BOSTON – Tall buildings loom over traffic filled streets in Boston as litter-strewn sidewalks and gutters add their accents to the exhaust fumes pervading certain parts of downtown on a typical day. Yet city living may be more environmentally sustainable than residing in greener tree-lined suburbs.
Emissions from driving, public transit, home heating and household electricity use shows that where you live can affect how much carbon dioxide your lifestyle creates, according to a 2008 paper that looked at data from around the country. City residents generally account for significantly lower carbon emissions than people living in suburban areas, and the gap is particularly large in older areas like New York and Boston.
BOSTON – Boston is expensive. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, but the numbers on the cost of living are enough to make even longtime residents consider relocating. According to Kiplinger, residing in Boston costs 39.7% more than the national average while health care and groceries are both about 26% higher. Yet median household income remains about the same as the rest of the nation and the city's poverty rate is a relatively high 21 percent.
Why is living in Boston so expensive? Ask young people looking to live in the city or older folks hoping to return after an extended stay in the suburbs – Boston's housing market is terrifyingly pricey. Boston's population has been climbing for the past 20 years, rising almost 15 percent from 1990 to 2014, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Yet home construction in Greater Boston has lagged far behind, driving housing prices up, according to a November report from the Boston Foundation.
