About Lawrence
While MIT@Lawrence works with the entire city of Lawrence, much of the work is focused on the north side of the city, in neighborhoods such as the North Common neighborhood. Here are some quick statistics about Lawrence.
Average Household Income:
Massachusetts: $50,500
Lawrence: $28,000
North Common Neighborhood: $18,800
Unemployment Rate:
Massachusetts: 4.6%
Lawrence: 8.4%
North Common Neighborhood: 16.5%
Poverty Rate:
Massachusetts: 9.3%
Lawrence: 24.3%
North Common Neighborhood: 30.5%
Ethnicity:
More than 60% of Lawrencians are Latino, primarily from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Education:
The high school equivalency rate among Latinos in Lawrence hovers around 47%.
About one in four people in Lawrence have limited English proficiency.
Only 10% of Lawrence adults have a Bachelor's degree.
23% of seniors at Lawrence High School did not pass the MCAS test, making them ineligible to graduate.
Housing:
Nearly 50% of Lawrence renters rent housing that is unaffordable to them.
More the 1,100 units of housing were destroyed due to arson and disinvestment between 1990-2000.
The homeownership rate in Lawrence is 32% compared to 62% in Massachusetts.
Despite some staggering statistics, the Lawrence community is a vibrant one. Dominican and Puerto Rican businesses dominate the downtown streets, youth organizations put on impressive performances, and the city is growing. For more information on some of the organizations working to improve Lawrence see the links below.