In addition, Boston also has a very large population of students, making it a major college town. As often the case, having so many students around has a strong influence on the local culture. In fact, Boston is one of only a few big cities that are also major college towns, making it one of the nation's prominent intellectual centers. In addition, the presence of thousands of college students gives Boston a sophisticated style, and provides lots of diversions and entertainment for students. Being a big "college town" not only means that Boston has a burgeoning arts, music, and nightclub scene, but the innovation sector of the local economy receives a great boost from both the intellectual output of the faculty and the thousands of enthusiastic students who graduate every spring.
This makes Boston a good place to live for young professionals. With so many people in this demographic, Boston presents many opportunities for single professionals to enjoy themselves, socialize, and to create lasting relationships.
Boston is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.
One downside of living in Boston is that it can take a long time to commute to work. In Boston, the average commute to work is 31.62 minutes, which is quite a bit higher than the national average. On the other hand, local public transit is widely used in the city, so leaving the car at home and taking transit is often a viable alternative. In addition, it is also a pedestrian-friendly city. Many of Boston’s neighborhoods are dense enough and have amenities close enough together that people find it feasible to get around on foot.
One of the benefits of being a big city like Boston is having a public transportation system, but in Boston the transit system is the mode of choice for lots of people getting to and from work every day. You will find many people using the subway for their daily commute, even though other transportation options exist. If you ask these commuters, many will tell you that not having to drive in the snarl of big city traffic is one of main reasons for leaving the car at home, or even not owning a car at all. With so many people taking the subway Boston benefits from a reduction in air pollution and traffic.
Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Boston. 54.88% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.
The per capita income in Boston in 2022 was $61,698, which is upper middle income relative to Massachusetts, and wealthy relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $246,792 for a family of four. However, Boston contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
Boston is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Boston home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Boston residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Boston also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 19.27% of the city’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Boston include Irish, Italian, English, German, and Haitian.
Foreign born people are also an important part of Boston's cultural character, accounting for 27.83% of the city’s population.
The most common language spoken in Boston is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and French.
