Suffolk County · Massachusetts
Boston, MA demographics
Population, income and the local tax burden that sits on top of them — sourced from the Census Bureau and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
Quick answer
Boston, MA has a population of 653,833 and a median household income of $89,212 — about $7,434 a month before tax. That ranks 15 of 94 covered metros by income and 24 of 94 by population.
Population
653,833
City limits, ACS 5-year
Median household income
$89,212
ACS 5-year estimate
Combined sales tax
6.25%
Massachusetts + local
Income rank
#15
of 94 covered metros
Estimated annual sales tax on a median household
A Boston household at the median income of $89,212 spending roughly a quarter of pre-tax income on taxable retail goods would pay about $1,394 a year in sales tax at 6.25%. This is an illustration, not a filing figure: the taxable share of spending varies with household composition, and Massachusetts exempts or discounts several categories. Massachusetts allows no local sales tax, so Boston charges the flat state rate — but clothing under $175 per item is exempt, and only the amount above $175 is taxed.
Method: median household income × 25% taxable share × combined rate. The 25% share is a rough national benchmark from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, not a Boston-specific measurement.
Sources
What each figure on this page comes from.
- Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates
- Source: Massachusetts Department of Revenue rate tables · rates as published for 2026