of 1.43%, from 73.3k employees to 74.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA, are Other managers (2,281 people), Registered nurses (2,189 people), and Retail salespersons (1,497 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Massachusetts (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

74.4k

2024 Value

1.43%

1 Year growth

± 1.43%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA grew at a rate of 1.43%, from 73.3k employees to 74.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA, are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (6,170 people), Computer Systems Design (4,124 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (3,601 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA, though some of these residents may live in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$83,806

Median earning men ± $3,083

$72,311

Median earning women ± $4,674

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($116,475), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($115,110), and Information ($108,353).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($99,619), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($96,250), and Manufacturing ($96,196).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

Y-Axis

2.61%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.67M people employed in Massachusetts. This represents a 2.61% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 17.5%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Massachusetts.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Massachusetts went to Kamala Harris with 61.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (36%), followed by Other (1.48%).

Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey are the senators currently representing the state of Massachusetts. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Massachusetts is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA. Showing the available data for Massachusetts.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (61.2%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (36%)
Republican Party
Other (1.48%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Massachusetts went to Kamala Harris with 61.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (36%), followed by Other (1.48%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Massachusetts for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Massachusetts

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

Elizabeth Warren

Senator from Massachusetts

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Ed Markey

Senator from Massachusetts

Assumed office on July 16, 2013
Elected to the seat to succeed Mo Cowan, who had been appointed to the seat following the resignation of John Kerry, who had become Secretary of State.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/26/us/massachusetts-special-senate-election.html |title=Democrat Wins Special Election for Kerry's Senate Seat |work=The New York Times |date=June 25, 2013 |access-date=May 21, 2020 |last1=Seelye |first1=Katharine Q. }}

Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey are the senators currently representing Massachusetts.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Massachusetts over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA awarded 4,051 degrees. The student population of Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 6,627 male students and 9,149 female students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 83.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 12.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 15,776 (42% men and 58% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 15,776 students enrolled in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA, 42% men and 58% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 5,118 records, of which 59.1% were women and 40.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
361 degrees awarded
Nursing School
315 degrees awarded
General Psychology
266 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA was General Business Administration & Management with 361 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA according to their major.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($15,278) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($620) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Measure

In 2024, NaNM% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while NaNM% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population of Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA in 2024 were Bachelors Degree (34.7k), Graduate Degree (21.5k), and High School or Equivalent (20.1k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA was $744,300 in 2024, which is 2.24 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $714,600 to $744,300, a 4.16% increase. The homeownership rate in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA is 42.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65.2%.

People in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA have an average commute time of 31.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$744,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$21,826

$23,590

Median Property Taxes

±$1,225

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

42.6%

Homeownership

2024

66.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 42.6% of the housing units in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 42.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$119,342

Median Household Income

± $5,067

55.3k

Number of Households

± 2,027

In 2024, the median household income of the 55.3k households in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA grew to $119,342 from the previous year's value of $114,450.

The following chart displays the households in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

0.443

2024 Wage GINI in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA

In 2024, the income inequality in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA was 0.443 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.388% growth from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (38.1%)
Public Transit (22.6%)
Worked At Home (21.4%)

In 2024, 38.1% of workers in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA drove alone to work, followed by those who used public transit to get to work (22.6%) and those who worked at home (21.4%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

31.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA have a longer commute time (31.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.65% of the workforce in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA have 1 car.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA (17.1k out of 124k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Boston City--Dorchester & South Boston PUMA, MA is Hispanic, followed by White and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.