What is the population of Boston?
Boston's metropolitan area has about 4,941,000 people, making it the 82nd largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.
Metro population
4,941,000
0.060% of world population
Archive estimateAnnual growth
+0.45%
About 61 people a day
Archive estimateDensity
1,078/km²
4,584 km² metro area
City proper
653,833
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNamesAbout Boston
Boston has a metropolitan population of 4,941,000 and a city-proper population of 653,833, with an annual growth rate of 0.5%. The city sits at an elevation of 14 m and maintains a density of 1,078 people per km². Founded in 1630, Boston is led by mayor Michelle Wu.
The city is served by multiple airports, including Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), as well as Laurence G Hanscom Field (BED), Worcester Regional Airport (ORH), and Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) in the surrounding region.
This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Key Facts
- Country
- United States
- Continent
- North America
- World rank
- #82 of 140
- Share of country
- 1.4%
- Founded
- 1630
- Leadership
- Michelle Wu
- Elevation
- 14 m
- Coordinates
- 42.358, -71.060
Airports
Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.
- Boston Logan International AirportBOS
4 km from the city centre
- Laurence G Hanscom FieldBED
23 km from the city centre
- Worcester Regional AirportORH
68 km from the city centre
- Manchester-Boston Regional AirportMHT
71 km from the city centre
Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.
Compared with the World's Largest Cities
Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.
| Name | Metro population |
|---|---|
| Tokyo | 37.4M |
| Delhi | 32.9M |
| Shanghai | 29.2M |
| São Paulo | 22.6M |
| Dhaka | 22.5M |
| Mexico City | 22.3M |
| Cairo | 22.2M |
| Mumbai | 21.7M |
| Beijing | 21.5M |
| Osaka | 19M |
| New York | 18.9M |
| Karachi | 17.1M |
| Kinshasa | 17.1M |
| Chongqing | 16.9M |
| Lagos | 15.9M |
| Boston | 4.94M |
Population Trend in United States
No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 154,202,680 |
| 1960 | 180,274,555 |
| 1970 | 207,796,339 |
| 1980 | 229,858,655 |
| 1990 | 253,373,387 |
| 2000 | 281,484,131 |
| 2010 | 311,062,790 |
| 2020 | 339,436,159 |
| 2030 | 355,649,881 |
| 2040 | 370,209,316 |
| 2050 | 380,846,910 |
| 2060 | 388,918,394 |
| 2070 | 398,218,088 |
| 2080 | 407,079,816 |
| 2090 | 414,457,640 |
| 2100 | 421,278,889 |
Other Major Cities in United States
14 more cities in our dataset.
- New York18.9M · +0.05%
- Los Angeles12.5M · +0.10%
- Chicago8.9M · −0.15%
- Dallas7.64M · +1.35%
- Houston7.34M · +1.45%
- Washington D.C.6.39M · +0.75%
- Miami6.17M · +1.02%
- Atlanta6.14M · +1.25%
- Philadelphia5.72M · +0.08%
Nearest Major Cities
Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.
Boston Population FAQ
What is the difference between Boston's city and metro population?
About 653,833 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 4,941,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.
Is Boston growing or shrinking?
Boston is growing at +0.45% a year.
What share of United States's population lives in Boston?
Boston's metro area holds about 1.4% of United States's total population.
How densely populated is Boston?
Boston has roughly 1,078 people per km² across a metro area of about 4,584 km².
Which airports serve Boston?
The nearest major airports are Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Laurence G Hanscom Field (BED), Worcester Regional Airport (ORH).
Which country is Boston in?
Boston is in United States, in North America.
Explore More Cities
- #1 TokyoJapan · 37.4M · −0.14%
- #2 DelhiIndia · 32.9M · +2.78%
- #3 ShanghaiChina · 29.2M · +0.86%
- #4 São PauloBrazil · 22.6M · +0.75%
- #5 DhakaBangladesh · 22.5M · +2.89%
- #6 Mexico CityMexico · 22.3M · +0.80%