Back Bay Demographics

This map outlines the boundaries of the 02116 ZIP code. Courtesy of www.mass.gov

The U.S. Census in 2000 determined that 8.4 percent, or about 1,700, of the Back Bay's residents identify themselves as gay or lesbian.

What is harder to determine is how much of a change this is from a decade ago.

Not long ago, the Census Bureau admitted in a press release that the 1990 census was flawed and did not accurately track same sex "spouse" combinations, and other gay demographic information.

One thing is clear: Whatever someone's sexual orientation, residency in the Back Bay makes them part of a rather exclusive club.

• According to information [file in .pdf] drawn from the 2000 Census the affluent neighborhood maintains a median household income of more than $65,500, which is approximately $25,500 greater than the median household income throughout the greater city of Boston.
• Statistics on members of the gay population can fluctuate, subject to whether or not an individual is public about his or her sexual preferences. Current numbers available from the 2000 Census reveal that the overwhelming majority of the Back Bay gay population is male.
• The number of same sex couples in the neighborhood, according to gaydemographics.org, is 275. Of those, 259 are male and 16 are female couples.
• Roughly 13 percent of couples in the neighborhood are gay.
• The total gay population in Massachusetts is 34,198, ranking it 13th in the nation in size.

JOANNA PRISCO