Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Massachusetts Population Density Map and Area Scores
State Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above averageHealthiest state in the US
-
B
Income Around averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest states in the US
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A
Education Above averageAmong the top 3 best educated states in the US
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Massachusetts | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Massachusetts grew by 7.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,031,620 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Massachusetts is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.9% of residents. That is 0.3 points below the US as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,515,920 21.6% +0.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,542,282 21.9% -0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,483,407 21.1% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,216,444 17.3% +0.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below the US, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.2% of the people living in Massachusetts and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% the US 50.5%
- Men 48.8% the US 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Massachusetts
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Massachusetts has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Massachusetts | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Massachusetts is about 30% higher than in US.
Housing
| Metric | Massachusetts | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Massachusetts is about 23.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,761 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Massachusetts spend about 51 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 213 hours, about 8.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Massachusetts | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,164 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Massachusetts:
Nantucket County (12.8 min), Dukes County (15.4 min), Berkshire County (16.8 min).
Slowest:
Norfolk County (31.0 min), Suffolk County (30.4 min), Middlesex County (28.4 min).
The average commute time in Massachusetts is 26 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in US.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Massachusetts has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Massachusetts | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Massachusetts:
Middlesex County (0.5), Norfolk County (0.4), Nantucket County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hampden County (0.3), Bristol County (0.3), Berkshire County (0.3).
Health
Massachusetts has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Massachusetts | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Massachusetts:
Middlesex County (0.8), Hampshire County (0.8), Norfolk County (0.8).
Lowest:
Hampden County (0.8), Bristol County (0.8), Worcester County (0.8).
Massachusetts Compared With Nearby States
Massachusetts is the 2nd largest of the 6 states compared here, 7,031,620 residents against a local median of 1,394,471. Where Massachusetts breaks from the states next to it is median home price, sitting 64% above the local median of $300,691 at $494,523.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 25.6 min against a local median of 22.1 min, 16% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 16% above the local median it puts Massachusetts at the weaker end of the local range. The states themselves spread $152,456 on median home price, so Massachusetts sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Massachusetts has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 7,031,620 | $104,336 #1/6 | $494,523 #1/6 | 25.6 min #5/6 |
| Rhode Island | 1,100,398 | $88,093 | $360,248 | 21.9 min |
| Connecticut | 3,347,044 | $97,098 | $281,244 | 22.1 min |
| New Hampshire | 1,394,471 | $99,079 | $300,691 | 22.5 min |
| Vermont | 646,793 | $81,508 | $207,791 | 20.5 min |
| New Jersey | 9,334,304 | $103,817 | $352,792 | 26.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Massachusetts.
How big is Massachusetts by population?
About 7,031,620 people live in Massachusetts, in 2,777,931 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 39.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Massachusetts urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Massachusetts has 666 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 7.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Massachusetts an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.7 times the median household income ($494,523 against $104,336), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,761 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Massachusetts have a college degree?
42.7% of adults in Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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