1. Homelessness in Greater Boston: An Update
Homelessness is a perennial concern in Greater Boston, and this update of the annual data from the latest point-in-time data widely read throughout most of the year.
TBF Top Research of 2025
It's cliché to say a lot has happened in the past year. It has been a a year of tumult and change affecting our most basic rights, values and beliefs, where the impact of actions –– local and national –– have had reverberations across Boston, the region and Massachusetts as a whole. Through it, we have been proud to present more than thirty pieces of original, discrete pieces of research, through our research center, Boston Indicators, and in collaboration with brilliant colleagues from several other organizations.
This list of our Top 11 most downloaded and read pieces of 2025 also includes a twelfth item, which is always a compelling read if not research, the 2024 Boston Foundation Annual Report, which is notable for a number of reasons. First, because it is accompanied by a powerful series of video stories that explain how we work with Greater Boston nonprofits to improve lives and strengthen communities. And second, because it is likely our final printed annual report, as we move to an interactive online format for this year and beyond (with the 2025 report out this month).
Explore all these reads with the links below, and find more at tbf.org/reports. And if you want to support this great work, our research, events and advocacy are all directly supported by the Foundation's Annual Fund for Civic Leadership.
2. The Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2025
Even though it was only released in mid-November, the Housing Report Card (as usual) jumped to the top of our list immediately, as people explored the latest data on prices, supply and the special topic on MBTA Communities implementation.
3. Residential Segregation in Greater Boston
Released in August, this Boston Indicators report looked beyond broad demographics to show that Greater Boston has become more racially integrated, but less so when it comes to economic class.
4. Meeting the Moment: SNAP Cuts and the Local Fallout
As the impact of federal program cuts became clearer, Boston Indicators explored just how many Massachusetts SNAP recipients are most at risk from work rules and more onerous verification requirements.
5. Boys & Men in Greater Boston
Written in collaboration with the American Institute for Boys and Men, this report sparked renewed conversations on how we can best address the challenges facing young men, especially Black and Latino men, in Greater Boston while continuing work to eliminate gender gaps.
6. To Live and Thrive in Massachusetts
This first-of-its-kind mixed methods report couples data and focus groups to explore Native American access, accumulation and perceptions of wealth and economic wellbeing, providing new insights into a too-often overlooked community in Massachusetts.
7. The Dignity Dividend: Lessons Learned from Guaranteed Income Pilots in Mass.
The past few years inspired a large number of guaranteed income pilots, in part made possible by federal pandemic fund. This report ecxplores the results and possibilities for the future.
8. Transit-Supportive Density in Greater Boston
This report from Boston Indicators and Transit Matters explores the supportive relationship between housing density and effective transit, and highlights some of Greater Boston's best opportunities to craft a stronger ecosystem.
9. Deed-Restricted Homeownership 101
This short report was developed by Boston Indicators in partnership with the Community Wealth pathway team at the Boston Foundation to help better explain deed restrictions, which strive to strike a balance between home affordability and long-term wealth creation for homeowners.
10. LGBTQ+ People in Massachusetts
In this report, the Equality Fund at the Boston Foundation and the Fenway Institute reprise their 2018 work to update the data and metrics around the state's LGBTQ+ population and the challenges and opportunities to support a growing communtiy.
11. Wealth Gaps in the Golden Years
This report combines the data with qualitative research to better understand how many retirees and older Massachusetts residents manage economic insecurity in one of the country's most prosperous states.
+1 more: The 2024 TBF Annual Report
While not technically a research report, the 2024 Annual generated thousands of views and downloads to explore the amazing work of our community of donors in support of Greater Boston nonprofits and communities.