Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas: Cambridge

Authors

Phillip Granberry, University of Massachusetts BostonFollow
Victor Luis Martins, University of Massachusetts BostonFollow
Michelle Borges, University of Massachusetts BostonFollow

Document Type

Research Report

Publication Date

7-2023

Abstract

Cambridge is a city of 116,892 residents, of whom 10.0%, identify as Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2020 Decennial Census. Statewide, Latino residents contribute 12.6% of the total population. In Cambridge, the largest resident population is White (60.9%). The Asian population is the second largest group in the city, making up 21.0%, followed by the Black population, which accounts for 11.2% of city residents.

Between the 2010 and 2020 Decennial Censuses, Cambridge experienced 12.6% population growth, and all major ethnic-racial groups had increasing shares. Asians and Latinos grew by more than 30%, while the Black and White populations grew by 3.7% and 0.5%, respectively. Across the state, Latinos increased by 41.4% during this period, indicating below-average growth in the Latino population in Cambridge.

The remainder of this profile uses 2017–2021 American Community Survey data in order to analyze the demographic and economic characteristics presented in this profile.

Cambridge has long been a destination for international migrants, and today it has a greater concentration of foreign-born (29.1%) than the Commonwealth as a whole (17.3%). This is especially the case among Latinos. In Cambridge, 36.7% of the Latino population is foreign-born, which is higher than the Latino statewide share (32.1%).

The Latino population in Cambridge is a mix of Latinos from different origins and not dominated as much by Puerto Ricans and Dominicans as are many other Massachusetts towns and cities. Puerto Ricans are the largest single group in Cambridge, but Mexicans are the second largest, followed by Dominicans, Salvadorans, and Colombians. Statewide, the five largest Latino populations in Massachusetts in order of size are Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Mexicans.

Community Engaged/Serving

Part of the UMass Boston Community-Engaged Teaching, Research, and Service Series. //scholarworks.umb.edu/engage

Recommended Citation

Granberry, Phillip; Martins, Victor Luis; and Borges, Michelle, "Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas: Cambridge" (2023). Gastón Institute Publications. 297.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/gaston_pubs/297