Boston: population and statistics
Boston has a population of 72,092 (2025) across 364.0 km², or 198 people per km². It ranks 342 of 361 local authorities by population. Its population is growing: +6.7% between 2015 and 2025.
- 72,092 residents
- 364.0 km²
- 198 people/km²
Boston in numbers
Population of Boston over time
Boston had 67,586 residents in 2015 and 72,092 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 70,181 |
| 2021 | 70,815 |
| 2022 | 71,618 |
| 2023 | 72,428 |
| 2024 | 72,288 |
| 2025 | 72,092 |
All indicators for Boston
Value for the area, then the regional average and the UK median (for counts: regional and UK totals). The gauge places the area between the lowest and highest value in the UK.
Population
| Indicator | Boston | East Midlands | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residents aged 65 and over (2025) | 21.4% | 20.2% | 20.4% | ranked 154 of 361 | |
| Share of residents aged under 16 (2025) | 18.3% | 17.6% | 17.4% | ranked 131 of 361 |
Housing
| Indicator | Boston | East Midlands | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwellings (Council Tax stock) (2026) | 32,410 dwellings | 2,253,470 | 27,429,300 | ranked 307 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built before 1940 (2026) | 29.3% | 29.8% | 31.6% | ranked 182 of 318 | |
| Dwellings built since 2000 (2026) | 23.9% | 20.8% | 18.1% | ranked 55 of 318 | |
| Households (Census 2021) (2021) | 29,404 households | 80,736 | 61,440 | ranked 307 of 318 | |
| Households living in a house or bungalow (2021) | 88.2% | 87.9% | 84.7% | ranked 98 of 318 | |
| Households living in a flat or maisonette (2021) | 11.3% | 11.6% | 14.8% | ranked 215 of 318 | |
| Owner-occupied households (incl. shared ownership) (2021) | 60.1% | 66.0% | 67.3% | ranked 244 of 318 | |
| Households renting privately (2021) | 20.3% | 18.9% | 17.6% | ranked 93 of 318 | |
| Households in social housing (2021) | 19.5% | 15.0% | 14.3% | ranked 68 of 318 | |
| Average house price (2026) | £177,438 | £243,499 | £272,474 | ranked 323 of 360 | |
| House price change over 12 months (2026) | −0.3% | 2.1% | 2.2% | ranked 270 of 360 |
Energy
| Indicator | Boston | East Midlands | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without central heating (2021) | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.2% | ranked 175 of 318 | |
| Households heated by mains gas only (2021) | 67.1% | 76.4% | 76.7% | ranked 253 of 318 | |
| Households heated by electricity only (2021) | 7.9% | 6.4% | 7.8% | ranked 151 of 318 | |
| Households heated by oil only (2021) | 10.8% | 3.8% | 0.9% | ranked 42 of 318 |
Economy
| Indicator | Boston | East Midlands | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business sites (local units) (2026) | 2,850 sites | 213,055 | 3,232,440 | ranked 344 of 361 | |
| Business sites per 1,000 residents (2026) | 39.5 per 1,000 | 41.9 per 1,000 | 44.4 per 1,000 | ranked 247 of 361 | |
| Registered businesses (enterprises) (2026) | 2,395 businesses | 183,730 | 2,786,975 | ranked 345 of 361 | |
| Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross) (2025) | £29,805 | £36,281 | £38,490 | ranked 348 of 348 |
Jobs
| Indicator | Boston | East Midlands | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate, aged 16-64 (2025-2026) | 73.7% | 75.6% | 76.3% | ranked 233 of 347 | |
| Out-of-work benefit claimants, share of residents aged 16-64 (2026) | 4.7% | 3.4% | 3.2% | ranked 55 of 361 |
Transport
| Indicator | Boston | East Midlands | UK | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households without a car or van (2021) | 19.5% | 19.4% | 18.5% | ranked 142 of 318 |
Key points
Among the 35 local authorities in East Midlands, Boston ranks 31 by population.
Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross): £29,805 in Boston, compared with an average of £36,281 in East Midlands and £39,498 across the UK.
Largest business sector: Wholesale and retail trade, with 20.4% of the area's business sites.
Did you know?
- “Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross)”: lower than in 100% of local authorities.
- “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)”: lower than in 97% of local authorities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 50,979 football pitches.
- The nearest local authority is South Holland, 26.4 km away.
- The nearest larger neighbour is East Lindsey (146,756 residents), 31 km away.
Business sectors: Boston
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than across the UK.
- Wholesale and retail trade20.4% ×1.3
- Transport and storage11.2% ×2.7
- Construction10.8% ×0.9
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing9.6% ×2.2
- Administrative and support services7.0% ×0.9
- Accommodation and food services6.6% ×0.9
- Health and social work6.5% ×1.1
- Professional, scientific and technical5.6% ×0.4
Where is Boston?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Boston?
Boston has 72,092 residents (2025), ranking 342 of 361 local authorities.
How big is Boston?
Boston covers 364.0 km², with a density of 198 people per km².
Is the population of Boston growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Boston went from 67,586 to 72,092, a change of +6.7%.
Where is Boston?
Boston is in East Midlands (region). Latitude 52.975, longitude −0.026.
Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross): what is the figure for Boston?
In Boston, “Median annual pay, full-time residents (gross)” stands at £29,805 (2025), ranking 348 of 348 local authorities; the UK median is £38,490.
Dwellings (Council Tax stock): what is the figure for Boston?
In Boston, “Dwellings (Council Tax stock)” stands at 32,410 dwellings (2026), ranking 307 of 318 local authorities; the UK median is 67,955 dwellings.
Which local authorities border Boston?
The nearest to Boston are South Holland (26 km), East Lindsey (31 km), North Kesteven (37 km), South Kesteven (37 km), King's Lynn and West Norfolk (37 km).