The BRA Research Division released its report profiling Boston’s immigrants at the City of Boston’s New Bostonians Summit.
New Bostonians 2012 details:
- Demographics - 27% of Bostonians were born outside the U.S., the 6th high proportion among the 25 largest cities in the U.S. Forty-six percent of Boston children have at least one parent born outside the U.S.
- Languages - Over 35% of Bostonians speak a language other than English at home.
- Neighborhood Diversity – Half of East Boston’s population was born outside of the U.S., a 22% increase in the last decade.
- Economic Contributions and Labor Force – Immigrants own more than 8,800 small businesses in greater Boston, representing almost $3.7 billion in annual sales and employing nearly 18,500 people.
- English Proficiency – The percentage of Boston residents lacking English proficiency has increased to 9.5% from 6% in 1990.
- Educational Attainment - Nearly 1 out of 3 immigrants over 25 years of age has a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Homeownership - Just over half of Boston’s immigrant families are homeowners.
- Citizenship -1 in 8 of Bostonians is a naturalized citizen, up from 1 in 14 in 1990.