Our brief, “The Problem of Rental Deserts in Greater Boston, by the Numbers,” buff.ly/6Y85SUn points out that rental deserts exist in some Greater Boston suburbs that are dominated by single family homes.

The City of Newton has come up with a small-scale innovation to add housing units in centrally located areas. As we explain in our brief, “A Modest Zoning Reform That Works—and Should Be Scaled,” buff.ly/MGE9OSz Newton has implemented Multi-Residence Transit districts near public transportation.

To keep up with all of our latest research and analysis, sign up for the Boston Indicators newsletter. buff.ly/1IzJX2w

Please join us on Zoom on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., for the release of the report, “ADUs Turn One: Regulatory Barriers to Production in Massachusetts and Ideas for Further Reform.” You can register here: buff.ly/Bb9fjOq

Here’s a paradox about retirement savings in Massachusetts: although this state has “one of the highest median retirement savings per household in the country,” it’s also true that among the state’s older adults, there is “widespread retirement insecurity...”

While many parents would like to help their children become homeowners, this was easier for the wealthier families profiled in the Institute for Economic and Racial Equity’s new report, “Leveraging Mobility in Boston." buff.ly/1ECmdUB

The new Institute for Economic and Racial Equity report, “Leveraging Mobility in Boston” buff.ly/1ECmdUB looks at the impact of housing and neighborhoods on family wealth.

The next report in Boston Indicators’ Racial Wealth Equity Research and Conversation Series — “Leveraging Mobility in Boston: Economic Well-Being and the Flow of Wealth Across Three Generations of Low- and Middle-Income Families” buff.ly/1ECmdUB ...

We look at outcomes of adult children in our new report, “Leveraging Mobility in Boston: Economic Well-Being and the Flow of Wealth Across Three Generations of Low- and Middle-Income Families.” buff.ly/1ECmdUB In a complex landscape, parents have worked hard to invest in their children's futures.

Our new report, “Leveraging Mobility in Boston: Economic Well-Being and the Flow of Wealth Across Three Generations of Low- and Middle-Income Families,” buff.ly/1ECmdUB points to racial disparities in wealth transfers across generations.

Patterns of wealth transfer are changing, as we explain in our new report, “Leveraging Mobility in Boston: Economic Well-Being and the Flow of Wealth Across Three Generations of Low- and Middle-Income Families,” buff.ly/1ECmdUB

The three-legged stool of retirement funding is wobbling. Learn more in our new report, “Leveraging Mobility in Boston: Economic Well-Being and the Flow of Wealth Across Three Generations of Low- and Middle-Income Families.” buff.ly/1ECmdUB

In our new report, “Leveraging Mobility in Boston: Economic Well-Being and the Flow of Wealth Across Three Generations of Low- and Middle-Income Families,” buff.ly/1ECmdUB we look at how families manage retirement. One important asset was having a defined benefit pension.

In our new report, “Leveraging Mobility in Boston: Economic Well-Being and the Flow of Wealth Across Three Generations of Low- and Middle-Income Families,” buff.ly/1ECmdUB we look at the impact of housing and neighborhoods on family wealth.

The Leveraging Mobility Study has followed families since 1998 to understand their experience with wealth.

Today, we're releasing our new report: “Leveraging Mobility in Boston: Economic Well-Being and the Flow of Wealth Across Three Generations of Low- and Middle-Income Families.” buff.ly/1ECmdUB

For some, a common expectation is that family wealth will pass from parents to children. But our Racial Wealth Equity Chartbook buff.ly/warGv8v finds that reality is quite different for many families of color.

These days, screens get all the attention, from cell phones to laptops to televisions. But in a new article “The Meaning of Main Streets,” buff.ly/xdzAItT Boston Indicators’ Amy Dain writes an ode to the bricks, mortar, and humanity of Massachusetts’ bustling Main Streets.

Please register and join us for a Zoom webinar on our new report, “Leveraging Mobility in Boston: Economic Well-Being and the Flow of Wealth Across Three Generations of Low- and Middle-Income Families.” The webinar will be on Thursday, April 16, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. buff.ly/uYGsf7J

Many factors limit the wealth-building abilities of Native Americans, as we explain in our report, “To Live and Thrive in Massachusetts: Native American Perspectives on Wealth,” buff.ly/hjejmMM.

While incomes in Massachusetts have grown over time, disparities persist, as we explain in our brief, “Income and wage trends across the decades.” buff.ly/gQXQqff One concern is the ongoing wage gap that’s based on workers’ ages. From 1980 to 2024, hourly wages grew across all age groups.

In our brief— “Income and wage trends across the decades.” buff.ly/gQXQqff — we look at disparities in the growth of hourly wages across time. One factor in these disparities is educational attainment.

Please register and join us for a Zoom webinar on our new report, “Leveraging Mobility in Boston: Economic Well-Being and the Flow of Wealth Across Three Generations of Low- and Middle-Income Families.” The webinar will be on Thursday, April 16, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. buff.ly/uYGsf7J

Check out our new brief, “Income and wage trends across the decades.” buff.ly/gQXQqff Taking the long view, the brief explains that economic growth in Massachusetts has led to rising incomes for decades.

Discussions about the racial wealth gap often focus on Black and Latino households—and overlook Native American communities. We fill in this gap with our report, “To Live and Thrive in Massachusetts: Native American Perspectives on Wealth,” buff.ly/P40nhz7.

“The burden posed by Massachusetts’ high cost of living hits older households of color particularly hard,” as we explain in our report, “Wealth Gaps in the Golden Years: Economic Insecurity for Older Adults in a High-Cost State.” buff.ly/BQjKutD

In our report — “Wealth Gaps in the Golden Years: Economic Insecurity for Older Adults in a High-Cost State” buff.ly/BQjKutD — we look at income gaps among older Massachusetts residents.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) cuts the estate tax; and this cut widens the racial wealth gap because most of the people who benefit are white, as we explain in our report, “Fading Beauty: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Could Widen Wealth Inequality.” buff.ly/OnugSIL

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act threatens to widen racial gaps by eroding Medicaid coverage, as we explain in our report, “Fading Beauty: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Could Widen Wealth Inequality.” buff.ly/OnugSIL

In the news: Our report, “Legalizing Mid-Rise Single Stair Housing in Massachusetts,” buff.ly/rfKjk04 was featured in an NBC 10Boston news story buff.ly/dXgrBcD about Governor Maura Healey creating an advisory group that will study the feasibility of allowing single-staircase home construction.

Check out Kelly Harrington's post on our recent happy hour—and on the importance of building community. buff.ly/8Cot2tS

In our report, “Global Greater Boston: Immigrants in a Changing Region,” buff.ly/G4oqmXa we note that immigrants have high rates of economic mobility.

For a deep dive into data-driven research and policy, sign up for the BARI Conference 2026: Greater Boston’s 10th Annual Insight-to-Impact Summit, buff.ly/iGu5SO3 which will be on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Northeastern University, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Where has the MBTA Communities Law sparked new housing production?

Immigrants in this region are more likely to start their own businesses, making a key contribution to the state economy, as we explain in our report, “Global Greater Boston: Immigrants in a Changing Region.” buff.ly/G4oqmXa

Luc Schuster, Executive Director of Boston Indicators, has a new opinion piece in Commonwealth Beacon magazine, “The MBTA Communities law was a good start. But it won’t deliver transit-oriented development – or solve our housing shortage.” buff.ly/RkSS2Pe

In our brief, “A Modest Zoning Reform That Works—and Should Be Scaled,” buff.ly/gbAVV7B we look at how one reform is increasing the number of housing units in areas with single-family housing.

Students who come from other countries are a vital part of this state’s higher education community, as we explain in our brief, “Brain Gain: International Students in Massachusetts.” buff.ly/VgffiZ0

Our new brief, “A Modest Zoning Reform That Works—and Should Be Scaled,” buff.ly/gbAVV7B looks at how Newton—in response to the MBTA Communities law—created Multi-Residence Transit (MRT) zoning districts that preserve existing housing and allow for new construction.

“For much of the past half-century, the permitting of multifamily housing in Massachusetts steadily became more discretionary, time-consuming, political, and unpredictable,” as we explain in our report, “An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/hxiBlre.

Immigrants play an important role in Greater Boston’s economic prosperity, as we explain in our report, “Global Greater Boston: Immigrants in a Changing Region.” buff.ly/ds44N6W

The MBTA Communities Act has sparked more than 100 housing projects. How far are these projects from MBTA stations? According to our new report— “An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/jXJVwEK — and a related interactive map, there has been success...

Most of the housing projects in the MBTA Communities pipeline are small- or medium-sized projects that will produce fewer housing units, as we explain in our report —“An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/jXJVwEK.

Our new report — “An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/Qvxi23l — points to the way that zoning creates the potential for housing production. As Boston Indicators' Amy Zain, the report's author says, "Zoning reform isn't destiny. Zoning reform gives housing a chance."

Our new report—"An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/jXJVwEK —looks at the impact that the MBTA Communities law is having on housing production.

Our new report—“An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/jXJVwEK%E2%8... an interactive map (on the report's landing page) that plots all projects in the MBTA Communities permitting pipeline as of December 18, 2025.

What impact is the MBTA Communities Law having on the goal of building housing that is close to transportation? "Our analysis shows that so far, approximately a third of units in the pipeline are within a half mile of a station," Boston Indicators' Amy Dain says.

"Braintree has the single largest project in the pipeline. In the MBTA community's pipeline, 752 units in one project on approximately 30 acres. This is a huge, mostly vacant industrial property," Boston Indicators' Amy Dain explains.

The 2021 MBTA Communities law calls on cities and towns served by the MBTA to zone for greater housing density. Our new report— “An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/Qvxi23l — evaluates the law’s impact.

This morning, we’re holding our author event for our new report—“An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/jXJVwEK. The report was written by Boston Indicators’ Amy Dain, and she’ll be discussing the impact that the MBTA Communities Act is having on housing production.