MA
Massachusetts
Population 7,044,056
6 Sources
Updated September 10, 2026
7M
Population
334,922,499 U.S.
$103,960
Median Income
$80,734 national
$778.5B
GDP (current $), change real
4%
Unemployment
4.0% national
County Map
Click a county to view its economic profile
Demographics & Population
Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates
Household Income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$103,960
Per Capita
$57,897
Mean Household
$144,950
Poverty Rate
10%
Age & Race / Ethnicity
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B01001, B02001, B03003
Cohorts
Under 18 · 19.4%
18-34 · 23.9%
35-54 · 25.3%
55-64 · 13.6%
65+ · 17.9%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.
Educational Attainment
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
91.4%
High School+
National: 89.6%
+1.8 pts
47.3%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
+11.6 pts
21.8%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
+7.7 pts
Employment Overview
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
7,044,056
Population
3,911,446
Labor Force
Employed
3,709,853
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2024 annual
4%
2025 is not shown for Massachusetts: a state annual average needs all 12 months and the Bureau of Labor Statistics has published 11. County pages draw on the separate annual series and may show 2025.
Mean Commute 3 min above national avg
29.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
18.6%
Labor Force and Employed are ACS 5-Year survey estimates; the Unemployment Rate above comes from BLS LAUS, a separate monthly survey with its own methodology. The two won't reconcile by subtracting one from the other.
Massachusetts's median household income sits 29% above the national median. At 10%, its poverty rate runs 2.5 pts below the ~12.5% national level, relevant for federal funding eligibility narratives. Bachelor's-or-higher attainment of 47.3% exceeds the national average of 35.7%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates (released December 2025). Figures reflect the most recent Census release, older news reports may cite prior vintages.
Key Takeaways
- Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong consumer markets statewide.
- Talent advantage: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment exceeds the national average by 11.6 pts, supports knowledge-economy positioning.
Economy & Industry
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis
$778.5B
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP2 Regional GDP
105.757
Cost of Living - Above Avg
Key Takeaways
- Largest private-sector industry: Health Care and Social Assistance employs 658,441 workers (25.3% of the tracked sectors), at an average wage of $75,950. Every industry figure on this page is private sector; government employs a further 449,575 and is counted separately.
- Economic scale: State GDP of $778.5B (2024).
- Wage stratification: Finance and Insurance averages $218,440 while Accommodation and Food Services averages $36,959, a 5.9x spread in the same economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP (CAGDP2).
Industry Concentration
Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.
Attraction Opportunities - Below-Average Industries
LQ < 0.5, below-average employment, screened against industrial power cost. Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector
0.09x
Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry
857 employed
0.20x
Mining (except Oil and Gas)
893 employed
Energy-intensive sector in a state where industrial electricity costs 2.24x the national average.
0.23x
Wood Product Manufacturing
2,211 employed
Energy-intensive sector in a state where industrial electricity costs 2.24x the national average.
0.27x
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
11,128 employed
0.36x
Animal Production and Aquaculture
2,326 employed
0.45x
Truck Transportation
15,920 employed
Screened on industrial power cost only; 2 further sub-sectors met the LQ test but conflict with it and are not listed.
Industrial electricity in Massachusetts costs 19.35¢/kWh against 8.62¢/kWh nationally (2025).
Land area and freight access are not assessed at state level.
Source: EIA.
Key Takeaways
- Top specialization: Fishing, Hunting and Trapping concentrates at 4.32x the national norm, strong concentration that anchors the local economy.
- Cluster depth: 10 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base across the state.
- Attraction whitespace: 6 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5 and clear the industrial power-cost screen, candidates for diversification or recruitment.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Housing & Affordability
Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026
Housing Overview
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$562,100
Median Home Value vs 2019
$1,762
Rent/Mo
62.5%
Owner-Occ
8.1%
Vacancy
5.4x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Stretched
vs. ~4.1x national average
HUD Fair Market Rents (Statewide)
Renter-household-weighted average across 351 Fair Market Rent areas · Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026 · Affordability threshold and renter cost burden from Census ACS B25119, B25070
Studio
$1,963/mo$1,096 to $2,409
1 Bedroom
$2,075/mo$1,200 to $2,476
2 Bedroom
$2,528/mo$1,527 to $3,138
3 Bedroom
$3,060/mo$1,831 to $4,143
4 Bedroom
$3,399/mo$2,289 to $5,260
30% of monthly median renter household income (~$1,525/mo, from a renter median of $60,987) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Measured: 48.9% of renter households already pay 30% or more of income on rent, and 24.7% pay 50% or more.
Key Takeaways
- Stretched market: Home value to income ratio of 5.4x is well above the ~4.1x national average; attainable workforce housing may be a recruitment friction.
- Rent affordability gap: None of the 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom sizes sit below what a household on the median renter income of $60,987 can pay without cost burden (~$1,525/mo), and 48.9% of renter households are already cost-burdened, 24.7% severely so.
Source: Census ACS housing tables.
Workforce Pipeline
Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition
Labor Market Overview
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
4,421,602
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
vs 2019
Mean Commute 3 min above national avg
29.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
18.6%
Education & Talent Pipeline
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
47.3%
HS Diploma+
91.4%
6 Largest Institutions by Credentials Awarded
Degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded last academic year (College Scorecard).
12,366/yr
11,075/yr
9,752/yr
9,235/yr
5,123/yr
4,894/yr
Aging Workforce
Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
21.6%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Same cohort is 13.6% of total population, the basis used in the Demographics cohort chart.
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.
Workforce by Occupation
Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
51.3%
Service
15.6%
Sales & Office
17.4%
Construction / Maint.
6.7%
Production / Transport
9%
Bars are drawn on a 0% to 60% axis, so bar length is proportional to actual share. Labels give each group's share of 3,709,853 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
- Healthy participation: 69% of the population aged 18+ is in the labor force, reflecting a steady, available workforce statewide.
Source: ACS workforce data.
County Profiles
14 counties in Massachusetts
Barnstable County
FIPS 25001
Berkshire County
FIPS 25003
Bristol County
FIPS 25005
Dukes County
FIPS 25007
Essex County
FIPS 25009
Franklin County
FIPS 25011
Hampden County
FIPS 25013
Hampshire County
FIPS 25015
Middlesex County
FIPS 25017
Nantucket County
FIPS 25019
Norfolk County
FIPS 25021
Plymouth County
FIPS 25023
Suffolk County
FIPS 25025
Worcester County
FIPS 25027
AI Insights
Sample output. Pulse AI analysis draws on 6 federal data sources.
Sample AI Insight
Massachusetts shows meaningful potential for fishing, hunting and trapping attraction, with a 4.32x concentration and 771 jobs in this sub-sector.
Cluster depth across fishing, hunting and trapping, leather and allied product manufacturing, and publishing industries and telecommunications creates supply-chain attraction leverage, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.
Industry Shift Analysis
Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100
Prospect Match Scores
Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example
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Data Sources
Updated from official federal government data.
Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2024
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
USAspending.govFY2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Key economic and demographic figures for Massachusetts, from federal data sources.
What is the population of Massachusetts?
7,044,056 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the median household income in Massachusetts?
$103,960 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Massachusetts?
4% (2024 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).
What is the GDP of Massachusetts?
$778.5B (BEA CAGDP2 (Regional)).
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