State 25 · MA

Massachusetts county map

Massachusetts has 14 counties. Worcester County is the largest by land at 1,511 square miles, and Middlesex County is the most populous with 1,668,956 residents.

Population 2024
7,136,171
#16 of 51
Land area
7,801 sq mi
#45 of 51
Density
914.8 / sq mi
#4 of 51
Counties
14
Capital: Boston
N
Boston 42.36° N, 71.06° W

Map of all 14 counties in Massachusetts

Every county is labeled on Census 2024 boundaries. Download it as a PDF to print, a PNG, or an editable SVG. For blank, colored or city versions, see the printable Massachusetts map sheets.

BarnstableBerkshireBristolDukesEssexFranklinHampdenHampshireMiddlesexNantucketNorfolkPlymouthSuffolkWorcesterMassachusetts county map. Online Map Tools (onlinemaptools.com), Census 2024 boundaries, free to reuse with credit.
14 units labeled. The orange dot marks the capital.

Massachusetts population and land area

Massachusetts had 7,136,171 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimates, the sum of its counties. That ranks 16th of the 50 states and DC. Its 7,801 square miles of land rank 45th. Massachusetts averages 914.8 people per square mile of land, 9.5 times the national figure of 96.3. By density it ranks 4th.

Population, 2024
7,136,17116th of 51
Land area
7,801 sq mi45th of 51
Density
914.8 per sq mi4th of 51
Number of counties
14
Capital
Boston42.358° N, 71.064° W
State FIPS code
25

Massachusetts counties by population, density and income

Each shape is shaded by quintile, darker for higher values. Switch the measure above the map. Select a shape to open that county's page. The pin marks the capital, Boston.

Hampshire County: 314Nantucket County: 318Suffolk County: 13,614Middlesex County: 2,041Plymouth County: 823Bristol County: 1,064Hampden County: 752Essex County: 1,673Berkshire County: 139Worcester County: 583Norfolk County: 1,870Dukes County: 204Barnstable County: 590Franklin County: 101
Density
  1. < 204
  2. 204+
  3. 583+
  4. 752+
  5. 1,673+
no data

Largest county in Massachusetts by land area

Worcester County ranks first at 1,511 square miles and Nantucket County last at 46 square miles. The top value is 33 times the bottom one.

  1. 01Worcester County1,511
  2. 02Berkshire County927
  3. 03Middlesex County818
  4. 04Franklin County699
  5. 05Plymouth County659
  6. 06Hampden County617
  7. 07Bristol County553
  8. 08Hampshire County527
  9. 09Essex County493
  10. 10Norfolk County396

Most populous county in Massachusetts

Middlesex County ranks first at 1,668,956 residents and Nantucket County last at 14,670 residents. The gap is more than a hundredfold.

  1. 01Middlesex County1,668,956
  2. 02Worcester County881,248
  3. 03Essex County823,938
  4. 04Suffolk County793,144
  5. 05Norfolk County740,754
  6. 06Bristol County588,593
  7. 07Plymouth County542,090
  8. 08Hampden County464,151
  9. 09Barnstable County232,570
  10. 10Hampshire County165,399

Least populous county in Massachusetts

The smallest populations, fewest first. Estimates for small counties carry more uncertainty than those for large ones.

  1. 01Nantucket County14,670
  2. 02Dukes County21,061
  3. 03Franklin County70,871
  4. 04Berkshire County128,726
  5. 05Hampshire County165,399
Log scale, so small counties stay visible next to the largest.

Most densely populated county in Massachusetts

Suffolk County ranks first at 13,613.9 people per square mile and Franklin County last at 101.4 people per square mile. The gap is more than a hundredfold.

  1. 01Suffolk County13,613.9
  2. 02Middlesex County2,040.6
  3. 03Norfolk County1,870.1
  4. 04Essex County1,672.9
  5. 05Bristol County1,064.2
  6. 06Plymouth County823.2
  7. 07Hampden County752.3
  8. 08Barnstable County590.0
  9. 09Worcester County583.3
  10. 10Nantucket County317.6
People per square mile of land, log scale.

Highest median household income in Massachusetts

Norfolk County ranks first at $123,449 and Hampden County last at $67,155. The two are within a factor of 1.84.

  1. 01Norfolk County$123,449
  2. 02Middlesex County$123,288
  3. 03Nantucket County$108,671
  4. 04Plymouth County$107,828
  5. 05Essex County$96,303
  6. 06Dukes County$94,059
  7. 07Worcester County$93,561
  8. 08Suffolk County$91,386
  9. 09Barnstable County$89,448
  10. 10Bristol County$81,047

Towns and cities in Massachusetts

The Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates list 58 incorporated places in Massachusetts with 1,000 or more residents, holding 3,854,162 people together, or 54% of the state total. 58 of them have 5,000 or more. The northernmost is Amesbury at 42.851° N and the southernmost is New Bedford at 41.661° N. Among places of 5,000+, Amherst Town grew fastest from July 2020 to July 2024, by 47.4%.

  1. 01Boston673,458
  2. 02Worcester211,286
  3. 03Springfield154,888
  4. 04Cambridge121,186
  5. 05Lowell120,418
  6. 06Brockton105,788
  7. 07Lynn103,489
  8. 08Quincy103,434
  9. 09New Bedford101,318
  10. 10Fall River94,689
  11. 11Newton90,700
  12. 12Lawrence89,332
Largest incorporated places, Vintage 2024 estimates.

Boston, the capital

98.6% of Massachusetts's place population, 3,798,549 of 3,854,162 people, lives in places within 100 miles of Boston. That ranks 9th of 51 for how central the capital is.

See all states in the capital radius ranking and the most remote towns ranking. Sunrise and sunset times for Boston, month by month, are on the Boston daylight page.

States bordering Massachusetts

Massachusetts borders 5 states or districts. The nearest neighboring capital is Providence, 41 miles SSW of Boston in a straight line.

UTM zones in Massachusetts

The internal points of Massachusetts's counties fall in UTM zones 18, 19. Zones are 6 degrees of longitude wide, numbered from 180° W: zone = floor((longitude + 180) / 6) + 1. Because Massachusetts spans 2 zones, no single UTM zone covers the whole state.

All 14 counties in Massachusetts

Sort by any column. The small orange number marks the top 3 in the state by population.

FIPS
25017Middlesex County1,668,956#18182,040.6$123,288
25027Worcester County881,248#21,511583.3$93,561
25009Essex County823,938#34931,672.9$96,303
25025Suffolk County793,1445813,613.9$91,386
25021Norfolk County740,7543961,870.1$123,449
25005Bristol County588,5935531,064.2$81,047
25023Plymouth County542,090659823.2$107,828
25013Hampden County464,151617752.3$67,155
25001Barnstable County232,570394590.0$89,448
25015Hampshire County165,399527313.7$80,839
25003Berkshire County128,726927138.9$74,535
25011Franklin County70,871699101.4$71,256
25007Dukes County21,061103204.1$94,059
25019Nantucket County14,67046317.6$108,671

Download all 14 counties as CSV

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 Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 Gazetteer, places
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

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