Like fellow Northeastern states Rhode Island and Connecticut, Massachusetts—the "Bay State"—is smaller than most states (10,544 mi², seventh-smallest) but possesses a very high population density. Massachusetts' population density is 920 people per square mile (mi²), the third-highest in the country and nearly ten times the U.S. national density of 96 people/mi².
As of 2023, Massachusetts has an estimated population of 7,174,604 (2.13% of the country's total), making it the 15th-most-populous state in the U.S. This represents a 9.58% increase in population from 2010 to 2023, the 21st-highest of any state (and the highest of the New England states). Boston, 2023, population 693,062, is Massachusetts's capital and largest city.
Massachusetts enjoys one of the lowest divorce rates in the U.S. and is generally considered the most educated state.
Massachusetts, one of the original 13 colonies, joined the Union in February 1788 and participated in all 59 presidential elections. The state has been reliably Democratic since 1928 but has voted Republican four times since then – twice each for Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan. Massachusetts was the only state to vote for George McGovern in his landslide 1972 electoral loss to Richard Nixon. Like many northeastern states, Massachusetts slowly lost its electoral clout over the 20th century. The state has lost 1/3 of its electoral votes since the 1920s, falling from 18 to 11. In 2020, Biden beat Donald Trump by 66% to 32%.
The State of Massachusetts played a significant part in the early history of the United States. This tiny territory contains the town of Plymouth, home to the Pilgrim colony of 1620. As one of the first settled states, the population statistics have always been healthy.
The state has two major metropolitan areas: Greater Boston in the east and the Springfield metropolitan area in the west. Approximately 2/3 of the Massachusetts population lives in Greater Boston, while Western Massachusetts has just one urban area, with a good mix of rural areas and college towns. The state is currently the most populous of the six New England states and the fastest growing.
According to a 2022 study from the U.S. Census Bureau, this state's local governments consist of five counties, 351 cities, towns, and villages, and 415 special districts. Nine counties—Berkshire, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Suffolk, and Worcester—have been abolished and are classified as nonfunctioning legal entities.
The largest counties in Massachusetts are Middlesex and Worcester Counties, with over 1 million residents in Middlesex County and approximately 800,000 in Worcester County.
The median age of the entire Massachusetts population is 39.4. The gender ratio is approximately 51.5% female and 48.5% male. Regarding religious preferences in the state, 58% prefer Christian-based faiths, 9% are affiliated with non-Christian-based faiths, and 32% are unaffiliated with any faith.
Massachusetts Demographics
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Massachusetts was:
White: 74.54%
Black or African American: 7.31%
Asian: 6.88%
Two or more races: 6.46%
Other race: 4.56%
Native American: 0.21%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.03%
Muslims are under 250,000 or 1.9%
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