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Boston Neighborhoods Redlining History

Historical Redlining in Boston

An examination of how neighborhoods were systematically graded based on racial composition in the 1930s

Warning: This visualization contains historical language that reflects the racist practices and attitudes of the era and may be offensive.

Grade A (Green) - "Best"
Grade B (Blue) - "Still Desirable"
Grade C (Yellow) - "Declining"
Grade D (Red) - "Hazardous"

Roxbury

Grade D
  • Foreign-born 50% (mixture predominating)
  • Negro Population 25%
  • Est. Annual Family Income $600-$1,500
  • Occupation Clerks, labor, relief
  • Relief families Heavy

HOLC Assessment

Favorable Influences:

Good transportation, schools, etc. close to central Boston employment area

Detrimental Influences:

Congested. Heavy traffic. Large assessments. Unimproved property. Poor housing. Cosmopolitan population. Obsolescence.

Notes:

Negro heavily concentrated north of Ruggles St. on the west side of Washington. Jewish centered near Columbus Square. A large territory with some streets showing better experiences than the balance of the section.

Dorchester

Grade C
  • Foreign-born 5% (Irish predominating)
  • Negro Population Present (small percentage)
  • Infiltration of Jewish
  • Est. Annual Family Income Down
  • Occupation Clerks, business men, skilled mechanics

HOLC Assessment

Favorable Influences:

Good transportation, schools, churches, shopping center. Fairly desirable section of older houses.

Detrimental Influences:

Obsolescence. Threatening lower class encroachment

Additional Notes:

A very conservative area with all convenience which is feeling a return of many buyers who moved into other sections. The southern end of this section has the newer singles and two-family units of smaller size and is the more active portion, although the entire area enjoys a fairly good reputation locally.

Mattapan

Grade C
  • Foreign-born Nominal
  • Negro Population Present (increasing)
  • Infiltration of Jewish threatening
  • Est. Annual Family Income $2,000-$5,000
  • Occupation White collar class

HOLC Assessment

Terrain:

Hilly in southern part - level in north

Favorable Influences:

Desirable section of good houses with all conveniences. Rapid transit

Detrimental Influences:

Nominal. Obsolescence.

Brookline

Grade A
  • Foreign-born No
  • Negro Population No
  • Infiltration of High class
  • Est. Annual Family Income $10,000 and up
  • Occupation Executives, professional men

HOLC Assessment

Terrain:

Rolling

Favorable Influences:

New and modern custom built houses. Considered the most exclusive section of Brookline. There are also many large estates in the area. Restricted to singles.

Detrimental Influences:

Nominal

Additional Notes:

Many large estates valued at prices not quoted are very well held, and although the houses are not new, the general character of the entire area warrants a first grade rating. New construction ranges up to $30,000 and constitutes about 20% of all the housing in this section

About Redlining

This data comes from historical redlining documents used by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) in the 1930s. The HOLC created "residential security maps" that graded neighborhoods from A (green/"best") to D (red/"hazardous"). These grades were explicitly based on racial and ethnic composition, with neighborhoods containing racial minorities, particularly Black residents, consistently receiving the lowest grades.

This practice, known as "redlining," made it difficult or impossible for residents in "red" areas to obtain mortgages and other financial services, contributing to racial wealth gaps and segregation that persist today. The discriminatory language and assessments in this document reflect the institutional racism of that era.

Boston Neighborhoods Housing Data

Gentrification & Housing in Boston

Roxbury

$834K
  • Median Real Estate $834,629
  • Average Rent $2,010
  • Rental Percentage 95%
  • Commuting 17.3% bus, 19.1% walk
  • Ethnic Makeup 32.4% Dominican, 9.3% Haitian

Current Trend

Experiencing rapid gentrification, displacing lower-income residents

Once redlined, now increasingly desirable with rising property values

South Boston

$1.3M
  • Median Real Estate $1,342,456
  • Average Rent $5,632
  • Rental Percentage 87.8%
  • Commuting 28.3% train, 17.1% walk
  • Ethnic Makeup 27.1% Irish, 4.2% Lebanese

Current Trend

Extreme gentrification; luxury condos and rising costs

Formerly a redlined working-class area, now heavily redeveloped

Allston

$785K
  • Median Real Estate $785,000
  • Average Rent $2,300
  • Rental Percentage 94%
  • Commuting 20% bus, 15% bike
  • Culture Student-heavy, vibrant

Current Trend

Longtime renter hub, but affordability declining

Yellowlined mid-century, now a young urban hotspot

Dorchester

$613K
  • Median Real Estate $612,875
  • Average Rent $1,500
  • Rental Percentage 85%
  • Commuting 30% bus, 15% train
  • Ethnic Makeup 40% Black, 15% Cape Verdean

Current Trend

Slowly gentrifying, with rising interest from young professionals

Once more working-class, now a rising area for investment

Mattapan

$533K
  • Median Real Estate $533,432
  • Average Rent $1,200
  • Rental Percentage 90%
  • Commuting 25% bus, 20% train
  • Ethnic Makeup 35% Haitian, 40% Black

Current Trend

Still affordable, but growing interest from investors and young families

Historically neglected, but now on the radar for development

Brookline

$1.7M
  • Median Real Estate $1,675,000
  • Average Rent $3,500
  • Rental Percentage 75%
  • Commuting 40% train, 10% bus
  • Ethnic Makeup 50% Jewish, 25% White

Current Trend

High-income, stable neighborhood with little change

Historically affluent, maintains high demand