Bordering states

Massachusetts vs Rhode Island

Short answer

Massachusetts has 7,136,171 residents, 6.4 times Rhode Island's 1,112,308. Massachusetts is the larger by land, 7.55 times the size of Rhode Island.
MA
7,136,171
RI
1,112,308

The two states, county by county

Both maps share one density scale, so the same shade means the same number of people per square mile on either side of the border. Darker counties are denser. Select a county to open its page.

Massachusetts

Hampshire County: 313.7 per sq miNantucket County: 317.6 per sq miSuffolk County: 13,613.9 per sq miMiddlesex County: 2,040.6 per sq miPlymouth County: 823.2 per sq miBristol County: 1,064.2 per sq miHampden County: 752.3 per sq miEssex County: 1,672.9 per sq miBerkshire County: 138.9 per sq miWorcester County: 583.3 per sq miNorfolk County: 1,870.1 per sq miDukes County: 204.1 per sq miBarnstable County: 590.0 per sq miFranklin County: 101.4 per sq mi

Rhode Island

Bristol County: 2,078.1 per sq miKent County: 1,023.0 per sq miWashington County: 395.8 per sq miProvidence County: 1,650.7 per sq miNewport County: 814.9 per sq mi
People per sq mi
  1. < 314
  2. < 590
  3. < 823
  4. < 1,673
  5. ≥ 1,673
no data

Residents, 2024

  1. 01Massachusetts7,136,171
  2. 02Rhode Island1,112,308

Land, square miles

  1. 01Massachusetts7,801
  2. 02Rhode Island1,034

People per square mile

  1. 01Massachusetts914.8
  2. 02Rhode Island1,075.8

Median county household income

  1. 01Massachusetts$92,474
  2. 02Rhode Island$99,802

Side by side

MeasureMassachusettsRhode Island
Residents, 20247,136,1711,112,308
Rank by population16th44th
Land, sq mi7,8011,034
People per sq mi914.81,075.8
County-equivalents145
Median county residents503,121130,333
Median county income$92,474$99,802
Most populous countyMiddlesex CountyProvidence County
Largest county by landWorcester CountyProvidence County
CapitalBostonProvidence
Daylight at capital, June 2115 h 17 min15 h 13 min
Census divisionNew EnglandNew England
Census Vintage 2024 population, 2024 Gazetteer land area, SAIPE 2023 income. Daylight computed with SunCalc.

Population and density

Massachusetts has 7,136,171 residents, 6.4 times Rhode Island's 1,112,308. Massachusetts ranks 16th and Rhode Island 44th of the 50 states and DC. Rhode Island is the more crowded, with 1,075.8 people per square mile against 914.8, 18% more.

Land area

Massachusetts has 7,801 square miles of land, 7.5 times Rhode Island's 1,034. The largest county-equivalent in Massachusetts is Worcester County at 1,511 square miles; in Rhode Island it is Providence County at 409.

Counties

Massachusetts is divided into 14 county-equivalents and Rhode Island into 5, so an average Massachusetts county covers 557 square miles against 207. The typical county in Massachusetts has 503,121 residents, against 130,333 in Rhode Island. The most populous are Middlesex County (1,668,956) and Providence County (675,912).

1 county name appears on both sides of the border: Bristol. Use the FIPS code, not the name, when joining data across the two states.

Household income

The median county in Rhode Island has a household income of $99,802, 8% above Massachusetts's $92,474. The highest county incomes are Norfolk County ($123,449) in Massachusetts and Washington County ($101,749) in Rhode Island, from SAIPE 2023.

Capitals and daylight

Boston and Providence are 41 miles apart in a straight line; from Boston the initial bearing is 206°, SSW. On June 21, 2026, Boston gets 15 h 17 min of daylight and Providence 15 h 13 min; on December 21 the figures are 9 h 05 min and 9 h 08 min. Month by month tables are on the Boston and Providence daylight pages.

Where they sit

Both are in the Census New England division of the Northeast region. By county internal points, Massachusetts spans 2 UTM zones and Rhode Island 1.

Questions people ask

Which is bigger, Massachusetts or Rhode Island?

Massachusetts, with 7,801 square miles of land against 1,034, 7.55 times as large.

Which has more people, Massachusetts or Rhode Island?

Massachusetts has 7,136,171 residents, 6.4 times Rhode Island's 1,112,308.

How far is Boston from Providence?

41 miles in a straight line, heading SSW (206°) from Boston.

Do Massachusetts and Rhode Island have counties with the same name?

Yes, 1: Bristol.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Bureau regions and divisions of the United States (last verified 2026-09-30)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.