The upper end, in context.
What income is top 10% or top 1% in Boston?
For single adults ages 25–34 in the Boston metro, the 90th-percentile annual income benchmark is $156,295. For couples in that age band, it is $307,390 combined. The top-1% benchmarks are $294,876 for single adults and $687,696 for couples.
These are age-specific benchmarks, not one all-age cutoff. About the comparison
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The threshold changes with age and household type.
| Age band | Single adults: top 10% | Single adults: top 1% | Couples: top 10% | Couples: top 1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | $86,483 | $135,455 | Not enough local data | Not enough local data |
| 25–34 | $156,295 | $294,876 | $307,390 | $687,696 |
| 35–44 | $182,344 | $568,912 | $422,100 | $911,718 |
| 45–54 | $187,554 | $468,884 | $520,565 | $1,083,643 |
| 55–64 | $170,882 | $484,513 | $437,625 | $1,044,048 |
| 65–74 | $132,955 | $464,716 | $318,216 | $860,662 |
| 75+ | $106,280 | $445,752 | $292,896 | $902,653 |
The 90th percentile is the survey benchmark with roughly 90% of the group at or below it. Ties and survey weights mean it is not a precise boundary selecting exactly one tenth of people. The 99th percentile is the top-1% benchmark; upper-tail estimates are especially sensitive to small samples and Census top-coding. Couple income includes both partners and uses the older partner's age.