The Sprawl Index
Boston--Lawrence--Salem--Lowell--Brockton, MA

Overall Sprawl Index Score: 126.93
ranking it 77th most sprawling of 83 metro areas measured.
A lower score on the index indicates a greater degree of sprawl. The average score for all metros ranked is 100. A lower score indicates below average conditions among these 83 US metro areas: for example, less compact housing, a poorer mix of homes and jobs, poor street connectivity, or weaker than average town centers. A score above 100 indicates above average performance, when compared to the other metro areas ranked. Most metro areas score between 50 and 150 on the scale.

What Makes a Place Sprawling:
The sprawl index measured sprawl in four ways. Below are index scores for this metro area.
See the report for a full explanation of each factor. (will link to report) 

Sprawl Factor                                     index score          ranking out of 83
                                                                                (most to least sprawling)

Residential Density Factor                      113.59                        70
Mix of homes, jobs, & services                124.45                        74
Strength of town centers/downtowns      109.43                        55 
Accessibility of street network                119.07                        65





The Impact of Sprawl

Outcomes Affected by Sprawl in Boston:
                                                                          
Peak 8-hour ozone level (parts per billion):                         83
Fatal accidents per 100,000 persons:                                5.67
Daily Miles Driven per person (DVMT):                                21.5
Average number of vehicles per household:                        1.52
Percent of commuters using Transit:                                 12.88 %
Percent commuters walking to work:                                 4.97 % 
Average Commute Time, in minutes:                                  28.61
Average Annual Traffic Delay in hours:                               28.05

2000 Population: 4,001,752


MSA is Metropolitan Statistical Area. For more information on MSAs, PMSAs, CMSAs, and NECMAs, see the Census Bureau.

To view a map of Metropolitan Statistical Areas from the Census Bureau, click here (pdf).