The City of Boston released a report on student housing that contains information about the size of the student population in neighborhoods across the city. As of the fall of 2014 there were 148,402 students enrolled in institutions of higher education in Boston. Of these students, 46,763 (32%) live on campus and 99,869 (67%) live off-campus. Among those who live off campus, 38,232 live in Boston. The remaining 61,637 live elsewhere in the region.
Here are the total number of students by zip code for the neighborhoods that Senator Brownsberger represents:
| Neighborhood (zip code) | Undergraduate | Graduate | Total |
| Fenway/Kenmore (02115) | 3,280 | 1,320 | 4,600 |
| Brighton (02135) | 1,509 | 2,130 | 3,639 |
| Mission Hill (02120) | 1,979 | 1,347 | 3,326 |
| Allston (02134) | 1,250 | 1,430 | 2,680 |
| Longwood Medical Area (02215) | 1,503 | 1,140 | 2,643 |
| South End (02118) | 520 | 709 | 1,229 |
| Back Bay (02116) | 432 | 417 | 849 |
| Total: | 10,473 | 8,493 | 18,966 |
The Walsh administration has a goal of supporting the creation of 18,500 new dorm beds in the city by 2030, which it estimates will free up at least 5,000 units of housing. A total of 1,395 new dorm beds were built citywide in 2014 and there are 984 currently or soon to be under construction with an additional 4,473 in the early stages of planning. Even though students are increasingly being housed on campus, they will continue to be a significant presence in our neighborhoods for years to come.
The full report can be viewed here.
Andrew Bettinelli
Legislative Aide
Office of State Senator William N. Brownsberger