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Civic Agenda
2004 REPORT MENU >
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GEOGRAPHY AT-A-GLANCE >
CIVIC HEALTH OVERVIEW
Highlights HIGHLIGHTS
Innovations INNOVATIONS
Civic Agenda CIVIC AGENDA
Research RESEARCH
Links and Resources LINKS & RESOURCES
CIVIC HEALTH INDICATORS
At-A-Glance AT-A-GLANCE
1.1 Metro Boston’s Competitive Edge in Civic Health
1.2 High Rates of Social Capital
1.3 Representative Leadership
1.4 High Rates of Voter Participation
1.5 Healthy Race and Community Relations
1.6 Stability and Investment in Neighborhoods
1.7 A Welcoming and Inclusive Environment
1.8 Access to Information
1.9 Strength of the Nonprofit Sector
1.10 Public Support and Philanthropy
CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
HOW TO USE THIS REPORT
Civic Health: Goals & Measures
Goals
Indicator Measures
How are we doing?
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1.1 Metro Boston’s Competitive Edge in Civic Health
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1.1.1 Racial and ethnic diversity

 In 2000, more than half of the total population of the City of Boston consisted of African Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans, and more than one-quarter were foreign born. About 337,000 newcomer immigrants arrived in MA in the 1990s, accounting for 82% of the net growth in the labor force.
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1.1.2 Massachusetts ranking on the United Way State of Caring Index

 The Bay State ranked 6th, up from 21st place in 1992.
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1.1.3 Opportunities for civic discourse in Boston

 Greater Boston offers an unusually large number of opportunities for civic discourse, but language isolation can pose obstacles to participation.  About 33% of Boston residents speak a language other than English at home.
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1.2 High Rates of Social Capital
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1.2.1. Boston residents’ trust in neighbors

 Rates of neighborly trust vary across Boston neighborhoods. In 2003, West Roxbury residents surveyed had the highest rate of neighborly trust while Allston-Brighton, Roxbury and East Boston had the lowest.
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1.2.2 Civic engagement and social and racial trust, Boston compared to other cities

 Bostonians score high on “diversity of friendships” and “political and civic engagement” but lower on “social trust,” with people of color expressing lower levels of social trust than whites, and Boston scoring behind Seattle and Denver overall.
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1.2.3 Volunteer activity in Boston

 Volunteerism in Boston is growing.  For example, Boston Cares has more than 6,000 active members – 75% of them new in the past two years and 70% of whom live in Boston – and the number of projects undertaken has increased from 30 in 1992 to more than 1,000 today.
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1.3 Representative Leadership