This document provides demographic information about immigrants and languages spoken in Boston. It finds that over 35% of Boston residents speak a language other than English at home, with the most common being Spanish, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Slavic languages. Additionally, over 24,000 Boston Public School students, or 42.7%, speak a language other than English at home, with Spanish and Asian languages being most prominent. While only 8.8% of Boston's children are foreign-born, 46% have at least one immigrant parent, demonstrating the importance of immigration for the city's youth population.

1. Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians
Cheng Imm Tan, Director
New Bostonians 2012
Research Division
Alvaro Lima, Director 1

2. This report was prepared for the Mayor’s Office of New
Bostonians by Mark Melnik and BRA Research Division
staff, under the direction of Alvaro Lima, Director.
Special thanks to Joshua Silverblatt for his invaluable
role in creating this report.
The information provided within this report is the best
available at the time of its publication.
City of Boston
Thomas M. Menino, Mayor
All or partial use of the
data found within
this report must be cited.
Our preferred
citation is as follows:
Boston Redevelopment Boston Redevelopment Authority
Authority/Research Peter Meade, Director
Division, October 2012. Alvaro Lima, Director of Research
2

3. New Bostonians 2012
 Table of Contents
 Demographics 4
 Languages 15
 Boston’s Neighborhood Diversity 22
 Economic Contributions and Labor Force 31
 English Proficiency 37
 Educational Attainment 39
 Homeownership 41
 Citizenship 43
 References 45
3

4. New Bostonians 2012
 Demographics
4

5. 39.3 Million Immigrants Live in the U.S. (2010)
 Immigrants account for more than 1 in 7 residents (12.8%), the highest
percentage since 1930 (12%).
 83.7% more immigrants live in the United States now than in 1990.
 Between 2000 and 2010, immigrants accounted for 50.3% of the nation’s
population growth.
In 2010, the nation’s largest immigrant groups were Latinos and
Asians:
 53% are from Latin America;
 28% are from Asia;
 12% are from Europe;
 7% are from other regions in the world including Northern America
and Oceania.
5
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2008-2010. U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000 SF1. BRA Research Analysis

6. Massachusetts has the 7th Largest Immigrant Population
 As of 2010, the Massachusetts (MA) immigrant population totaled
964,530 or 14.7% of the state’s population.
 Between 2000 and 2010, 337,746 new immigrants came to MA. If
not for this influx, the population would have decreased.
 Between 2000 and 2010, 35.4% of MA immigrants were from Latin
America and the Caribbean and 28.6% were from Asia.
 China has become the largest source of immigrants in MA. By
2010, 80,737 immigrants in MA were Chinese, followed by Brazilians who
total 68,197.
Sources: American Fact Finder, American Community Survey 2008-2010. U.S.. Bureau of the Census, 2000 SF1. BRA Research Division Analysis.
6

7. Boston’s Immigrant Population is Growing
 Over the last two decades the share of Boston’s foreign-born
population has increased at a faster pace than Massachusetts and the U.S.
 In 1990, 114,597 immigrants accounted for 20% of the city’s total
population.
 In 2010, Boston had 617,594 residents, with the foreign born accounting
for approximately 27% of the population.
 Boston’s foreign-born population comes predominantly from the Americas,
Asia, Europe, and Africa and represents more than 100 different countries.
 Dominican Republic immigrants make up 23.3% of all immigrants from
Latin America.
 Immigrants from the Caribbean make up the largest share of Boston’s
Immigrant population, totaling 46,444.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, BRA Research Analysis. American Community Survey, 2008-2010, BRA Research Analysis
7

8. Boston’s Minority Groups Have Become the City’s
New “Majority”
 Latinos (17.5%), Asians (8.9%), and Blacks or African Americans (22.4%) together
with other minorities make up 53% of the city’s total population.
 Since 1990, the Latino population has increased by 74.2% and the Asian population
by 85.0%. 2000
1990 2010
0.3% 4.5% 1.6% 2.4%
0.3% 1.0% 7.5% 8.9%
5.2%
0.2%
10.8%
14.4%
49.5%
17.5%
47.0%
23.8%
59.0% 23.8%
22.4%
White Black or African American Hispanic or Latino Asian Native American Other
Source: Liming L., Perkins, G., Goetze, R., Vrabel, J., Lewis G., & Consalvo, R., (2001) Boston’s Population – 2000, Changes in
Population, Race, Ethnicity in Boston and Boston’s Neighborhoods – 1980 to 2000. Boston: Boston Redevelopment Authority. 8
Source: 2010 Census, Research Division Analysis

9. New Bostonians Leading Countries of Origin
Top 10 Countries of Origin for the Foreign-Born
Population, 2008-2010
Dominican Republic 18,189
China 16,785
Haiti 13,782
Vietnam 7,684
El Salvador 7,575
Colombia 6,703
Cape Verde 6,457
Jamaica 5,637
Brazil 4,823
India 4,203
- 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000
9
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008-2010, BRA Research Division Analysis

10. New Bostonians are a Growing Population
 Boston had the 6th highest proportion
of foreign-born residents among the
25 largest U.S. cities in 2010.
 Half of New Bostonians come from
the Americas (49.4%), followed by
Asia (25.4%), Europe (14.6%), and
Africa (10.5%).
 The four largest immigrant groups in
Boston in 2010 were from China
(10.3%), Haiti (8.5%), Vietnam
(4.7%), and El Salvador (4.7%).
Note: *Central America includes Mexico. ** Other includes Northern America and Oceania 10
Source: American Fact Finder, American Community Survey, 2008-2010. Brookings Institution Living Cities, BRA Research Division Analysis.

11. Boston’s Central, and South American Leading
Countries of Origin (2008-2010)
Central America South America
1%
3% 6%
12%
3% 6%
16%
5%
33% Brazil
Mexican
3% Colombian
Costa Rica 2%
El Salvador Ecuador
Guatemala Guyana
Honduras Peru
20% Nicaragua Venezuela
Panama Other South America
45%
45%
11
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008-2010, BRA Research Division Analysis

12. Boston’s European, Asian, and African Leading
Countries of Origin (2008-2010)
Europe Asia Africa
5.6% 6.7%
2.0%
11.9% 19.6% 3.9%
28.7% 28.5%
4.1%
2.2% 40.6%
5.3%
4.2% 2.8%
18.6% 37.9%
8.3%
9.8%
12.7%
12.7% 5.2% 3.2%
4.1% 10.2% 5.7% 4.5% 3.7%
China Japan
England Ireland France Germany Ethiopia Kenya Morocco
Korea India
Greece Italy Albania Poland Vietnam Turkey Cape Verde Ghana Liberia
Russia Ukraine Other Nigeria Sierra Leone Other
Source: American Fact Finder, American Community Survey, 2008-2010, BRA Research Division Analysis
12

13. Boston’s Leading Latino Ethnic Groups (2008-2010)
Puerto Rican
Dominican
Mexican
Cuban
0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0% 40.0% 45.0% 50.0%
Note: The Census defines people hailing from US territories as “native-born” . As a result, Puerto Ricans are considered native-born and are not included in our
foreign-born figures. Race reported as Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 13
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2008-2010, BRA Research Division Analysis

14. Boston’s Most Common Ancestries
Boston’s Ancestry, 2000 and 2010
 Irish and Italian are the first and Ancestry 2000 2010
second leading ancestries. The 1 Irish 76,652 81,735
2 Italian 40,716 38,432
population of those identifying 3 English 15,528 20,402
themselves as “Irish” grew 6.6% 4 Haitian 18,790 19,212
between 2000 and 2010. Those 5 German 13,855 15,345
identifying themselves as “Italian” 6
7
American
Cape Verdean
19,387
10,878
10,482
10,324
decreased by 5.6% during the same 8 Polish 9,176 10,094
time period. 9 Russian 8,124 9,202
10 French 5,938 7,234
11 Jamaican 7,804 7,206
 Brazilians have witnessed a 31% 12 Scottish 4,777 5,266
13 Brazilian 3,470 4,545
increase between 2000 and 2010 14 French Canadian 4,811 4,382
15 Greek 4,693 4,095
16 Portuguese 3,225 3,799
 Albanians, who were not included as 17 Swedish 2,457 2,887
part of the top 20 countries in 2000, 18 Trinidadian and Tobagonian 3,072 2,735
grew by 63.4% over the decade. 19 West Indian 2,860 2,517
20 Albanian 1,339 2,188
Note: *American refers to people who identified their ancestry as "American", "United States", as a region such as "Southerner", or as a U.S. state such as "Texan“ (U.S. Census).
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, BRA Research Division Analysis. 14
American Community Survey, 2008-2010, Public Use Microdata Sample, BRA Research Analysis .

15. New Bostonians 2012
 Languages
15

16. New Bostonians Speak Over 140 Languages
 In 2008-2010, over 35% of residents spoke a language other than English
at home, up from almost 26% in 1990.
 Over 15% of residents speak Spanish at home up from 9.5% in 1990.
 6.8% speak an Asian language at home, up from 4% in 1990.
 Over 11% of residents speak an Indo-European language at home.
16
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Fact Finder, American Community Survey, 2008-2010, BRA Research Division Analysis

17. Leading Languages Spoken in Boston
 The most common languages spoken (other than English) include:
Spanish, Indo-European, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Slavic
Languages.
 65% of Boston residents over 5 years old speak only English, 35% speak
a language other than English.
15.2%
16.0%
14.0%
12.0%
10.0%
8.0%
4.8%
6.0% 3.8%
4.0% 2.0% 1.7%
1.3%
2.0%
0.0%
Spanish *French Chinese Portuguese Vietnamese African Languages
*French includes French Creole, Patois, and Cajun 17
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2008-2010 Estimates, BRA Research Analysis

18. New Bostonian Youth Speak Many Languages
Student Demographics for the Boston Public  24,140 or 42.7% of BPS students
Schools (BPS) speak a language other than
2.0%
English at home.
13.0%
 11,840 or 21% of BPS students
are classified as Limited English
9.0% 39.0% Proficient or English Language
Learners.
 3,260 BPS students are former
Limited English Proficient.
 Every year, approximately 200-
37.0%
300 high school age immigrants
enter Boston Public Schools,
Spanish Black Asian White Other usually in 11th or 12th grade.
18
Source: Boston Public Schools. (2008). Boston Public Schools at a Glance 2009-2010. Boston: BPS Communication Office

19. Immigrant Youth are Critical to the State’s Future
Nativity of Children 0-17 Years of Age in Nativity of Parents for Children 0-17 Years
Boston Old in Boston
8.8%
Both parents native
Child is native born 46.4% born
Child is foreign born 53.6% Both parents foreign
born
91.2%
 While only 8.8% of Boston’s children are foreign-born, more than
46% are the children of immigrants.
 This shows that immigration is a critical childhood education
issue.
Note: Living with native-born parent(s) is defined as either living in a single parent home with a native-born parent or living in a home with two native-born parents. Living
with foreign-born parent(s) is defined as either living in a single parent home with a foreign-born parent or living in a home with two foreign-born parents 19
Source: U.S. Census Bureau,, American Community Survey, 2008-2010 estimates. BRA Research Analysis

20. Boston is a Multilingual and Diverse City
Languages Other than English Spoken at Home, 2010
 In all Boston neighborhoods
35.5% of the total population
speak a language other than
English at home.
 Planning Districts with the
highest share of people
speaking a language other
than English at home are East
Boston (67%), Dorchester
(42%), Roslindale (41%),
Roxbury (40%), Hyde Park
(38%) and the South End
(37%)
 Spanish is highly represented in
East Boston, Roxbury, and
Jamaica Plain with 30% of
people speaking Spanish at
home.
20
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey 2006-2010, BRA Research Division Analysis.

21. Boston’s Adults With English as a Second
Language and Literacy Sites by Planning District
 4 Planning Districts account
for 80% of *intensive English
for speakers of other
languages (ESOL) programs:
Jamaica Plain (29%),
Dorchester (22%), Downtown
(15%), and South Boston
(14%).
*intensive programs require 9+ instruction hrs/weeks
 From 2000-2010 there was
a 34% increase in the adult
Hispanic population and a
32% increase in the adult
Asian population
 In 2010, there were 3,687
students enrolled in a Boston
program.
Source: Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). Boston Adult Literacy Initiative, U.S. Census Bureau 2000,
Massachusetts Geographic Information System (MassGIS). Massachusetts Department of Education, Adult and 21
Community Learning Services.

22. New Bostonians 2012
 Boston’s Planning District Diversity
22

23. New Bostonians Mean Diverse Planning Districts
 Many of Boston’s Planning
Districts have experienced an
North 2010 2000
Dorchester
increase in diversity between Back Bay/
Beacon Hill
0.80 South
Dorchester
2000 and 2010. South Boston
0.70
Harbor Islands
0.60
0.50
 The Planning Districts that have Mattapan 0.40 Boston
experienced the most dramatic 0.30
increases are: 0.20
West Roxbury
Charlestown South End
 0.10
 South Boston 0.00
 Back Bay/Beacon Hill West Roxbury Roslindale
 Roxbury
 Charlestown
Central Hyde Park
 The Planning Districts that have Allston/
witnessed a loss in diversity are:
Jamaica Plain
Brighton
Feneway/
 East Boston Kenmore
East Boston
Roxbury
 Jamaica Plain
 South End
Source: Liming L., Perkins, G., Goetze, R., Vrabel, J., Lewis G., & Consalvo, R., (2001) Boston’s Population – 2000, Changes in 23
Population, Race, Ethnicity in Boston and Boston’s Neighborhoods – 1980 to 2000. U.S. Census Bureau. Boston Redevelopment Authority.

24. Planning Districts: East Boston and Roslindale
 From 2000 to 2010, East Boston’s non-White population grew from 52% to 62%.
 As of 2010, Latinos made up 54% of East Boston’s population.
 From 2000 to 2010, Roslindale’s White population decreased by 31%.
 Roslindale’s population is very mixed, with a large number of Latinos and African American.
East Boston (2010) Roslindale (2010)
60.0% 60.0%
50.0% 50.0%
40.0% 40.0%
30.0% 30.0%
20.0% 20.0%
10.0%
10.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Hispanic or White Black or Asian Other
Hispanic or White Black or Asian Other
Latino African
Latino African
American
American
U.S. Bureau of the Census 2010, Summary File 1. Selvarajah, E. Vrabel, J. ,Cenusus 2000, Key Neighborhood Characteristics, Comparative Data on Neighborhoods and 24
Boston, 15 April 2004. American Community Survey 2006-2010. Boston Redevelopment Authority.

25. Planning Districts: Allston/Brighton and Hyde Park
 As of 2010, minorities made up 32% of Allston/Brighton’s population, increasing by
8% since 2000.
 Minorities make up nearly three quarters of Hyde Park’s current population (71%),
compared to 57% in 2000.
 The number of white residents in Hyde Park has decreased by 33% over the decade.
Allston/Brighton Hyde Park
60,000 16,000
14,000
50,000
12,000
40,000
10,000
30,000 8,000
20,000 6,000
4,000
10,000
2,000
0
0
Hispanic or White Black or Asian Other
Hispanic or White Black or Asian Other
Latino African
Latino African
American
American
2010 2000
2010 2000
U.S. Bureau of the Census 2010, Summary File 1. Selvarajah, E. Vrabel, J. ,Cenusus 2000, Key Neighborhood Characteristics, Comparative Data on Neighborhoods and 25
Boston, 15 April 2004. Boston Redevelopment Authority.

26. Planning Districts: Dorchester
 As of 2010, non-Whites made up more than three quarters of
Dorchester’s population (77%).
 The largest group in this neighborhood is Black/African Americans,
increasing by 41% over the decade from 2000 to 2010.
Dorchester
50.0%
45.0%
40.0%
35.0%
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
Hispanic or Latino White Black or African American Asian Other
2010 2000
U.S. Bureau of the Census 2010, Summary File 1. Selvarajah, E. Vrabel, J. ,Cenusus 2000, Key Neighborhood Characteristics, Comparative Data on Neighborhoods and 26
Boston, 15 April 2004. Boston Redevelopment Authority.

27. Between 2000 and 2010, All of Boston’s Planning Districts
Experienced Changes in the Foreign-Born Population
2000 2010 Changes
Percent of Foreign Percent of Foreign
Planning Districts Absolute Percent
Foreign Born Born in Foreign Born Born in
Change Change
Neighborhood Neighborhood
Boston Total 151,836 26.0% 163,052 26.7% 11,216 6.9%
East Boston 16,051 45.0% 20,611 50.3% 4,560 22.1%
Mattapan 10,706 31.0% 12,115 33.3% 1,409 11.6%
Dorchester 29,492 32.0% 26,278 31.8% -3,214 -12.2%
Allston/Brighton 22,016 33.0% 20,831 30.6% -1,185 -5.7%
Hyde Park 8,246 28.0% 9,685 29.9% 1,439 14.9%
Roslindale 9,048 28.0% 9,442 28.7% 394 4.2%
Roxbury 12,501 24.0% 15,811 25.9% 3,310 20.9%
Central 6,480 26.0% 8,085 24.8% 1,605 19.9%
South End 6,201 23.0% 7,334 24.5% 1,133 15.4%
Fenway/Kenmore 7,974 23.0% 9,073 21.8% 1,099 12.1%
West Roxbury 4,929 18.0% 6,168 21.1% 1,239 20.1%
Jamaica Plain 9,157 25.0% 8,749 21.0% -408 -4.7%
Charlestown 2,111 15.0% 2,313 13.9% 202 8.7%
South Boston 3,717 13.0% 3,723 11.6% 6 0.2%
Back Bay/Beacon Hill 3,155 12.0% 3,197 9.8% 42 1.3%
27
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey 2006-2010 estimates. BRA Research Division Analysis.

28. Planning Districts with a Share of Foreign-Born
Higher than the City Average
 East Boston has the highest share of the foreign-born population, accounting for 50% of the
population and increasing by 22% over the last decade.
 Salvadorans make up the largest proportion of foreign-born residents in East Boston.
 Mattapan is the neighborhood with the second largest share of foreign-born residents (33%).
Haitians make up the largest foreign-born group in this neighborhood, at 29%.
Top Countries of Origin Top Countries of Origin
East Boston Mattapan
El Salvador Haiti
Colombia Jamaica
Brazil Cape Verde
Mexico Dominican Republic
Italy Trinidad and Tobago
0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0%
28
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey 2006-2010 estimates. BRA Research Division Analysis.

29. Planning Districts with a Share of Foreign-Born
Higher than the City Average
 Dorchester is home to the third largest share of foreign-born residents among the city’s
neighborhoods.
 Cape Verdeans make up the largest population of foreign-born residents in Dorchester.
 Allston/Brighton has the fourth largest share of foreign-born residents. Chinese, who are
Boston’s second largest foreign-born population are the largest in Allston/Brighton as well.
Top Countries of Origin Top Countries of Origin
Dorchester Allston/Brighton
Cape Verde China
Vietnam Brazil
Haiti Russia
Dominican Republic El Salvador
Jamaica Ukraine
0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0%
29
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey 2006-2010 estimates. BRA Research Division Analysis.

30. Planning Districts with a Share of Foreign-Born
Higher than the City Average
 Hyde Park has the fifth largest share of the foreign-born population. Haitians make up the
largest group in this neighborhood, 23% more than the next largest.
 30% of Hyde Park and 29% Roslindale are foreign-born. Dominicans make up the largest
foreign-born population here. The proportion of the Dominican population in Roslindale is
double that of Hyde Park.
Top Countries of Origin Top Countries of Origin
Hyde Park Roslindale
Haiti Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic Haiti
Jamaica Albania
Nigeria Guatemale
Guatemale Ireland
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0%
30
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey 2006-2010 estimates. BRA Research Division Analysis.

31. New Bostonians 2012
Economic Contributions & Labor
Force
31

32. Immigrants are Significant Economic Contributors
 Immigrants in Boston spend, from their after tax earnings, just over $4.0 billion
annually. These annual expenditures generate a regional product of $4.0 billion
and $1.3 billion in state and federal taxes.
 Annual expenditures generate over 25,800 additional jobs in the local economy.
 Immigrants further contribute to Boston’s economy through entrepreneurship.
 They own more than 8,800* small businesses in the greater Boston area in
different industry sectors.
 Combined, these businesses represent almost $3.7 billion in annual sales and
employ close to 18,500 people.
 They contribute about $3.6 billion to the regional product, $293 million in
state and federal taxes and they create an additional 16,900 jobs.
Note: * Included individual proprieties and self-employed contractors. Data based on the 2007 Economic Census and includes all Hispanic and Asian owned businesses 32
Source: Regional Economic Model, Inc. (REMI), BRA Research Division Analysis

33. Immigrants are Critical Contributors to the Labor
Force
 67.9% of the nation’s immigrants were a part of the labor force in 2010,
compared to 64.1% of the native-born.
 Immigrants help to fill both the high-skill and low-skill jobs in the labor
market statewide.
 From 2000 to 2010, without immigrants, the state’s labor force would have
shrunk. By 2010, immigrants accounted for 17.1% of the state’s workforce,
a sharp increase from 1980 when immigrants were only at 8.8%.
 Immigrants are much more likely to be between 25 and 44 years old than
the natives. This group can potentially play a pivotal role in replacing the
soon to retire baby boomers in the labor force.
 Immigrants will be critical to filling future labor gaps; 76 million baby
boomers will retire by 2030, while only 46 million native-born workers will
have entered the workforce.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, Public Use Micro Sample Data (PUMS) 2008-2010. The Changing Workforce: Immigrants and the New Economy in Massachusetts. Boston.;
Clayton-Matthews, A,, Wantanabe, P, and Karp, F. The Immigrant Learning Center (2009). Massachusetts Immigrants by the Numbers: Demographic Characteristics and 33
Economic Footprint. Malden, MA.; http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/forbrn.pdf

34. New Bostonians are Employed in Many Industries
 11.6% of both naturalized and non-naturalized immigrants work in
blue collar industries including construction and extraction,
production, transportation, instillation and maintenance occupations.
 45% of naturalized immigrants in the labor force, compared to just
under 42% non-naturalized immigrants in the labor force, work in
"knowledge-based" industries including finance, professional
services, health services, management, business and education.
 28% of non-naturalized immigrants work in retail, administration
support, personal care, protective, accommodation and food service
industries compared to 31% of naturalized citizens.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Public Use Microdata (5%) Sample 2008-2010 American Community Survey (PUMS), BRA Research Division Analysis.
34

35. New Bostonian’s Leading Industries
Healthcare/Social Services
Professional Services
Accomidation/Food
Education
Retail Trade
Other Services
Manufacturing
Construction
Arts & Entertainment
Administrative
Finance/Insurance
Transportation & Warehousing
Wholesale Trade
Real Estate
Information
Public Administration
Agriculture
Mining
Utilities
Management
0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 12.0% 14.0% 16.0% 18.0% 20.0%
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Public Use Microdata Sample 2008-2010 (PUMS), BRA Research Division Analysis
35

36. New Bostonian’s Leading Occupations
Services
Managerial & Professional
Technical, Sales and Administrative Support
Construction, Extraction & Transportation
Production
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Community and Social Services
Other
0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0%
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Public Use Microdata Sample 2008-2010 (PUMS), BRA Research Division Analysis
36

37. New Bostonians 2012
 English Proficiency
37

38. New Bostonians and English Proficiency
 Since 1980, the overall share of immigrants in MA who speak only English has
decreased from 35% to 18.7%, while the share with Limited English Proficiency
increased from 17.5% to 23.2% in 2010.
 In 2010, 55,085* or 9.5% of all Boston residents lacked English proficiency
compared to 6% in 1990.
 Almost one-third of all Spanish speakers are Limited English Proficient (29%).
 Of all Asian language speakers**, just over one-third are Limited English
Proficient (38%).
 Nearly 23,000 households in Boston are linguistically isolated, in which no person
aged 14 years and over is English Proficient.
 In 2010, almost one half of all adult immigrants in Boston (47.9%) either lack a
high school diploma or have Limited English Proficiency.
•Note: The Limited English Proficient includes immigrant adults who do not speak English at all or who do not speak it well. The English Proficient includes immigrant adults who speak only English,
speak it very well or speak it well.
•** Asian Languages include Hindi, Bengali, Panjabi, Marathi, Gujarathi, Urdu, Nepali, Chinese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Cambodian, Vietnamese , Indonesian and others.
Consalvo, R. (2002). Demographic Changes 1990-2000. Boston: Boston Redevelopment Authority, presented at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Banking on the Community Conference, October
8, 2002. 38
U.S. Bureau of Census, Public Use Microdata Sample 2008-2010 (PUMS), BRA Research Division Analysis.

39. New Bostonians 2012
 Educational Attainment
39

40. Educational Attainment
For residents 25 years and older, in Boston:
 Nearly 1 out of 3 immigrants (30.4%) has a bachelor's degree or higher,
compared to the city average of 43.7%.
 28.8% have not completed high school, compared to the city’s 15.7%.
Educational Attainment, 2010
Doctorate degree
Professional degree
Master's degree
Bachelor's degree
Associate degree
One + yrs college, no degree
Some college, under 1 year
High school graduate Foreign-Born
12th grade, no diploma
11th grade Native-Born
10th grade
9th grade
7th/8th grade
5th/6th grade
Nursery school to 4th grade
No schooling completed
0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0%
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Public Use Microdata Sample 2008-2010 (PUMS), BRA Research Division Analysis.
40

41. New Bostonians 2012
 Homeownership
41

42. Half of New Bostonian Householders Own Their Home
 Just over half of foreign-born householders own a home in Boston,
compared to 67.8% of native-headed households.
 In Massachusetts, the total value of immigrant owned homes was
$81.3 billion in 2007.
 The average home value of immigrant and native homeowners was
very similar ($421,000 for immigrants versus $415,000 for natives)
 Approximately 49% of immigrant headed households rent a home in
Boston. The gross rent paid was $2.3 billion or an average of $1,039
per month per rental unit.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Public Use Microdata Sample 2008-2010 (PUMS), BRA Research Division Analysis ; Clayton-Matthews, A,, Wantanabe, P, and Karp, F. The 42
Immigrant Learning Center (2009). Massachusetts Immigrants by the Numbers: Demographic Characteristics and Economic Footprint. Malden, MA

43. New Bostonians 2012
 Citizenship
43

44. Many New Bostonians are Becoming U.S. Citizens
 1 in 8 Boston residents is a naturalized citizen, up from 1 in
14 in 1990.
Citizenship Status for the Foreign-born Population in Boston, 2010
Naturalized U.S.
Non-Naturalized Citizen
Citizen 45%
55%
Source: Consalvo, R. (2002). Demographic Changes 1990-2000. Boston: Boston Redevelopment Authority, presented at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Banking on the
Community Conference, October 8, 2002; American Community Survey, 2008-2010, American Fact Finder, BRA Research Analysis . 44

45. References
Boston Public Schools. (2008). Boston Public Schools at a Glance 2009-2010.
Boston: BPS Communication Office.
Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy & Living Cities:
The National Community Development Initiative. (2003). Boston in Focus: A
Profile from Census 2000. Washington DC.
Camarota, S, A., (2001). Immigrants in the United States - 2000: A snapshot of
America's Foreign-born population. Center for Immigration Studies:
Washington DC.
Consalvo, R. (2002). Demographic Changes 1990-2000. Boston: Boston
Redevelopment Authority. Presented at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s
Banking on the Community Conference, October 8, 2002.
Clayton-Matthews, A,, Wantanabe, P, and Karp, F. The Immigrant Learning
Center (2009). Massachusetts Immigrants by the Numbers: Demographic
Characteristics and Economic Footprint. Malden, MA
45

46. References
Edwards, V. (2004). The Public School Population: Home Language Study
2004. Boston.
Gunderson S., Jones, R., & Scanland, K., (2004). The Jobs Revolution: How
America Will Work. Chicago, IL: Copywriters Incorporated.
Harrington, P., Northeastern University’s Center for Labor Market Studies.
Boston.
Institute for Asian American Studies (IAAS), University of Massachusetts Boston.
Liming L., Perkins, G., Goetze, R., Vrabel, J., Lewis G., & Consalvo, R., (2001)
Boston’s Population – 2000, Changes in Population, Race, Ethnicity in Boston
and Boston’s Neighborhoods – 1980 to 2000. Boston: Boston
Redevelopment Authority.
Massachusetts Department of Education, Adult and Community Learning
Services, FY 2007.
46

47. References
Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth. (1999). The Changing
Workforce: Immigrants and the New Economy in Massachusetts. Boston.
Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians, Boston City Hall,
Access at: http://www.cityofboston.gov/newbostonians/ .
Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). Boston Adult Literacy Initiative. U.S.
Census Bureau 2000, Massachusetts Geographic Information System (MassGIS).
Millman, J. (2004, May 17). Immigrants Spend Earnings in U.S. Wall Street
Journal.
Regional Economic Model, Inc. (REMI), BRA Research Analysis.
Selvarajah, E., Vrabel, J. (2004). Census 2000. Key Neighborhood Characteristics:
Comparative Data on Neighborhoods and Boston. Boston Redevelopment
Authority.
47

48. References
U.S. Bureau of the Census. (1997). 1997 Economic Census: Survey of Minority
Owned Businesses. Washington, D.C.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000 SF1.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, Public Use Microdata (5%) Sample 2000 (PUMS).
U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Fact Finder, American Community Survey,
2008-2010.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2006-2010 estimates, American Community Survey.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, Public Use Microdata (5%) Sample 2008-2010
(PUMS).
U.S. Bureau of the Census . (2004). The Foreign-Born Population in the United
States: 2003. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
48