View source for Massachusetts

{{Short description|U.S. state}}
{{About|the U.S. state|the Indigenous people|Massachusett|other uses}}
{{Good article}}
{{Duplicated citations|reason=[[User:Polygnotus/DuplicateReferences|DuplicateReferences]] detected:<br>
* https://web.archive.org/web/20150821061951/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25000.html (refs: 2, 209)
* http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html (refs: 210, 211)
* https://www.census.gov/ (refs: 222, 226, 399)
* http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cismaf/mf1b.htm (refs: 358, 397)
|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox U.S. state
| name = Massachusetts
| official_name = Commonwealth of Massachusetts
| image_flag = File:Flag of Massachusetts.svg
| flag_link = Flag of Massachusetts
| image_seal = Seal of Massachusetts.svg
| image_map = Massachusetts in United States (zoom).svg
| nickname = The Bay State (official)<br />The Pilgrim State; The Puritan State<br />The Old Colony State<br />The Baked Bean State<ref>{{cite book|title=Massachusetts Encyclopedia|last=Herman|first=Jennifer|page=7|year=2008|publisher=State History Publications, LLC.|quote=Various nicknames have been given to describe Massachusetts, including the Bay State, the Old Bay State, the Pilgrim State, the Puritan State, the Old Colony State, the Spirit of America, and, less often, the Baked Bean State}}</ref>
| motto = {{lang|la|[[Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem]]}} ([[Latin]])<br />By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty
| anthem = "[[All Hail to Massachusetts]]"<br />{{center|[[File:Massachusetts!.ogg]]}}
| population_demonym = Bay Stater (official)<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 2, Section 35: Designation of citizens of commonwealth |url=https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleI/Chapter2/Section35 |publisher=The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts |access-date=July 21, 2021}}</ref> 
Massachusettsan (recommended by the [[U.S. GPO]])<ref name="gpo">{{cite book |title= U.S. Government Publishing Office Style Manual |year= 2016|at= §5.23 |url= https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2016}}</ref>

Massachusite (traditional)<ref>{{cite web |page=435 |title=Collections |publisher=[[Massachusetts Historical Society]] |place=Boston |year=1877 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rdbnCkXB2RwC |access-date=June 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Thomas |page=[https://archive.org/details/historynewyorkd01jonegoog/page/n555 465] |title=History of New York During the Revolutionary War |publisher=[[New-York Historical Society]] |editor-first=Edward Floyd |editor-last=DeLancey |place=New York |year=1879 |url=https://archive.org/details/historynewyorkd01jonegoog |access-date=June 10, 2015}}</ref>
Masshole (derogatory)<ref>{{cite web
|title='Massachusettsan?' Bay Staters and Massholes are perplexed by this word for Mass. natives.  'Perplexed is a nice way of putting it.  Sincerely, a Bay Stater'
|last=Gavin
|first=Christopher
|date=August 5, 2019
|website=[[Boston.com]]
|publisher=[[The Boston Globe]]
|url=https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2019/08/05/massachusetts-nickname/
|quote=If you hail from Massachusetts, you may consider yourself a few things.  A Bay Stater.  A Bostonian, perhaps.  Maybe even a Masshole.}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine
|title=Rejoice! Oxford English Dictionary Adds 'Masshole'
|last=Quinn
|first=Garrett
|date=June 25, 2015
|magazine=[[Boston (magazine)|Boston]]
|url=https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2015/06/25/masshole-added-oxford-english-dictionary/
|quote=My fellow Massholes, we’ve finally arrived.  The Oxford English Dictionary, the authoritative book on the English language, has included “Masshole” in its list of 500 new words to be officially added to its pages.}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine
|title="We're Massholes, Not Assholes": A New Question 3 Ad Stars a Foul-Mouthed Bostonian
|last=Buell
|first=Spencer
|date=November 1, 2018
|magazine=[[Boston (magazine)|Boston]]
|url=https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2018/11/01/massholes-not-assholes-question-3/
|quote=“I know some people question the use of our words,” says Kelly Fredrickson, president of MullenLowe Boston. “But I’m from here and I’m a proud Masshole. I’ve been raised in a state that protects all our liberties and I want those to exist for my kids.”}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine
|title=Ken Jennings' Gentle and Sweet Redefinition of "Masshole"
|last=Buell
|first=Spencer
|date=August 19, 2019
|magazine=[[Boston (magazine)|Boston]]
|url=https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2019/08/19/ken-jennings-masshole
|quote=In a tweet on Sunday, Jennings offered his take on the word, which is sometimes used as an insult, but just as often worn as a badge of honor.…But ours is not a state that historically listens to dictums from the British, and “term of contempt” or not, locals seem to have adopted “Masshole” as a descriptor.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|title=Editor's Note: Gloves Off
|last1=Faraone
|first1=Chris
|last2=Pramas
|first2=Jason
|date=November 12, 2020
|newspaper=[[DigBoston]]
|url=https://digboston.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/DM_1108web.pdf
|quote=Running a state is hard at the best of times and these are worse times than most Mass residents have ever experienced.…We're all just one big happy Masshole family, right?}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|title=Day trips in Massachusetts: Hikes, history made fun, ice cream and unofficial hot dog tours
|last1=McGinnes
|first1=Meagan
|last2=Scalese
|first2=Roberto
|last3=Creamer
|first3=Lisa
|last4=Kaufman
|first4=Jill
|date=June 25, 2024
|newspaper=[[WBUR-FM]]
|url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/06/25/massachusetts-day-trips-cape-boston-worcester-springfield-berkshires
|quote=There are the North and South shores, which to an untrained eye look alike but to a Masshole are completely different planets.}}</ref>
| seat = [[Boston]]
| LargestCity = capital
| LargestCounty = [[Middlesex County, Massachusetts|Middlesex]]
| LargestMetro = [[Greater Boston]]
| Governor = [[Maura Healey]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
| Lieutenant Governor = [[Kim Driscoll]] (D)
| Legislature = [[Massachusetts General Court|General Court]]
| Upperhouse = [[Massachusetts Senate|Senate]]
| Lowerhouse = [[Massachusetts House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
| Judiciary = [[Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court]]
| Senators = {{nowrap|[[Elizabeth Warren]] ([[Massachusetts Democratic Party|D]])}}<br />{{nowrap|[[Ed Markey]] (D)}}
| Representative = 9 Democrats
| postal_code = MA
| TradAbbreviation = Mass.
| OfficialLang = [[English language|English]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schwarz |first1=Hunter |title=States where English is the official language |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/08/12/states-where-english-is-the-official-language/ |access-date=December 29, 2014 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 12, 2014}}</ref>
| Languages = * [[English language|English]] 75.00%
* [[Spanish language|Spanish]] 9.55%
* [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] 3.43%
* [[Chinese language|Chinese]] 2.05%<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/state-profiles/state/language/MA |title=Massachusetts Language & Education|publisher=[[American FactFinder]] |access-date=March 14, 2024}} |</ref>
| area_rank = 44th
| area_total_sq_mi = 10,565<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25000.html |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=June 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821061951/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25000.html |archive-date=August 21, 2015 }}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = {{convert|10565|sqmi|km2|0|disp=output number only}}
| area_land_sq_mi = 7,800<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/2010/geo/state-area.html | title=State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates }}</ref>
| area_land_km2 = 20,202
| area_water_sq_mi = 2,715
| area_water_km2 = 7,032
| area_water_percent = 26.1
| population_as_of = 2024
| population_rank = 16th
| 2020Pop = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 7,136,171<ref name=MassachusettsQuickFacts>{{cite web |title=United States Census Bureau QuickFacts Massachusetts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/MA |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
| 2020DensityUS = 914.89
| 2020Density = 353.24
| population_density_rank = 3rd
| MedianHouseholdIncome = ${{round|99858|-2}} (2<span>0</span>23)<ref name=MassachusettsHighestMedianHouseholdIncome>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2024/10/14/here-are-the-richest-places-in-massachusetts-based-on-the-latest-census-data/|work=[[Forbes]]|title=Here Are The Richest Places In Massachusetts, Based On The Latest Census Data|date=October 14, 2024|access-date=December 21, 2024}}</ref>
| IncomeRank = 1st<ref name=MassachusettsHighestMedianHouseholdIncome/>
| Former = [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]]
| AdmittanceOrder = 6th
| AdmittanceDate = February 6, 1788
| timezone1 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset1 = −05:00
| timezone1_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = −04:00
| Latitude = 41°14′ N to 42°53′ N
| Longitude = 69°56′ W to 73°30′ W
| length_mi = 190
| length_km = 296
| width_mi = 115
| width_km = 184
| elevation_max_point = [[Mount Greylock]]<ref>{{cite ngs| name=Greylock RM 1 Reset| pid=MZ1957}}</ref>{{efn|Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]]}}
| elevation_max_ft = 3,489
| elevation_max_m = 1063.4
| elevation_ft = 508
| elevation_m = 150
| elevation_min_point = Atlantic Ocean
| elevation_min_ft = 0
| elevation_min_m = 0
| iso_code = US-MA
| website = https://mass.gov
| Capital = Boston
| Representatives = 
}}
{{Infobox region symbols|country=United States
| state = Massachusetts
| image_flag = File:Flag of Massachusetts.svg
| image_seal = File:Seal of Massachusetts.svg
| image_arms = Coat of arms of Massachusetts.svg
| bird = [[Black-capped chickadee]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Black-Capped Chickadee:Massachusetts State Bird |date=May 20, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-bird/black-capped-chickadee |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 17, 2015}}</ref> [[wild turkey]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Wild Turkey: Massachusetts State Game Bird |date=May 22, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-bird/wild-turkey |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 17, 2015}}</ref><ref name=MassFacts>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Facts |url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cismaf/mf1a.htm |publisher=Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref>
| fish = [[Atlantic cod|Cod]]<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=Cod: Massachusetts State Fish |date=May 21, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-fish-aquatic-life/cod |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref>
| flower = [[Epigaea repens|Mayflower]]<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=Mayflower: Massachusetts State Flower |date=May 20, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-flower/mayflower |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref>
| insect = [[Coccinella septempunctata|Ladybug]]<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=Ladybug: Massachusetts State Insect |date=May 20, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-insect/ladybug |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref>
| mammal = [[Right whale]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Right Whale: Massachusetts State Marine Mammal |date=May 26, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-fish-aquatic-life-state-mammal/right-whale |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref> [[Morgan horse]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Morgan Horse: Massachusetts State Horse |date=May 21, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-horse-state-mammal/morgan-horse |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref> [[Tabby cat]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Tabby Cat: Massachusetts State Cat |date=May 20, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-dog-cat-state-mammal/tabby-cat |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref> [[Boston Terrier]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Boston Terrier: Massachusetts State Dog |date=May 20, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-dog-cat-state-mammal/boston-terrier |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref>
| reptile = [[Garter snake]]<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=Garter Snake: Massachusetts State Reptile |date=May 21, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-reptile/garter-snake |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref>
| tree = [[American elm]]<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=American Elm: Massachusetts State Tree |date=May 22, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-tree/american-elm |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref>
| beverage = [[Cranberry juice]]<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=Cranberry Juice: Massachusetts State Beverage |date=May 20, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-food-agriculture-symbol/cranberry-juice |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref>
| colors = Blue, green, cranberry<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=Blue—Green—Cranberry: Massachusetts State Colors |date=May 26, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-colors/blue-green-cranberry |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref>
| dance = [[Square dance]]<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=Square Dance: Massachusetts State Folk Dance |date=May 26, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-dance-music-symbol/square-dance |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref>
| food = [[Cranberry]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Cranberry: Massachusetts State Berry |date=May 20, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-food-agriculture-symbol/cranberry |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref> [[corn muffin]],<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=Corn Muffin: Massachusetts State Muffin |date=May 20, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-food-agriculture-symbol/corn-muffin |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 20, 2015}}</ref> [[navy bean]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Baked Navy Bean: Massachusetts State Bean |date=May 20, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-food-agriculture-symbol/baked-navy-bean |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 20, 2015}}</ref> [[Boston cream pie]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Boston Creme Pie: Massachusetts State Dessert |date=May 20, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-food-agriculture-symbol/boston-cream-pie |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 20, 2015}}</ref> [[chocolate chip cookie]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Chocolate Chip Cookie: Massachusetts State Cookie |date=May 21, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-food-agriculture-symbol/chocolate-chip-cookie |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 20, 2015}}</ref> [[Boston cream doughnut]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Boston Cream Donut: Massachusetts State Donut |date=May 20, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-food-agriculture-symbol/boston-cream-donut |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 18, 2015}}</ref>
| fossil = [[Dinosaur Footprints|Dinosaur Tracks]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Dinosaur Tracks: Massachusetts State Fossil |date=May 20, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-dinosaur-fossil/dinosaur-tracks |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 20, 2015}}</ref>
| gemstone = [[Rhodonite]]<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=Rhodonite: Massachusetts State Gem |date=May 21, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-gem-gemstone/rhodonite |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 20, 2015}}</ref>
| mineral = [[Babingtonite]]<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=Babingtonite: Massachusetts State Mineral |date=May 26, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-mineral-rock/babingtonite |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 20, 2015}}</ref>
| poem = [[Blue Hills of Massachusetts]]<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=Blue Hills of Massachusetts: Massachusetts State Poem |date=May 26, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-language-poetry/blue-hills-massachusetts |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 20, 2015}}</ref>
| rock = Roxbury Puddingstone<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=Official State Rock of Massachusetts
 |date=May 21, 2014 |url=https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-mineral-rock/roxbury-puddingstone |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=November 28, 2019}}</ref>
| shell = [[New England Neptune]], ''Neptunea lyrata decemcostata''<ref name=MassFacts/><ref>{{cite web |title=New England Neptune: Massachusetts State Shell |date=May 19, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-fish-aquatic-life/new-england-neptune |publisher=StateSymbolsUSA.org |access-date=April 23, 2015}}</ref>
| ship = ''[[Schooner Ernestina]]''<ref name=MassFacts/>
| slogan = ''Make It Yours'',<br />''The Spirit of America''<ref>{{cite web |title=State Slogans |url=http://www.ereferencedesk.com/resources/state-slogans/ |publisher=Ereferencedesk.com |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref>
| soil = [[Paxton (soil)|Paxton]]<ref name=MassFacts/>
| sport = Basketball<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/08/09/can_you_guess_the_state_sport_of_massachusetts/ |title= Can you guess the state sport of Massachusetts? |first=Michael |last=Levenson |date=August 9, 2006 |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |access-date=February 14, 2012|archive-date=February 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216041222/http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/08/09/can_you_guess_the_state_sport_of_massachusetts/}}</ref>
| image_route = MA Route 28.svg
| image_quarter = 2000 MA Proof.png
| quarter_release_date = 2000<ref>{{cite news |title=The Official Massachusetts State Quarter |newspaper=The Us50 |url=http://www.theus50.com/massachusetts/quarter.php |publisher=theus50.com |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref>
}}

'''Massachusetts''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=en-us-Massachusetts.ogg|ˌ|m|æ|s|ə|ˈ|tʃ|uː|s|ɪ|t|s}} {{IPAc-en|-|z|ɪ|t|s}} {{respell|MASS|ə|CHOO|sits|,_-|zits}}; {{langx|wam-Latn|label=[[Massachusett language|Massachusett]]|[[wikt:Muhsachuweesut|Muhsachuweesut]]}} {{IPA|wam|məhswatʃəwiːsət|}}), officially the '''Commonwealth of Massachusetts''',{{efn|Massachusetts is one of [[Commonwealth (U.S. state)|only four U.S. states]] to use the term "Commonwealth" in its official name, along with [[Kentucky]], [[Virginia]], and [[Pennsylvania]].}} is a [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[New England]] region of the [[Northeastern United States]]. It borders the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and the [[Gulf of Maine]] to its east, [[Connecticut]] and [[Rhode Island]] to its south, [[New Hampshire]] and [[Vermont]] to its north, and [[New York (state)|New York]] to its west. Massachusetts is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|sixth-smallest state by land area]]. With a 2024 [[U.S. Census Bureau]]-estimated population of 7,136,171,<ref name=MassachusettsQuickFacts/> its highest estimated count ever, Massachusetts is the most populous state in New England, the [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|16th-most-populous]] in the United States, and the [[List of states and territories of the United States by population density|third-most densely populated U.S. state]], after [[New Jersey]] and Rhode Island.

Massachusetts was a site of early [[British colonization of the Americas|English colonization]]. The [[Plymouth Colony]] was founded in 1620 by the [[Pilgrim Fathers|Pilgrims]] of ''[[Mayflower]]''. In 1630, the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]], taking its name from the Indigenous [[Massachusett|Massachusett people]], also established settlements in Boston and Salem. In 1692, the town of [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]] and surrounding areas experienced one of America's most infamous cases of [[mass hysteria]], the [[Salem witch trials]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The 1692 Salem Witch Trials |url=http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/education |publisher=Salem Witch Trials Museum |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty"<ref>{{cite web |title=Faneuil Hall |url=http://www.celebrateboston.com/sites/faneuil-hall.htm |access-date=April 21, 2015 |publisher=Celebrateboston.com}}</ref> for the agitation there that later led to the [[American Revolution]]. In 1786, [[Shays' Rebellion]], a populist revolt led by disaffected [[American Revolutionary War]] veterans, influenced the [[Constitutional Convention (United States)|United States Constitutional Convention]].<ref name="shay">{{cite web |title=Shays' Rebellion |url=http://www.ushistory.org/us/15a.asp |publisher=ushistory.org |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> Originally dependent on [[Agriculture in Massachusetts|agriculture]], [[fishing]], and [[trade]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Maritime Commerce |url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/maritime/commerce.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102055900/http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/maritime/commerce.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 2, 2007 |access-date=April 21, 2015 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the [[Industrial Revolution]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Lowell, Massachusetts |url=http://www.lowell.com/city-of-lowell/lowell-history/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405013026/http://lowell.com/city-of-lowell/lowell-history/ |archive-date=April 5, 2010 |publisher=City of Lowell |access-date=April 21, 2015 }}</ref> Before the [[American Civil War]], the state was a center for the [[abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]], [[temperance movement|temperance]],<ref>{{cite web |title=The Temperance Issue in the Election of 1840: Massachusetts |url=http://www.teachushistory.org/second-great-awakening-age-reform/articles/temperance-issue-election-1840-massachusetts |publisher=Teachushistory.org |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> and [[transcendentalist]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Packer |first1=Barbara |title=The Transcendentalists |publisher=University of Georgia Press; First edition (April 25, 2007) |isbn=978-0-8203-2958-1|year=2007 }}</ref> movements.<ref>{{cite web |title=Images of the Antislavery Movement in Massachusetts |url=http://www.masshist.org/online/abolition/index.php |publisher=Masshist.org |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> During the 20th century, the state's economy [[Massachusetts Miracle|shifted from manufacturing to services]];<ref>{{cite web |title=Staying Power: The Future of Manufacturing in Massachusetts |url=http://masstech.org/sites/mtc/files/documents/Staying_Power.pdf |publisher=The Center for Urban and Regional Policy School of Social Science, Urban Affairs, and Public Policy Northeastern University |access-date=April 21, 2015 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071505/http://masstech.org/sites/mtc/files/documents/Staying_Power.pdf }}</ref> and in the 21st century, Massachusetts has become the global leader in [[biotechnology]],<ref name="MassachusettsLargestBiotechHubWorld">{{cite web|url=https://www.epmscientific.com/blog/2023/02/boston-is-now-the-largest-biotech-hub|title=Boston is Now the Largest Biotech Hub in the World|publisher=EPM Scientific|date=February 2023|access-date=January 9, 2024}}</ref> and also excels in [[artificial intelligence]],<ref name="BostonAIHub">{{cite web|url=https://venturefizz.com/stories/boston/why-boston-will-be-star-ai-revolution#:~:text=Boston%20startups%20are%20working%20to,include%20Lightmatter%20and%20Forge.ai.|title=Why Boston Will Be the Star of The AI Revolution|work=VentureFizz|date=October 24, 2017|access-date=November 9, 2023|quote=Boston startups are working to overcome some of the largest technical barriers holding AI back, and they're attracting attention across a wide variety of industries in the process.}}{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[engineering]], [[List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts|higher education]], [[finance]], and [[maritime trade]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Housing and Economic Development: Key Industries |date=October 4, 2011 |url=http://www.mass.gov/hed/economic/industries/ |publisher=mass.gov |access-date=April 21, 2015 |archive-date=April 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422015358/http://www.mass.gov/hed/economic/industries/ }}</ref>

The state's capital and [[List of municipalities in Massachusetts|most populous city]], as well as its cultural and [[financial center]], is [[Boston]]. Other major cities are [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]], [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] and [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]]. Massachusetts is also home to the [[urban area|urban]] core of [[Greater Boston]], the largest metropolitan area in New England and a region profoundly influential upon American [[History of the United States|history]], [[academia]], and the [[Economy of the United States|research economy]].<ref name="GreaterBoston">{{cite web |last1=Douglas |first1=Craig |title=Greater Boston gains population, remains 10th-largest region in U.S |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2010/03/22/daily22.html?page=all |work=Boston Business Journal |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> Massachusetts has a reputation for social and political [[Progressivism in the United States|progressivism]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=Does 'Massachusetts liberal' label still matter? |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-07-25-mass-liberal_x.htm |access-date=April 26, 2023 |website=www.usatoday.com}}</ref> becoming the only U.S. state with a [[right to housing|right to shelter]] law, and the first U.S. state, and one of the earliest [[jurisdiction]]s in the world to legally recognize [[same-sex marriage in Massachusetts|same-sex marriage]].<ref name="CNNmarriage">{{cite news |date=November 18, 2003 |title=Massachusetts court strikes down ban on same-sex marriage |publisher=[[CNN]] |agency=Reuters |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/18/gay.marriage.reut/ |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> [[Harvard University]] in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]] is the [[colonial colleges|oldest institution of higher learning in the United States]],<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Harvard University |url=http://www.harvard.edu/history |publisher=[[Harvard University]] |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> with the largest [[financial endowment]] of any university in the world.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/us/harvards-endowment-remains-biggest-of-all.html|title=Harvard's Endowment Remains Biggest of All |first=Tamar |last=Lewin |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 28, 2015 |access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> Both Harvard and [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|MIT]], also in Cambridge, are perennially ranked as either the most or among the most highly regarded [[academic institution]]s in the world.<ref name="AcademicRanking2">[https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2016/reputation-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank_label/sort_order/asc/cols/rank_only] ''Times Higher Education''. Retrieved December 3, 2016.</ref> Massachusetts's public-school students place among the top tier in the world in academic performance.<ref name="AcademicRanking3" />

Massachusetts is the most educated<ref name=MassachusettsMostEducatedAndHighestPaidState/> and one of the most highly developed and wealthiest U.S. states, ranking first in the [[List of U.S. states and territories by educational attainment|percentage of population 25 and over with either a bachelor's degree]] or [[List of U.S. states and territories by educational attainment|advanced degree]] and ranked as having the best U.S. state [[economy]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2024/05/02/uncomfortable-conversations-about-money-stories/73530793007/|title=Massachusetts has the best state economy, according to WalletHub. Here's why|author=Catherine Messier|newspaper=USA TODAY|date=June 8, 2025|access-date=June 16, 2025}}</ref> Massachusetts also ranks first on both the [[List of U.S. states by American Human Development Index|American Human Development Index]] and the [[List of U.S. states and territories by Human Development Index|standard Human Development Index]], [[List of U.S. states and territories by income|first in per capita income]], and first in [[median income]], both by [[household]] and individually.<ref name=MassachusettsHighestMedianHouseholdIncome/><ref name=MassachusettsMostEducatedAndHighestPaidState>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/06/us-states-where-americans-earn-lowest-wages.html|title=10 U.S. states where Americans earn the lowest incomes—only 2 aren't in the South|author=Kamaron McNair|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=April 6, 2024|access-date=April 6, 2024|quote=More education typically correlates with higher earnings, which helps explain why Massachusetts — the most-educated state, with nearly 47% of its population holding a bachelor's degree or higher — is also the highest-paid, according to the St. Louis Fed.}}</ref> Consequently, Massachusetts typically ranks as the top U.S. state,<ref name=MassachusettsBestStateToLive>{{cite web|url=https://wrnjradio.com/wallethub-new-jersey-is-2024s-3rd-best-state-to-live-in/|title=WalletHub: New Jersey is 2024's 3rd best state to live in|author=Jay Edwards|publisher=WRNJ Radio|date=August 12, 2024|access-date=August 13, 2024}}</ref> as well as the most expensive state for residents to live in.<ref name=MassachusettsMostExpensiveState>{{cite web|url= https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/14/how-much-money-a-family-of-four-needs-to-live-comfortably-in-all-50-states.html#:~:text=In%20Massachusetts%2C%20the%20most%20expensive,3.87%25%2C%20SmartAsset's%20analysis%20found.|title=A family of 4 needs over $300,000 a year to live comfortably in this state|author=Kamaron McNair|publisher=CNBC|access-date=June 16, 2025|quote=In Massachusetts, the most expensive state in the U.S., a family of four needs more than $300,000 per year to meet that threshold. Costs of living grew by over 4% in that state from 2024, slightly more than the national average of 3.87%, SmartAsset’s analysis found.}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] was named after the [[Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands|Indigenous]] population, the [[Massachusett]] or [[wikt:Muhsachuweesut|Muhsachuweesut]], whose name likely derived from the [[Wôpanâak language|Wôpanâak]] word ''muswachasut'', segmented as ''mus(ây)'' "big" + ''wach'' "mountain" + ''-s'' "diminutive" + -''ut'' "locative".<ref>{{cite thesis|url= http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/8740|title= Introduction to Wampanoag Grammar|last= Fermino|first= Jessie Little Doe|year= 2000|publisher= Massachusetts Institute of Technology|hdl= 1721.1/8740|type= Thesis}}</ref> This word has been translated as "near the great hill",<ref>{{cite book| first= William Wallace| last= Tooker| url= https://archive.org/details/jstor-533961| page= [https://archive.org/details/jstor-533961/page/n5 175]| title= Algonquian Names of some Mountains and Hills| publisher= American Folk-lore Society| year= 1904| access-date= June 10, 2015}}</ref> "by the blue hills", "at the little big hill", or "at the range of hills", in reference to the [[Blue Hills Reservation|Blue Hills]]—namely, the [[Great Blue Hill]], located on the boundary of [[Milton, Massachusetts|Milton]] and [[Canton, Massachusetts|Canton]].<ref>Salwen, Bert, 1978. ''Indians of Southern New England and Long Island: Early Period''. In "Northeast", ed. Bruce G. Trigger. Vol. 15 of "Handbook of North American Indians", ed. William C. Sturtevant, pp. 160–76. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution. Quoted in: Campbell, Lyle. 1997. ''American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 401</ref><ref>Bright, William (2004). ''Native American Place Names of the United States''. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, p. 270</ref> ''Massachusett'' has also been represented as ''Moswetuset''. This comes from the name of the [[Moswetuset Hummock]] (meaning "hill shaped like an arrowhead") in [[Quincy, Massachusetts|Quincy]], where [[Plymouth Colony]] commander [[Myles Standish]] (a hired English military officer) and [[Squanto]] (a member of the [[Patuxet tribe|Patuxet band]] of the [[Wampanoag|Wamponoag people]], who have since died off due to contagious diseases brought by colonists) met Chief [[Chickatawbut]] in 1621.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://thomascranelibrary.org/htm/436.htm |title= East Squantum Street (Moswetuset Hummock) |year= 1986 |website= Quincy, Mass. Historical and Architectural Survey |publisher= [[Thomas Crane Public Library]] |access-date= June 24, 2009 |archive-date= June 26, 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090626232221/http://thomascranelibrary.org/htm/436.htm }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Neal |first= Daniel |title= The history of New-England |publisher= A. Ward |location= London |year= 1747 |edition= 2 |volume= 2 |page= 216 |chapter= XIV: The Present State of New England |oclc= 8616817 |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=u3opAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA216 |access-date= June 24, 2009}}</ref>

Although the designation "Commonwealth" forms part of the state's official name, it has no practical implications in modern times,<ref>{{cite web |title= Why is Massachusetts a Commonwealth? |date= January 2, 2009 |url= http://www.mass.gov/anf/research-and-tech/legal-and-legislative-resources/why-is-massachusetts-a-commonwealth.html |publisher= Commonwealth of Massachusetts |access-date= April 21, 2015 | quote = The term 'Commonwealth' does not describe or provide for any specific political status or legal relationship when used by a state. Those [U.S. states] that do use it are equal to those that do not. Legally, Massachusetts is a commonwealth because the term is contained in the Constitution.}}</ref> and Massachusetts has the same position and powers within the United States as other states.<ref>{{cite web |title= Kentucky as a Commonwealth |publisher= Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives |access-date= May 22, 2010 |url= http://kdla.ky.gov/resources/kycommonwealth.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110131061313/http://kdla.ky.gov/resources/kycommonwealth.htm |archive-date= January 31, 2011}}</ref> [[John Adams]] may have chosen the word in 1779 for the second draft of what became the 1780 [[Massachusetts Constitution]]; unlike the word "state", the word "[[commonwealth]]" had the connotation of a [[republic]] at the time. This was in contrast to the [[monarchy]] the former colonies were fighting against during the [[American Revolutionary War]]. The name "State of Massachusetts Bay" appeared in the first draft, which was ultimately rejected. It was also chosen to include the "Cape Islands" in reference to [[Martha's Vineyard]] and [[Nantucket]]—from 1780 to 1844, they were seen as additional and separate entities confined within the Commonwealth.<ref>
{{Cite news
 |url= https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/01/23/why-call-massachusetts-commonwealth-blame-john-adams/8n9gWNMBkFr55xi91HkcnI/story.html |url-access=subscription
 |title= Why do we call Massachusetts a 'commonwealth'? Blame John Adams
 |first= Martin |last= Finucane|work= The Boston Globe
}}
* "A previous draft of the state constitution, proposed by the Legislature and rejected, had used the name 'State of Massachusetts Bay'.<br />At the time, the word was used to mean 'republic', and there might have been some antimonarchical sentiment in using it, according to the [http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cismaf/mf1a.htm Massachusetts secretary of state's website]."</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Massachusetts|Native American tribes in Massachusetts}}

===Pre-colonization===

Massachusetts was originally inhabited by tribes of the [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian language family]], including the [[Wampanoag people|Wampanoag]], [[Narragansett people|Narragansett]], [[Nipmuc]], [[Pocomtuc]], [[Mahican]], and [[Massachusett]].{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|pp=6–7}}<ref name=Mohican>{{cite web |title=Origin & Early Mohican History |publisher=Stockbridge-Munsee Community—Band of Mohican Indians |access-date=October 21, 2009 |url=http://mohican-nsn.gov/Departments/Library-Museum/Mohican_History/origin-and-early.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912122346/http://mohican-nsn.gov/Departments/Library-Museum/Mohican_History/origin-and-early.htm |archive-date=September 12, 2009 }}</ref> While cultivation of crops like [[Cucurbita|squash]] and [[maize|corn]] were an important part of their diet, the people of these tribes [[Hunting|hunted]], [[Fishing|fished]], and searched the forest for most of their food.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|pp=6–7}} Villagers lived in lodges called [[wigwam]]s as well as [[longhouse]]s.<ref name="Mohican" /> Tribes were led by male or female elders known as [[sachem]]s.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=7}}

===Colonial period===

{{Main|Mayflower Compact|Plymouth Colony|Massachusetts Bay Colony|New England Confederation|Dominion of New England|Province of Massachusetts Bay}}
[[File:Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor, by William Halsall.jpg|thumb|The [[Mayflower]] ''in Plymouth Harbor'' by [[William Halsall]] (1882). The [[Pilgrim (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]] founded [[Plymouth, Massachusetts|Plymouth]] in 1620.]]

In the early 1600s, [[European diaspora|European colonists]] caused [[virgin soil epidemic]]s such as [[smallpox]], [[measles]], [[influenza]], and perhaps [[leptospirosis]] in what is now known as the [[northeastern United States|northeastern region]] of the United States.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hoxie |first=Frederick E |title=Encyclopedia of North American Indians |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |year=1996 |location=Boston |page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofno00hoxi/page/164 164] |isbn=978-0-395-66921-1 |oclc=34669430 |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofno00hoxi |url-access=registration |access-date=July 30, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.3201/e0di1602.090276 |last1=Marr |first1=JS |last2=Cathey |first2=JT |title=New hypothesis for cause of an epidemic among Native Americans, New England, 1616–1619 |journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases |date=February 2010 |volume=16 |issue=2 |pages=281–286|pmid=20113559 |pmc=2957993 |doi-access=free | issn=1080-6040}}</ref> Between 1617 and 1619, a disease that was most likely [[smallpox]] killed approximately 90% of the [[Massachusetts Bay]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Smallpox: The Fight to Eradicate a Global Scourge|last=Kaplow|first=David|publisher=University of California Press|year=2003|isbn=978-0-520-24220-3|page=13}}</ref>

The first [[British colonization of the Americas|English colonists]] in Massachusetts Bay Colony landed with Richard Vines and spent the winter in Biddeford Pool near Cape Porpoise (after 1820 the State of Maine) in 1616. The [[Puritans]] arrived at [[Plymouth, Massachusetts|Plymouth]] in 1620. This was the second permanent [[British colonization of the Americas|English colony]] in the part of North America that later became the United States, after the [[Jamestown, Virginia|Jamestown Colony]]. The [[Thanksgiving (United States)|"First Thanksgiving"]] was celebrated by the Puritans after their first harvest in the "[[New World]]" and lasted for three days. They were soon followed by other Puritans, who colonized the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]]—now known as Boston—in 1630.{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|p=30}}

The Puritans believed the [[Church of England]] needed to be further [[Reformation|reformed]] along [[Protestant]] [[Calvinist]] lines, and experienced harassment due to the religious policies of [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] and high-ranking clergy such as [[William Laud]], who would become Charles's [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], whom they feared were re-introducing [[Ritualism in the Church of England|"Romish"]] elements to the national church.<ref name=puritans>{{cite web |title=The New England Colonies |url=http://www.ushistory.org/us/3.asp |publisher=ushistory.org |access-date=April 24, 2015}}</ref> They decided to colonize to Massachusetts, intending to establish what they considered an "ideal" religious society.{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|p=29}} The [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] was colonized under a royal charter, unlike the Plymouth colony, in 1629.<ref>{{cite web |title=Charter Of Massachusetts Bay 1629 |url=http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/documents/1600-1650/charter-of-massachusetts-bay-1629.php |publisher=let.rug.nl |access-date=April 24, 2015}}</ref> Both religious dissent and expansionism resulted in several new colonies being founded, shortly after Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay, elsewhere in New England. The Massachusetts Bay banished dissenters such as [[Anne Hutchinson]] and [[Roger Williams]] due to religious and political conflict. In 1636, Williams colonized what is now known as [[Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations|Rhode Island]], and Hutchinson joined him there several years later. Religious intolerance continued, and among those who objected to this later that century were the English Quaker preachers [[Alice Curwen|Alice and Thomas Curwen]], who were publicly flogged and imprisoned in Boston in 1676.<ref>Michael Mullett: "Curwen, Thomas ({{circa|1610–1680}})", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford, UK: OUP, 2004) [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6968 Retrieved 17 November 2015]</ref>{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|pp=30–32}}
[[File:Forge & Slitting Mill Saugus Iron Works Village 02.jpg|thumb|In 1646, [[John Winthrop the Younger]] established the [[Saugus Iron Works]], which was the first integrated ironworks in North America. It included a blast furnace, forge, rolling mill, shear, slitter and a quarter-ton trip hammer, all of which has been restored and is now a museum.]]

By 1641, Massachusetts had expanded inland significantly. The Commonwealth acquired the [[Connecticut River|Connecticut River Valley]] settlement of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], which had recently disputed with—and defected from—its original administrators, the [[Connecticut Colony]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Barrows |first=Charles Henry |title=The History of Springfield in Massachusetts for the Young: Being Also in Some Part the History of Other Towns and Cities in the County of Hampden |publisher=The Connecticut Valley Historical Society |year=1911 |pages=46–48 |id=US 13459.5.7}}</ref> This established Massachusetts's southern border in the west.<ref>[http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/pynchon.html William Pynchon] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921185345/http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/conn.river/pynchon.html |date=September 21, 2013 }}. Bio.umass.edu. Retrieved September 7, 2013.</ref> However, this became disputed territory until 1803–04 due to surveying problems, leading to the modern [[Southwick Jog]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Connecticut's "Southwick Jog" |url=http://www.ctstatelibrary.org/subjectguides/connecticuts-southwick-jog |publisher=Connecticut State Library |access-date=June 10, 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Eliot_Bible.jpg|thumb|The ''[[Mamusse Wunneetupanatamwe Up-Biblum God]]'' (cover page shown), also called the ''[[Eliot Indian Bible]]'', is the first Bible to have been printed in British North America.]]
In 1652 the [[Massachusetts General Court]] authorized Boston silversmith [[John Hull (merchant)|John Hull]] to produce [[pine tree shilling|local coinage]] in shilling, sixpence and threepence denominations to address a coin shortage in the colony.<ref>{{Harvnb|Barth|2014|p=499}}</ref> Before that point, the colony's economy had been entirely dependent on barter and foreign currency, including English, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese and counterfeit coins.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Clarke |first1=Hermann F. |year=1937 |title=John Hull: Mintmaster |journal=The New England Quarterly |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=669;673 |doi=10.2307/359931 |jstor=359931}}</ref> In 1661, shortly after the [[Stuart Restoration|restoration of the British monarchy]], the British government considered the Boston mint to be treasonous.<ref>{{Harvnb|Barth|2014|p=500}}</ref> However, the colony ignored the English demands to cease operations until at least 1682, when Hull's contract as mintmaster expired, and the colony did not move to renew his contract or appoint a new mintmaster.<ref>{{Harvnb|Barth|2014|p=514}}</ref> The coinage was a contributing factor to the revocation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony charter in 1684.<ref>{{Harvnb|Barth|2014|p=520}}</ref>

In 1691, the colonies of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth were united (along with present-day [[Maine]], which had previously been divided between Massachusetts and [[Province of New York|New York]]) into the [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]].{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|p=66}} Shortly after, the new province's first governor, [[William Phips]], arrived. The [[Salem witch trials]] also took place, where a number of men and women were hanged for alleged [[witchcraft]].{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=50}}

The [[1755 Cape Ann earthquake|most destructive earthquake]] known to date in [[New England]] occurred on November 18, 1755, causing considerable damage across Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite news|last=Perley |first=Sidney |agency=[[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] |title=Historic Earthquakes |publisher=Earthquake Hazards Program |date=April 18, 2014 |url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1755_11_18_hs.php |access-date=February 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110190706/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1755_11_18_hs.php |archive-date=November 10, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Memorandum |newspaper=[[Boston Gazette]] |date=November 24, 1755 |page=1}}</ref>

===The Revolutionary War===

{{Main|American Revolutionary War|Boston campaign|Lee Resolution|United States Declaration of Independence|Northern theater of the American Revolutionary War after Saratoga|Articles of Confederation#Ratification|Treaty of Paris (1783)}}
[[File:The Battle of Lexington.jpg|thumb|A 1910 painting of the [[Battle of Lexington]]]]

Massachusetts was a center of the movement for independence from [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]]. Colonists in Massachusetts had long had uneasy relations with the British monarchy, including open rebellion under the [[Dominion of New England]] in the 1680s.{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|p=66}} Protests against British attempts to tax the colonies after the [[French and Indian War]] ended in 1763 led to the [[Boston Massacre]] in 1770, and the 1773 [[Boston Tea Party]] escalated tensions.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|pp=63–83}} In 1774, the [[Intolerable Acts]] targeted Massachusetts with punishments for the Boston Tea Party and further decreased local autonomy, increasing local dissent.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Intolerable Acts |url=http://www.ushistory.org/us/9g.asp |publisher=ushistory.org |access-date=April 24, 2015}}</ref> Anti-Parliamentary activity by men such as [[Samuel Adams]] and [[John Hancock]], followed by reprisals by the British government, were a primary reason for the unity of the [[Thirteen Colonies]] and the outbreak of the [[American Revolution]] in 1775.{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|pp=88–90}}
[[File:Buckman Tavern Lexington.jpg|thumb|The first shots of the [[American Revolution]] were fired on [[Lexington Green]] in front of [[Buckman Tavern]]. The tavern is now a museum.]]
[[File:Official Presidential portrait of John Adams (by John Trumbull, circa 1792).jpg|thumb|[[John Adams]] was 2nd President of the United States (1797–1801).]]
The [[Battles of Lexington and Concord]] were fought in Massachusetts in 1775, and initiated the [[American Revolutionary War]].{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|pp=95–96}} [[George Washington]], later the first president of the future country, took over what would become the [[Continental Army]] after the battle. His first victory was the [[siege of Boston]] in the winter of 1775–76, after which the British were forced to evacuate the city.{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|pp=96–97}} The event is still celebrated in [[Suffolk County, Massachusetts|Suffolk County]] only every March 17 as [[Evacuation Day (Massachusetts)|Evacuation Day]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Legal Holidays |url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cishol/holidx.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040627003406/https://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cishol/holidx.htm |archive-date=June 27, 2004 |access-date=May 22, 2010 |publisher=[[Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth]]}}</ref>

On the coast, Salem became a center for [[privateer]]ing. Although the documentation is incomplete, about 1,700 [[letter of marque|letters of marque]], issued on a per-voyage basis, were granted during the American Revolution. Nearly 800 vessels were commissioned as privateers, which were credited with capturing or destroying about 600 British ships.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/revwar/about_the_revolution/privateers.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031220140150/http://www.nps.gov/revwar/about_the_revolution/privateers.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 20, 2003 |title=John Fraylor. Salem Maritime National Historic Park |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=September 3, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Recto Massachusetts 5 shillings 1779 urn-3 HBS.Baker.AC 1086081.jpeg|alt=A 1779 five-shilling note issued by Massachusetts with the inscription:  "FIVE SHILLINGS. shall be paid to the Bearer of this Bill, by the 1st Day of Decmr. 1782 agreeable to an Act of the Genl, Court of said STATE."; Within print of sun: "RISING".|thumb|This five-shilling note was issued by Massachusetts in 1779.]]

===Federal period===
{{Main|Constitutional Convention (United States)|Admission to the Union|List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union}}
Bostonian [[John Adams]], known as the "Atlas of Independence",<ref>{{cite web |title=The Declaration of Independence |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/adams/peopleevents/e_declaration.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526235408/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/adams/peopleevents/e_declaration.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 26, 2006 |publisher=PBS |access-date=April 25, 2015}}</ref> was highly involved in both separation from Britain and the [[Constitution of Massachusetts]], which effectively (the [[Elizabeth Freeman]] and [[Quock Walker]] cases as interpreted by [[William Cushing]]) made Massachusetts the first state to abolish slavery. [[David McCullough]] points out that an equally important feature was its placing for the first time the courts as a co-equal branch separate from the executive.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McCullough |first1=David |title=John Adams |date=September 3, 2002 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-0-7432-2313-3 |edition=1st}}</ref> (The [[Constitution of Vermont (1777)|Constitution of Vermont]], adopted in 1777, represented the first partial ban on slavery among the states. Vermont became a state in 1791 but did not fully ban slavery until 1858 with the Vermont Personal Liberty Law. The [[An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery|Pennsylvania Gradual Abolition Act of 1780]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://explorepahistory.com/odocument.php?docId=341 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004214250/http://explorepahistory.com/odocument.php?docId=341 |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |title=Pennsylvania's Gradual Abolition Act of 1780 |publisher=Explore PA history}}</ref> made [[Pennsylvania]] the first state to abolish slavery by statute - the second English colony to do so; the first having been the Colony of Georgia in 1735.) Later, Adams was active in early American foreign affairs and succeeded Washington as the second [[president of the United States]]. His son, [[John Quincy Adams]], also from Massachusetts,<ref>{{cite web |last=Rettig |first=Polly M. |title=John Quincy Adams Birthplace |url={{NHLS url|id=66000128}} |website=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=April 24, 2015 |date=April 3, 1978}}</ref> would go on to become the nation's sixth president.
[[File:Friendship of Salem MA1.jpg|thumb|The ''Friendship of Salem'' at [[Salem Maritime National Historic Site]] in Salem, is a replica of an 18th-century [[East Indiaman]]. Salem was a major port and the spice trade was very lucrative, resulting in Salem having the highest per capita income in the United States in the early 1800s. The ''Friendship'' was owned by [[Peirce–Nichols House|Jerathmeil Peirce]] and Aaron Waite. Peirce's mansion in Salem is preserved by the [[Peabody Essex Museum]].]]

From 1786 to 1787, an armed uprising led by Revolutionary War veteran [[Daniel Shays]], now known as [[Shays' Rebellion]], wrought havoc throughout Massachusetts and ultimately attempted to seize the federal [[Springfield Armory]].<ref name=shay/> The rebellion was one of the major factors in the decision to draft a stronger national constitution to replace the [[Articles of Confederation]].<ref name=shay/> On February 6, 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the [[United States Constitution]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Ratification of the U.S. Constitution in Massachusetts |publisher=[[Massachusetts Historical Society]] |access-date=May 22, 2010 |url=http://www.masshist.org/objects/cabinet/february2003/february2003.htm}}</ref>

===19th century===
{{Main|Missouri Compromise|Massachusetts in the American Civil War}}
In 1820, [[Maine]] separated from Massachusetts and entered the Union as the 23rd state due to the ratification of the [[Missouri Compromise]].<ref>{{cite web |title=On this day in 1820 |url=http://www.massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=81 |publisher=Massmoments.org |access-date=April 25, 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Visitor_Center,_Market_Mills,_Lowell_MA.jpg|thumb|[[textile manufacturing|Textile mills]], such as the one depicted here in [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]], made Massachusetts a leader in the [[Industrial Revolution]].]]
During the 19th century, Massachusetts became a national leader in the American [[Industrial Revolution]], with factories around cities such as [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]] and [[Boston]] producing textiles and shoes, and factories around Springfield producing tools, paper, and textiles.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=129}}{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=211}} The state's economy transformed from one based primarily on agriculture to an industrial one, initially making use of water-power and later the [[steam engine]] to power factories. Canals and railroads were being used in the state for transporting raw materials and finished goods.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=202}} At first, the new industries drew labor from [[Yankee]]s on nearby subsistence farms, though they later relied upon [[immigration to the United States|immigrant labor]] from Europe and Canada.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|pp=133–36}}{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=179}}

Although Massachusetts was the first slave-holding colony with slavery dating back to the early 1600s, the state became a center of [[progressivism|progressivist]] and [[Abolitionism|abolitionist]] (anti-slavery) activity in the years leading up to the [[American Civil War]]. [[Horace Mann]] made the state's school system a national model.{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|p=251}} [[Henry David Thoreau]] and [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]], both [[philosopher]]s and writers from the state, also made major contributions to American philosophy.{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|p=254}} Furthermore, members of the [[transcendentalism|transcendentalist movement]] within the state emphasized the importance of the natural world and emotion to humanity.{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|p=254}}

Although significant opposition to abolitionism existed early on in Massachusetts, resulting in anti-abolitionist riots between 1835 and 1837,{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=185}} abolitionist views there gradually increased throughout the next few decades.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=183}}{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|pp=187–93}} Abolitionists [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]] and [[Sojourner Truth]] lived in Springfield and Northampton, respectively, while [[Frederick Douglass]] lived in Boston and [[Susan B. Anthony]] in [[Adams, Massachusetts|Adams]]. The works of such abolitionists contributed to Massachusetts's actions during the Civil War. Massachusetts was the first state to recruit, train, and arm a [[African Americans|Black]] regiment with [[White people|White]] officers, the [[54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=October 19, 2009 |url=https://home.nps.gov/boaf/learn/historyculture/shaw.htm}}</ref> In 1852, Massachusetts became the first state to pass [[compulsory education]] laws.<ref name=compschools>{{cite web |title=State Compulsory School Attendance Laws |url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0112617.html |publisher=infoplease.com |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref>

===20th century===

Although the [[Wall Street|U.S. stock market]] had sustained steep losses the last week in October 1929, [[October 29, 1929|Tuesday, October 29]] is remembered as the beginning of the Great Depression. The [[Boston Stock Exchange]], drawn into the whirlpool of panic selling that beset the New York Stock Exchange, lost over 25 percent of its value in two days of frenzied trading. The BSE, nearly 100 years old at the time, had helped raise the capital that had funded many of the Commonwealth's factories, railroads, and businesses. "<ref>{{cite web |title=Stock Market Crash Heralds Great Depression |url=https://www.massmoments.org/moment-details/stock-market-crash-heralds-great-depression.html |website=massmoments.org |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref> Governor of Massachusetts [[Frank G. Allen]] appointed [[John C. Hull (politician)|John C. Hull]] the first Securities Director of Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mass.gov/files/department-of-public-utilities-history_0.pdf |title=Department of Public Utilities History |last=Osborne |first=Paul E. |date=March 2016 |publisher=Government of Massachusetts |access-date=June 30, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=alumni-magazines |title=Bowdoin Alumnus Volume 4 (1929–1930) |journal=Bowdoin Alumnus Magazines |year=1930 |publisher=Bowdoin College |page=129}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/actsresolvespass1929mass/page/290/mode/2up?q=securities+division+ | title=Acts and resolves passed by the General Court | year=1663 }}</ref> Hull would assume office in January 1930, and his term would end in 1936.<ref>290 Acts, 1929. — Chap. 287. Chap. 2S7 An Act to provide for the more effective enforcement of the Sale of Securities Act. Identifier: actsresolvespass1929mass
"Section 1. Chapter twenty- five of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding thereto, under the heading, Securities Division, There shall be in the department, and under its general supervision and control, a securities division which shall be under the charge of a director." John C. Hull was the first Securities Director appointed January 1930. His term would end in 1936. Publication date 1927–1928. pg. 102</ref>

With the departure of several manufacturing companies, the state's industrial economy began to decline during the early 20th century. By the 1920s, competition from the [[American South]] and [[Midwest]], followed by the [[Great Depression]], led to the collapse of the three main industries in Massachusetts: textiles, shoemaking, and precision mechanics.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=246}} This decline would continue into the latter half of the 20th century. Between 1950 and 1979, the number of Massachusetts residents involved in textile manufacturing declined from 264,000 to 63,000.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=276}} The 1969 closure of the [[Springfield Armory]], in particular, spurred an exodus of high-paying jobs from Western Massachusetts, which suffered greatly as it de-industrialized during the century's last 40 years.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[University of Massachusetts Lowell]] |url=http://www.uml.edu/com/cita/05paperforrantmuckensturm.pdf |title=Job Loss, Shrinking Revenues, and Grinding Decline in Springfield, Massachusetts: Is A Finance Control Board the Answer? |access-date=June 10, 2015 |archive-date=October 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018103402/http://www.uml.edu/com/cita/05paperforrantmuckensturm.pdf }}</ref>

Massachusetts manufactured 3.4 percent of total United States military armaments produced during [[World War&nbsp;II]], ranking tenth among the 48 states.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Peck |first1=Merton J. |last2=Scherer |first2=Frederic M. |title=The weapons acquisition process: An economic analysis |journal=IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management |date=March 1964 |volume=EM-11 |issue=1 |pages=51–52 |doi=10.1109/TEM.1964.6446393 |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6446393 |access-date=October 28, 2022 |issn=1558-0040}}</ref> After the world war, the economy of [[eastern Massachusetts]] transformed from one based on heavy industry into a [[service-based economy]].{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|pp=275–83}} Government contracts, private investment, and research facilities led to a new and improved industrial climate, with reduced unemployment and increased per capita income. Suburbanization flourished, and by the 1970s, the [[Massachusetts Route 128|Route 128]]/[[Interstate 95]] corridor was dotted with [[high tech|high-tech]] companies who recruited graduates of the area's many elite institutions of higher education.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=284}}

In 1987, the state received federal funding for the Central Artery/Tunnel Project. Commonly known as "the [[Big Dig]]", it was, at the time, the biggest federal highway project ever approved.<ref name="BigDig1">Grunwald, Michael. ''Dig the Big Dig'' [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/04/AR2006080401755.html] ''[[The Washington Post]]''. August 6, 2006. Retrieved May 31, 2010.</ref> The project included making the [[Central Artery]], part of [[Interstate 93]], into a tunnel under downtown Boston, in addition to the re-routing of several other major highways.<ref name=BigDig2>{{cite web |title=The Central Artery/Tunnel Project—The Big Dig |url=http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/TheBigDig.aspx |publisher=[[Massachusetts Department of Transportation]]—Highway Division |access-date=April 26, 2015 |archive-date=August 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830060735/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/TheBigDig.aspx }}</ref>{{failed verification|date=September 2019}} The project was often controversial, with numerous claims of graft and mismanagement, and with its initial cost of {{US$|2.5 billion|long=no}} finalized at over {{US$|15 billion|long=no}}. Nonetheless, the Big Dig changed the face of [[Downtown Boston]]<ref name=BigDig1/> and connected areas that were once divided by elevated highway. Much of the raised old Central Artery was replaced with the [[Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway]]. The project also improved traffic conditions along several routes.<ref name=BigDig1/><ref name=BigDig2/>

====Politicians====
[[File:John F. Kennedy, White House color photo portrait.jpg|thumb|[[John F. Kennedy]] was a Massachusetts native, and 35th President of the United States from 1961 to 1963.]]
The [[Kennedy family]] was prominent in 20th-century Massachusetts politics. The children of businessman and ambassador [[Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.]] included [[John F. Kennedy]], who was a [[United States Senate|senator]] and [[President of the United States|U.S. president]] before [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|his assassination]] in 1963; [[Ted Kennedy]], a [[United States Senate|senator]] from 1962 until his death in 2009;<ref>{{cite web |title=Biography: Edward Moore Kennedy |website=[[American Experience]] |access-date=May 28, 2010 |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/kennedys-bio-edward-kennedy/}}</ref> and [[Eunice Kennedy Shriver]], a co-founder of the [[Special Olympics]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Kennedys: A Family Tree |newspaper=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |access-date=May 28, 2010 |url=http://www.sptimes.com/News/111199/JFK/family-tree.shtml}}</ref> In 1966, Massachusetts became the first state to directly elect an African American to the U.S. senate with [[Edward Brooke]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Brooke, Edward William, III |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=b000871 |website=[[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]] |access-date=April 25, 2015}}</ref> [[George H. W. Bush]], 41st [[President of the United States]] (1989–1993) was born in [[Milton, Massachusetts|Milton]] in 1924.<ref>{{cite web |title=George H.W. Bush Biography |url=http://www.biography.com/people/george-hw-bush-38066 |publisher=biography.com |access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref>

Other Massachusetts politicians on the national level included [[Joseph W. Martin Jr.]], [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] (from 1947 to 1949 and 1953 to 1955) and leader of House Republicans from 1939 to 1959 (where he was the only Republican to serve as Speaker between 1931 and 1995),<ref>James J. Kenneally, ''A Compassionate Conservative: A Political Biography of Joseph W. Martin Jr., Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives'' (2003)</ref> [[John W. McCormack]], Speaker of the House in the 1960s, and [[Tip O'Neill]], whose service as Speaker of the House from 1977 to 1987 was the longest continuous tenure in United States history.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tip O'Neill {{!}} Donegal Diaspora |url=https://www.donegaldiaspora.ie/people/tip-oneill |website=www.donegaldiaspora.ie |access-date=December 3, 2022 |archive-date=December 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203121544/https://www.donegaldiaspora.ie/people/tip-oneill }}</ref>

===21st century===
On May 17, 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the U.S. to legalize [[Same-sex marriage in Massachusetts|same-sex marriage]]. This followed the [[Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court]]'s decision in ''[[Goodridge v. Department of Public Health]]'' in November 2003, which determined that the exclusion of same-sex couples from the right to a civil marriage was unconstitutional.<ref name=CNNmarriage />

In 2004, Massachusetts senator [[John Kerry]], who had won the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, lost to incumbent [[George W. Bush]]. Eight years later, former Massachusetts governor [[Mitt Romney]] (the Republican nominee) lost to incumbent [[Barack Obama]] in 2012. Another eight years later, Massachusetts senator [[Elizabeth Warren]] became a frontrunner in the Democratic primaries for the 2020 presidential election. However, she later suspended her campaign and endorsed presumptive nominee [[Joe Biden]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=McCammond |first1=Alexi |title=Elizabeth Warren endorses Joe Biden in 2020 presidential race |url=https://www.axios.com/2020/04/15/elizabeth-warren-endorses-joe-biden-president |access-date=December 3, 2022 |work=Axios |date=April 15, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:1st Boston Marathon blast seen from 2nd floor and a half block away.jpg|thumb|right|Boston Marathon bombing]]
Two [[Boston marathon bombing|pressure cooker bombs exploded]] near the finish line of the [[Boston Marathon]] on April 15, 2013, at around 2:49 pm local time ([[Eastern Time Zone|EDT]]). The explosions killed three people and injured an estimated 264 others.<ref>{{cite news |title=Police narrow in on two suspects in Boston Marathon bombings |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/injury-toll-rises-marathon-massacre-article-1.1319080 |access-date=December 3, 2022 |work=Daily News|location=New York}}</ref> The [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) later identified the suspects as brothers [[Dzhokhar Tsarnaev]] and [[Tamerlan Tsarnaev]]. The ensuing [[manhunt (law enforcement)|manhunt]] ended on April 19 when thousands of law enforcement officers searched a 20-block area of nearby [[Watertown, Massachusetts|Watertown]]. Dzhokhar later said he was motivated by extremist [[Islamism|Islamic]] beliefs and learned to build explosive devices from [[Inspire (magazine)|''Inspire'']], the online magazine of [[al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cooper |first1=Michael |last2=Schmidt |first2=Michael S. |last3=Schmitt |first3=Eric |title=Boston Suspects Are Seen as Self-Taught and Fueled by Web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/24/us/boston-marathon-bombing-developments.html |access-date=December 3, 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=April 23, 2013}}</ref>

On November 8, 2016, Massachusetts voted in favor of the Massachusetts [[Legality of cannabis by U.S. jurisdiction|Marijuana Legalization Initiative]], also known as Question 4.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.courant.com/politics/elections/hc-legal-marijuana-referendums-20161108-story.html|title=Recreational Marijuana Passes In Massachusetts|first=Russell|last=Blair|date=November 9, 2016 }}</ref>

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Massachusetts|Geology of New England}}
[[File:East_South_East_View,_Mt_Sugarloaf,_South_Deerfield_MA.jpg|thumb|A portion of the north-central [[Pioneer Valley]] is in [[South Deerfield, Massachusetts|South Deerfield]].]]
Massachusetts is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|seventh-smallest state in the United States]].<ref name="z693">{{cite book | last=Hogan | first=Sean O. | title=The Judicial Branch of State Government | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing | page=313 | publication-place=Santa Barbara, Calif. | date=August 23, 2006 | isbn=978-1-85109-756-2 }}</ref> It is located in the [[New England]] region of the [[Northeastern United States]].<ref name="z980">{{cite book | last=Werner | first=Robert G. | title=Freshwater Fishes of the Northeastern United States | publisher=Syracuse University Press | date=February 25, 2015 | isbn=978-0-8156-3057-9 | page=5}}</ref> It has an area of {{convert|10555|sqmi|km2}},<ref name="b926">{{cite web | last=Barnes | first=Susan B. | title=Denali National Park: 10 tips to make the most of your visit | website=[[USA Today]]| date=September 19, 2016 | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/america/national-parks/2016/09/19/denali-national-park-tips-visit/90516692/ | access-date=September 30, 2024}}</ref> 25.7% of which is water.<ref name="o079">{{cite journal | last1=Ma | first1=Yaxiong | last2=Gopal | first2=Sucharita | title=Geographically Weighted Regression Models in Estimating Median Home Prices in Towns of Massachusetts Based on an Urban Sustainability Framework | journal=Sustainability | publisher=MDPI AG | volume=10 | issue=4 | date=March 30, 2018 | issn=2071-1050 | doi=10.3390/su10041026 | doi-access=free | page=1026| bibcode=2018Sust...10.1026M | hdl=2144/40855 | hdl-access=free }}</ref> Several large bays distinctly shape its coast, giving it the nickname "the Bay State".<ref name="z323">{{cite web | last=Lambert | first=Bryan | title=The Bay State's best beach towns: New ranking names the Top 25 places to summer in Massachusetts | website=[[Yahoo! News]] | date=June 29, 2023 | url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/bay-state-best-beach-towns-160402103.html | access-date=September 30, 2024}}</ref> Boston is its largest city.<ref name="r858">{{cite web | title=About Boston – Boston Municipal Research Bureau | publisher=[[Boston Municipal Research Bureau]] | date=September 27, 2024 | url=https://www.bmrb.org/about-boston/ | access-date=September 30, 2024}}</ref>

Despite its small size, Massachusetts features numerous [[topography|topographically]] distinctive regions. The large [[coastal plain]] of the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern section of the state contains [[Greater Boston]], along with most of the state's population,<ref name=GreaterBoston /> as well as the distinctive [[Cape Cod]] [[peninsula]]. To the west lies the hilly, rural region of [[Central Massachusetts]], and beyond that, the [[Connecticut River|Connecticut River Valley]]. Along the western border of [[Western Massachusetts]] lies the highest elevated part of the state, [[the Berkshires]], forming a portion of the northern terminus of the [[Appalachian Mountains]].{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

The U.S. [[National Park Service]] administers a number of natural and historical [[List of areas in the National Park System in Massachusetts|sites in Massachusetts]].<ref name=NPS1>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=May 26, 2010 |url=https://www.nps.gov/state/ma/index.htm}}</ref> Along with twelve national historic sites, areas, and corridors, the National Park Service also manages the [[Cape Cod National Seashore]] and the [[Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area]].<ref name=NPS1/> In addition, the [[Department of Conservation and Recreation]] maintains a number of [[List of Massachusetts state parks|parks]], trails, and beaches throughout Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mission |date=May 17, 2013 |url=http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/inside-our-agency/mission/ |publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts |access-date=April 22, 2015 |archive-date=April 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422101501/http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/inside-our-agency/mission/ }}</ref>

===Ecology===
The primary [[biome]] of inland Massachusetts is [[temperate deciduous forest]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ricklefs |first1=Robert |title=The Economy of Nature |date=December 17, 2008 |publisher=W. H. Freeman |isbn=978-0-7167-8697-9 |page=96 |edition=6th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nqFLjZLwKxIC&pg=PA96 |access-date=April 22, 2015}}</ref>
Although much of Massachusetts had been cleared for agriculture, leaving only traces of [[old-growth forest]] in isolated pockets, secondary growth has regenerated in many rural areas as farms have been abandoned.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stocker |first=Carol |title=Old growth, grand specimens drive big-tree hunters |url=http://www.boston.com/yourlife/home/articles/2005/11/17/old_growth_grand_specimens_drive_big_tree_hunters/ |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=November 17, 2005 |access-date=October 17, 2009}}</ref> Forests cover around 62% of Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite web |title=Current Research—Working Landscapes |publisher=The Center for Rural Massachusetts—The [[University of Massachusetts Amherst]] |access-date=March 19, 2009 |url=http://www.umass.edu/ruralmass/currentresearch.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226064502/http://umass.edu/ruralmass/currentresearch.html |archive-date=February 26, 2009 }}</ref> The areas most affected by human development include the Greater Boston area in the east and the Springfield metropolitan area in the west, although the latter includes agricultural areas throughout the Connecticut River Valley.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northeastern Coastal Zone—Ecoregion Description |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |access-date=October 17, 2009 |url=http://landcovertrends.usgs.gov/east/eco59Report.html |archive-date=May 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527091151/http://landcovertrends.usgs.gov/east/eco59Report.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> There are 219 [[endangered species]] in Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite web |title=MESA List Overview |date=February 7, 2013 |url=http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/natural-heritage/species-information-and-conservation/mesa-list/ |publisher=Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs |access-date=April 22, 2015 |archive-date=April 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423090320/http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/natural-heritage/species-information-and-conservation/mesa-list/ }}</ref>

A number of species are doing well in the increasingly urbanized Massachusetts. [[Peregrine falcon]]s utilize office towers in larger cities as nesting areas,<ref>{{cite web |title=Peregrine Falcon |url=http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dfg/nhesp/species-and-conservation/nhfacts/falco-peregrinus.pdf |publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife |access-date=May 9, 2015}}</ref> and the population of [[coyote]]s, whose diet may include garbage and roadkill, has been increasing in recent decades.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eastern Coyote |date=February 13, 2013 |url=http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/fish-wildlife-plants/mammals/eastern-coyote-in-massachusetts.html |publisher=[[Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs]] |access-date=May 9, 2015}}</ref> [[White-tailed deer]], [[raccoon]]s, [[wild turkey]]s, and [[eastern gray squirrel]]s are also found throughout Massachusetts. In more rural areas in the western part of Massachusetts, larger mammals such as [[moose]] and [[American black bear|black bears]] have returned, largely due to [[reforestation]] following the regional decline in agriculture.<ref>{{cite news |title=Forests lure moose to Massachusetts |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0214/p13s02-sten.html |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |access-date=April 22, 2015}}</ref>

Massachusetts is located along the [[Atlantic Flyway]], a major route for migratory [[waterfowl]] along the eastern coast.<ref>{{cite news |title=Atlantic Flyway |newspaper=Audubon |date=November 13, 2014 |url=http://www.audubon.org/atlantic-flyway |publisher=National Audubon Society |access-date=May 9, 2015}}</ref> Lakes in central Massachusetts provide habitat for many species of fish and waterfowl, but some species such as the [[common loon]] are becoming rare.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chasing loons: Banding the elusive birds at night on the Quabbin Reservoir |date=July 28, 2014 |url=http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/07/chasing_loons_banding_the_elus.html |publisher=masslive.com |access-date=April 23, 2015}}</ref> A significant population of [[long-tailed duck]]s winter off [[Nantucket]]. Small offshore islands and beaches are home to [[roseate tern]]s and are important breeding areas for the locally threatened [[piping plover]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Coastal Waterbird Program |publisher=Mass Audubon |access-date=May 28, 2010 |url=http://www.massaudubon.org/cwp/}}</ref> Protected areas such as the [[Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge]] provide critical breeding habitat for shorebirds and a variety of marine wildlife including a large population of [[grey seal]]s. Since 2009, there has been a significant increase in the number of [[Great white shark]]s spotted and tagged in the coastal waters off of [[Cape Cod]].<ref>{{cite web |title=It was a record-breaking year for shark research off Cape Cod |work=The Boston Globe |access-date=March 30, 2020 |url=https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2019/11/18/review-2019-great-white-shark-season-cape-cod}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sharks have multiplied off Cape Cod beaches, devouring gray seals and putting swimmers on edge |work=USA Today |access-date=March 30, 2020 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/20/sharks-cape-cod-beach-seals-ocean-new-england/1953956001/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Map: Where great white sharks roam off Cape Cod |publisher=capecodtimes.com |access-date=March 30, 2020 |url=https://www.capecodtimes.com/great-white-sharks-map |archive-date=June 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629014700/https://www.capecodtimes.com/great-white-sharks-map }}</ref>

Freshwater fish species in Massachusetts include [[Bass (fish)|bass]], [[Common carp|carp]], [[catfish]], and [[trout]], while saltwater species such as [[Atlantic cod]], [[haddock]], and [[American lobster]] populate offshore waters.<ref>{{cite web |title=Commonly Caught Species |url=http://www.eregulations.com/massachusetts/fishing/saltwater/commonly-caught-species/ |website=eregulations.com |publisher=The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries |access-date=May 9, 2015}}</ref> Other marine species include [[Harbor seal]]s, the endangered [[North Atlantic right whale]]s, as well as [[humpback whale]]s, [[fin whale]]s, [[minke whale]]s, and [[Atlantic white-sided dolphin]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mammals in Massachusetts {{!}} Mass.gov |url=https://www.mass.gov/service-details/mammals-in-massachusetts |website=www.mass.gov |access-date=December 4, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

The [[European corn borer]], a significant agricultural pest, was first found in North America near Boston, Massachusetts in 1917.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Details—A progress report on the investigations of the European corn borer—Biodiversity Heritage Library|last1=Caffrey|first1=D. J.|last2=Worthley|first2=L. H.|doi=10.5962/bhl.title.108390|year = 1927|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/108390}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{main|Climate of Massachusetts}}Most of Massachusetts has a [[humid continental climate]], with cold winters and warm summers. Far southeast coastal areas are the broad transition zone to [[Humid Subtropical]] climates. The warm to hot summers render the [[oceanic climate]] rare in this transition, only applying to exposed coastal areas such as on the peninsula of [[Barnstable County, Massachusetts|Barnstable County]]. The climate of [[Boston]] is quite representative for the commonwealth, characterized by summer highs of around {{convert|81|F|C}} and winter highs of {{convert|35|F|C}}, and is quite wet. Frosts are frequent all winter, even in coastal areas due to prevailing inland winds. Boston has a relatively sunny climate for a coastal city at its latitude, averaging over 2,600 hours of sunshine a year.
[[File:Köppen Climate Types Massachusetts.png|thumb|Koppen climate types of [[Climate of Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;"
|+Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Massachusetts<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=US&s=MA&statename=Massachusetts-United-States-of-America |title=Massachusetts climate averages |publisher=Weatherbase |access-date=November 20, 2015}}</ref>
|-
!Location
!July (°F)
!July (°C)
!January (°F)
!January (°C)
|-
|[[Boston]] || 81/65 || 27/18 || 36/22 || 2/−5
|-
|[[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]] || 79/61 || 26/16 || 31/17 || 0/−8
|-
|[[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] || 84/62 || 27/17 || 34/17 || 1/−8
|-
|[[New Bedford, Massachusetts|New Bedford]] || 80/65 || 26/18 || 37/23 || 3/−4
|-
|[[Quincy, Massachusetts|Quincy]] || 80/61 || 26/16 || 33/18 || 1/−7
|-
|[[Plymouth, Massachusetts|Plymouth]] || 80/61 || 27/16 || 38/20 || 3/−6
|}

==Environmental issues==
===Climate change===
{{Main|Climate change in Massachusetts}}
Climate change in Massachusetts will affect both urban and rural environments, including forestry, fisheries, agriculture, and coastal development.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|
title=What climate change means for Massachusetts|author=EPA|url=https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/climate-change-ma.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.massaudubon.org/our-conservation-work/climate-change/effects-of-climate-change|title=Effects of Climate Change in Massachusetts|website=Mass Audubon|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-date=July 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703180806/https://www.massaudubon.org/our-conservation-work/climate-change/effects-of-climate-change}}</ref><ref name="natlclimate">{{cite report|title=Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II|author1=Dupigny-Giroux, L.A.|author2=E.L. Mecray|publisher=U.S. Global Change Research Program|doi=10.7930/NCA4.2018.CH18|pages=669–742|author3=M.D. Lemcke-Stampone|author4=G.A. Hodgkins|author5=E.E. Lentz|author6=K.E. Mills|author7=E.D. Lane|author8=R. Miller|author9=D.Y. Hollinger|doi-access=free|author14=C. Caldwell|chapter=Northeast|author13=A.B. MacDonald|editor1=Reidmiller, D.R.|editor2=C.W. Avery|editor3=D.R. Easterling|editor4=K.E. Kunkel|editor5=K.L.M. Lewis|editor6=T.K. Maycock|editor7=B.C. Stewart|author12=P.E. Sheffield|place=Washington, DC, US|author11=G.A. Wellenius|author10=W.D. Solecki|year=2018}}</ref> The Northeast is projected to warm faster than global average temperatures; by 2035, according to the U. S. Global Change Research Program, the Northeast is "projected to be more than 3.6°F (2°C) warmer on average than during the preindustrial era".<ref name="natlclimate"/>{{Update after|2035}} As of August 2016, the EPA reports that Massachusetts has warmed by over two degrees Fahrenheit, or 1.1 degrees Celsius.<ref name="EPA Climate Change for Massachusetts">{{cite report|url=https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/climate-change-ma.pdf|title=What Climate Change Means for Massachusetts|publisher=United States Environmental Protection Agency|date=August 2016|format=PDF file|access-date=December 16, 2020}}</ref>

Shifting temperatures also result in the shifting of rainfall patterns and the intensification of precipitation events. To that end, average precipitation in the Northeast United States has risen by ten percent from 1895 to 2011, and the number of heavy precipitation events has increased by seventy percent during that time.<ref name="EPA Climate Change for Massachusetts" /> These increased precipitation patterns are focused in the winter and spring. Increasing temperatures coupled with increasing precipitation will result in earlier snow melts and subsequent drier soil in the summer months.<ref>{{cite web |title=Climate Change Made Summer Hotter and Drier Worldwide, Study Finds |url=https://www.carilec.org/climate-change-made-summer-hotter-and-drier-worldwide-study-finds/ |website=CARILEC |date=October 5, 2022 |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

The shifting climate in Massachusetts will result in a significant change to the state's built environment and ecosystems. In [[Boston]] alone, costs of climate change-related storms will result in $5 to $100 billion in damage.<ref name="EPA Climate Change for Massachusetts" />

Warmer temperatures will also disrupt bird migration and flora blooming. With these changes, deer populations are expected to increase, resulting in a decrease in underbrush which smaller fauna use as camouflage. Additionally, rising temperatures will increase the number of reported [[Lyme disease]] cases in the state. [[Tick]]s can transmit the disease once temperatures reach 45 degrees, so shorter winters will increase the window of transmission. These warmer temperatures will also increase the prevalence of [[Asian tiger mosquitoes]], which often carry the [[West Nile virus]].<ref name="EPA Climate Change for Massachusetts" />

To fight this change, the [[Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs]] has outlined a path to [[low-carbon economy|decarbonize]] the state's economy. On April 22, 2020, Kathleen A. Theoharides, the state's Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, released a Determination of Statewide Emissions limits for 2050. In her letter, Theoharides stresses that as of 2020, the Commonwealth has experienced property damage attributable to climate change of more than $60 billion. To ensure that the Commonwealth experiences warming no more than 1.5&nbsp;°C of pre-industrialization levels, the state will work towards two goals by 2050: to achieve [[net-zero emissions]], and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent overall.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Theoharides |first1=Kathleen |last2=Polito |first2=Karyn |last3=Baker |first3=Charles |title=Determination of Statewide Emissions Limit for 2050 |url=https://www.mass.gov/doc/final-signed-letter-of-determination-for-2050-emissions-limit/download |website=Official websites of Massachusetts |access-date=May 20, 2022}}</ref>

===Power initiatives===
{{main|Solar power in Massachusetts|Wind power in Massachusetts}}
{{see also|Plug-in electric vehicles in Massachusetts}}
The State of Massachusetts has developed a plethora of incentives to encourage the implementation of [[renewable energy]] and efficient appliances and home facilities. The Mass Save program, formed in conjunction with the State by several companies that provide power and gas in Massachusetts, provides homeowners and renters with monetary incentives to [[retrofit]] their homes with efficient HVAC equipment and other household appliances. Appliances such as water heaters, air conditioners, washers and driers, and heat pumps are eligible for rebates in order to incentivize change.<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Energy-Saving Rebates |url=https://www.masssave.com/rebates |website=MASS SAVE |access-date=May 20, 2022}}</ref>

The concept of MassSave was created in 2008 by the passing of the Green Communities Act of 2008, during [[Deval Patrick]]'s tenure as [[governor]]. The main goal of the Green Communities Act was to reduce the consumption of [[fossil fuels]] in the State and to encourage new, more efficient technologies. Among others, one result of this act was a requirement for Program Administrators of utilities to invest in saving energy, as opposed to purchasing and generating additional energy where economically feasible. In Massachusetts, eleven Program Administrators, including [[Eversource]], [[National Grid (US)|National Grid]], [[Western Massachusetts Electric Company|Western Massachusetts Electric]], Cape Light Compact, Until, and Berkshire Gas, jointly own the rights to this program, in conjunction with the [[Department of Energy Resources (Massachusetts)|Department of Energy Resources]] (DOER) and the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC).<ref>{{cite web |title=MassSave: A New Model for Statewide Energy Efficiency Programs |url=https://www.aceee.org/files/proceedings/2012/data/papers/0193-000169.pdf |access-date=May 21, 2022}}</ref>

The State Revenue Service provides incentives for the installation of [[solar panel]]s. In addition to the Federal Residential [[Renewable energy credit]], Massachusetts residents may be eligible for a tax credit of up to 15 percent of the project.<ref>{{cite web |title=830 CMR 62.6.1: Residential Energy Credit |url=https://www.mass.gov/regulations/830-CMR-6261-residential-energy-credit |website=Mass.gov |access-date=May 21, 2022}}</ref> Once installed, arrays are eligible for [[net metering]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Net Metering Guide |url=https://www.mass.gov/guides/net-metering-guide |website=Mass.gov |access-date=May 21, 2022}}</ref> Certain municipalities will offer up to $1.20 per watt, up to 50 percent of the system's cost on PV arrays 25&nbsp;kW or less.<ref>{{cite web |title=Municipal Light Plant Solar Rebate Program |url=https://www.mass.gov/guides/municipal-light-plant-solar-rebate-program |website=Mass.gov |access-date=May 21, 2022 |archive-date=June 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611213114/https://www.mass.gov/guides/municipal-light-plant-solar-rebate-program }}</ref> The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources also offered low-interest, fixed-rate financing with loan support for low-income residents until December 31, 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mass Solar Loan |url=https://www.masssolarloan.com/ |website=Mass Solar Loan |access-date=May 21, 2022}}</ref>

As a part of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources' effort to incentivize the usage of [[renewable energy]], the Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) initiative was created. With this incentive, residents may qualify for a state-provided incentive of up to $2,500 for the purchase or lease of an [[electric vehicle]], or $1,500 for the purchase or lease of a [[plug-in hybrid]] vehicle.<ref>{{cite web |title=MOR-EV IS A Massachusetts Program That Issues Rebates to Electric Vehicle Drivers |url=https://mor-ev.org/ |website=MOR-EV |access-date=May 26, 2022}}</ref> This rebate is available in addition to the tax credits offered by the [[United States Department of Energy]] for the purchase of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.<ref>{{cite web |title=State and Federal Electric Vehicle Funding Programs |url=https://www.mass.gov/service-details/state-and-federal-electric-vehicle-funding-programs |website=MASS.GOV |access-date=May 26, 2022}}</ref>

For income-eligible residents, Mass Save has partnered with Massachusetts Community Action Program Agencies and Low-Income Energy Affordability Network (LEAN) to offer residents assistance with upgrades to their homes that will result in more efficient energy usage. Residents may qualify for a replacement of their heating system, insulation installation, appliances, and thermostats if they meet the income qualifications provided on Mass Save's website. For residents of 5+ family residential buildings, there are additional income-restricted benefits available through LEAN. If at least 50 percent of the residents of the building qualify as low income, [[Efficient energy use|energy efficiency]] improvements like those available through Mass Save are available. Residential structures operated by non-profit organizations, for profit operations, or housing authorities may take advantage of these programs.<ref>"''Income Eligible Programs.''" Mass Save, www.masssave.com/saving/income-based-offers/income-eligible-programs.</ref>

In late 2020, the administration of Massachusetts governor [[Charlie Baker]] released a decarbonization roadmap to aim for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The plan calls for major investments in [[offshore wind]] and solar energy. It would also require all new cars sold in the state to be zero-emissions ([[Electric cars|electric]] or [[Hydrogen powered car|hydrogen powered]]) by 2035.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/30/science/mass-require-all-new-cars-sold-be-electric-by-2035-part-climate-change-measures/|title=Mass. to require all new cars sold to be electric by 2035 as part of climate-change measures|first=Naomi |last=Martin|work=The Boston Globe|date= December 30, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mass.gov/doc/ma-2050-decarbonization-roadmap|title=MA2050DecarbonizationRoadmap_FINAL.pdf &#124; Mass.gov|website=mass.gov}}</ref>

==Demographics==

{{Main|Demographics of Massachusetts|List of people from Massachusetts}}
[[File:Massachusetts population density 2020.png|thumb|upright=1.6|Massachusetts population density map. The centers of high-density settlement, from east to west, are Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and [[Pittsfield, Massachusetts|Pittsfield]], respectively.]]
{{US Census population
| 1790= 378787
| 1800= 422845
| 1810= 472040
| 1820= 523287
| 1830= 610408
| 1840= 737699
| 1850= 994514
| 1860= 1231066
| 1870= 1457351
| 1880= 1783085
| 1890= 2238947
| 1900= 2805346
| 1910= 3366416
| 1920= 3852356
| 1930= 4249614
| 1940= 4316721
| 1950= 4690514
| 1960= 5148578
| 1970= 5689170
| 1980= 5737037
| 1990= 6016425
| 2000= 6349097
| 2010= 6547629
| 2020= 7029917
| estimate = 7136171
| estyear = 2024
| align-fn = center
|footnote=<ref name=MassachusettsQuickFacts/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/censusdata/table-16.pdf|title=Population: 1790 to 1990|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|location=US|access-date=June 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html}}</ref>}}

At the [[2020 United States census|2020 U.S. census]], Massachusetts had a population of over 7 million, a 7.4% increase since the [[2010 United States Census]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Massachusetts Population Surpasses 7 Million In 2020 Census|url=https://boston.cbslocal.com/video/5525988-massachusetts-population-surpasses-7-million-in-2020-census/|access-date=April 27, 2021}}</ref><ref name="2020Census">{{cite web |title=2020 Census Apportionment Results |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/dec/2020-apportionment-data.html |website=census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=April 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426210008/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2020/dec/2020-apportionment-data.html |archive-date=April 26, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> As of 2015, Massachusetts was estimated to be the [[List of states and territories of the United States by population density|third-most densely populated U.S. state]], with 871.0 people per square mile,<ref name=qcensus>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/state/totals/2015/tables/NST-EST2015-01.csv|format=CSV|title=Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015|date=December 23, 2015|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 24, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223235718/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/state/totals/2015/tables/NST-EST2015-01.csv|archive-date=December 23, 2015}}</ref> behind [[New Jersey]] and [[Rhode Island]]. In 2014, Massachusetts had 1,011,811 foreign-born residents or 15% of the population.<ref name=qcensus/> As of July 2024, the state's population was estimated to have grown to 7,136,171.<ref name=MassachusettsQuickFacts/>

Most Massachusetts residents live within the Boston metropolitan area, also known as [[Greater Boston]], which includes Boston and its proximate surroundings but also extending to [[Greater Lowell]] and to [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]]. The [[Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts|Springfield metropolitan area]], also known as Greater Springfield, is also a major center of population. Demographically, the [[center of population]] of Massachusetts is located in the town of [[Natick, Massachusetts|Natick]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Centers of Population |url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/cenpop2010/CenPop2010_Mean_ST.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=State Centers of Population |date=February 5, 2012 |url=http://www.howderfamily.com/blog/state-centers-population/ |publisher=howderfamily.com |access-date=April 26, 2015|quote=I'll{{spaces}}... examine some individual state centers of population.}}</ref>

Like the rest of the [[Northeastern United States]], the population of Massachusetts has continued to grow in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Massachusetts is the fastest-growing state in [[New England]] and the 25th fastest-growing state in the United States.<ref name=GlobeTopgrowth>{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Joshua |title=Mass. population growth is tops in N.E |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/01/01/massachusetts-population-growth-rate-ahead-other-new-england-states-but-still-slow/r7PLcdbKnD9HZY3fm97XGP/story.html |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref> Population growth has been driven primarily by the relatively high quality of life and a large higher education system.<ref name=GlobeTopgrowth/>

Foreign immigration is also a factor in the state's population growth, causing the state's population to continue to grow as of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]] (particularly in [[Massachusetts gateway cities]] where costs of living are lower).<ref name=GlobeDemographics1>{{cite news |last=Mishra |first=Raja |title=State's population growth on stagnant course |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/12/22/states_population_growth_on_stagnant_course/ |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=December 22, 2006 |access-date=June 5, 2010}}</ref><ref name=USAToday1>{{cite news |last=Bayles |first=Fred |title=Minorities account for state population growth |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/ma.htm |work=[[USA Today]] |date=March 21, 2001 |access-date=June 5, 2010}}</ref> Forty percent of foreign immigrants were from [[Central America|Central]] or [[South America]], according to a 2005 Census Bureau study, with many of the remainder from [[Asia]]. Many residents who have settled in Greater Springfield claim [[Puerto Rico|Puerto Rican]] descent.<ref name=GlobeDemographics1/> Many areas of Massachusetts showed relatively stable population trends between 2000 and 2010.<ref name=USAToday1/> [[Exburb|Exurban]] Boston and coastal areas grew the most rapidly, while [[Berkshire County, Massachusetts|Berkshire County]] in far [[Western Massachusetts]] and Barnstable County on [[Cape Cod]] were the only counties to lose population as of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].<ref name=USAToday1/> In 2018, The top countries of origin for Massachusetts' immigrants were [[China]], the [[Dominican Republic]], [[Brazil]], [[India]] and [[Haiti]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/immigrants_in_massachusetts.pdf|title=Immigrants in Massachusetts}}</ref>

By sex, 48.4% were male, and 51.6% were female in 2014. In terms of age, 79.2% were over 18 and 14.8% were over 65.<ref name=qcensus/>

According to [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|HUD]]'s 2022 [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress|Annual Homeless Assessment Report]], there were an estimated 15,507 [[Homelessness in Massachusetts|homeless people in Massachusetts]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf}}</ref>

===Race and ancestry===

The state's most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic white, has declined from 95.4% in 1970 to 67.6% in 2020.<ref name=qcensus/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25000.html |title=Massachusetts QuickFacts |location=US |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=June 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821061951/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25000.html |archive-date=August 21, 2015 }}</ref> 
[[File:Ethnic Origins in Massachusetts.png|thumb|245x245px|Ethnic origins in Massachusetts]]
As of 2011, non-Hispanic whites were involved in 63.6% of all the births,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html |title=Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot |last=Exner |first=Rich |date=June 3, 2012 |work=[[The Plain Dealer]]}}</ref> while 36.4% of the population of Massachusetts younger than age{{spaces}}1 was minorities (at least one parent who was not non-Hispanic white).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Exner|first1=Rich|title=Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot|url=http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html |website=The Plain Dealer|date=June 3, 2012|publisher=Advance Ohio|access-date=August 2, 2016|ref=June 3, 2012}}</ref> One major reason for this is that non-Hispanic whites in Massachusetts recorded a [[total fertility rate]] of 1.36 in 2017, the second-lowest in the country after neighboring Rhode Island.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_01-508.pdf |title=CDC data |publisher=Centres for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=May 13, 2020}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Ethnic composition as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]
|-
! Race and Ethnicity<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html |title=Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census
 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 12, 2021 |website=census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 26, 2021}}</ref>
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Alone
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White (non-Hispanic)]]
|align=right| {{bartable|67.6|%|2||background:gray}}
|align=right| {{bartable|71.4|%|2||background:gray}}
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]{{efn|Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.}}
|align=right| {{bartable}}
|align=right| {{bartable|12.6|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| [[African Americans|African American (non-Hispanic)]]
|align=right| {{bartable|6.5|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|align=right| {{bartable|8.2|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|7.2|%|2||background:purple}}
|align=right| {{bartable|8.2|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.1|%|2||background:gold}}
|align=right| {{bartable|0.9|%|2||background:gold}}
|-
| [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.02|%|2||background:pink}}
|align=right| {{bartable|0.1|%|2||background:pink}}
|-
| Other
|align=right| {{bartable|1.3|%|2||background:brown}}
|align=right| {{bartable|3.6|%|2||background:brown}}
|}

As late as 1795, the population of Massachusetts was nearly 95% of English ancestry.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=173}} During the early and mid-19th century, immigrant groups began arriving in Massachusetts in large numbers; first from Ireland in the 1840s;{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|pp=173–79}} today the Irish and part-Irish are the largest ancestry group in the state at nearly 25% of the total population. Others arrived later from Quebec as well as places in Europe such as Italy, Portugal, and Poland.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=203}} In the early 20th century, a large percentage of black immigrants were from the Caribbean island of Barbados, and mostly settled in Cambridge and Boston's South End. In the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]] of 1910 to 1970, African Americans migrated to Massachusetts, although in somewhat fewer numbers than many other northern states.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=301}} Later in the 20th century, immigration from Latin America increased considerably. More than 156,000 [[Chinese Americans in Boston|Chinese Americans]] made their home in Massachusetts in 2014,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/14_1YR/S0201/0400000US25/popgroup~016|title=Selected Population Profile in the United States – 2014 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates—Chinese alone, Massachusetts|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 8, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214001946/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/14_1YR/S0201/0400000US25/popgroup~016|archive-date=February 14, 2020}}</ref> and Boston hosts a growing [[Chinatown, Boston|Chinatown]] accommodating heavily traveled [[Chinatown bus lines|Chinese-owned bus lines]] to and from [[Chinatown, Manhattan]] in [[New York City]]. Massachusetts also has large [[Dominican American|Dominican]], [[Puerto Rican American|Puerto Rican]], [[Haitian Americans|Haitian]], [[Cape Verdean American|Cape Verdean]] and [[Brazilian American|Brazilian]] populations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hispanic or Latino by Type: 2010 Census Summary File 1: Massachusetts (QT-P10) |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/QTP10/0400000US25 |work=American Factfinder |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=March 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213010024/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/QTP10/0400000US25 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 }}</ref> Boston's [[South End, Boston|South End]] and [[Jamaica Plain]] are both [[gay village]]s, as is nearby [[Provincetown, Massachusetts]] on Cape Cod.<ref>{{cite news |title=Same-Sex Couples Since 1990 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/08/25/us/same-sex-couples-since-1990.html?ref=us |access-date=December 4, 2022 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>
[[File:Boston Chinatown Paifang.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|[[Chinatown, Boston|Boston's Chinatown]] has a [[paifang]] entrance gate, and is home to many [[Chinese Americans in Boston|Chinese]] and [[Vietnamese Americans in Boston|Vietnamese]] people.]]
[[File:Party_goers_and_dancers_at_Back_Bay_Block_Party.jpg|thumb|Boston's [[gay pride]] march is held annually in June. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize [[same-sex marriage in Massachusetts|same-sex marriage]].]]
The largest ancestry group in Massachusetts are the [[Irish Americans|Irish]], at 22.5% of the population, who live in significant numbers throughout the state but form more than 40% of the population along the South Shore in Norfolk and Plymouth counties. [[File:St. Patrick Day's Parade, Scituate MA.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|[[Scituate, Massachusetts|Scituate]] has a [[Saint Patrick's Day]] parade, as the municipality with the highest percentage identifying [[Irish diaspora|Irish]] ancestry in the United States, at 47.5% in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishcentral.com/news/the-most-irish-town-in-america-is-named-133427563-237789381.html|title=The most Irish town in America is named using US census data|first=Jane|last=Walsh|publisher=IrishCentral|date=November 25, 2015|access-date=May 8, 2016}}</ref> [[Irish Americans]] constitute the largest ethnicity in Massachusetts.]]In both counties overall, Irish-Americans comprise more than 30% of the population). [[Italian Americans|Italians]] form the second-largest ethnic group in the state (13.5%), but form a plurality in some suburbs north of Boston and in a few towns in the Berkshires. [[English Americans]], the third-largest (11.4%) group, form a plurality in some western towns. [[French Americans|French]] and [[French Canadian]]s also form a significant part (10.7%),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=People Reporting Ancestry – 2012–2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=August 25, 2018}}</ref> with sizable populations in Bristol, Hampden, and Worcester Counties, along with Middlesex county especially concentrated in the areas surrounding Lowell and Lawrence.<ref name=citydata2000>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts—Ethnic groups |url=http://www.city-data.com/states/Massachusetts-Ethnic-groups.html |publisher=City-Data.com |access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref><ref>For Bristol County see {{cite web
 |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US25005
 |title=DP02 Selected Social Characteristics in the United States—2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
 |access-date=January 12, 2016
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213025726/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US25005
 |archive-date=February 13, 2020
}}
:* For Hampden County see {{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US25013 |title=DP02 Selected Social Characteristics in the United States—2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates |access-date=January 12, 2016 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213010213/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US25013 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 }}
:* For Worcester County see {{cite web
 |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US25027
 |title=DP02 Selected Social Characteristics in the United States—2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
 |access-date=January 12, 2016
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213020310/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US25027
 |archive-date=February 13, 2020
}}</ref> <!-- missing information of Massachusetts residents of Portuguese ancestry, including possible temporary sources here <ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSSPP1Y2022.S0201?q=population%20of%20portuguese%20americans&g=040XX00US25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSSPP1Y2016.S0201?q=portuguese%20population%20in%20massachusetts%202016}}</ref> --> [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]] is home to the second-largest [[Cambodian Americans|Cambodian]] community of the nation.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schweitzer |first=Sarah |title=Lowell hopes to put 'Little Cambodia' on the map |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/02/15/lowell_hopes_to_put_little_cambodia_on_the_map/ |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=February 15, 2010 |access-date=May 31, 2010}}</ref> Massachusetts is home to a small community of [[Greek Americans]] as well, which according to the [[American Community Survey]] there are 83,701 of them scattered along the state (1.2% of the total state population).<ref>{{cite web |title=2011–2015 American Community Survey Selected Population Tables |url=https://www.census.gov |access-date=August 10, 2018}}</ref> There are also [[List of American Indian Reservations in Massachusetts|several populations]] of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] in Massachusetts. The [[Wampanoag people|Wampanoag]] tribe maintains reservations at [[Aquinnah, Massachusetts|Aquinnah]] on Martha's Vineyard and at [[Mashpee, Massachusetts|Mashpee]] on Cape Cod—with an ongoing [[Massachusett language|native language revival project underway]] since 1993, while the [[Nipmuc]] maintain two state-recognized reservations in the central part of the state, including one at [[Grafton, Massachusetts|Grafton]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Indian Reservations in the Continental United States |url=http://www.nps.gov/nagpra/DOCUMENTS/ResMAP.HTM |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430214507/http://www.nps.gov/nagpra/DOCUMENTS/ResMAP.HTM |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 30, 2008 |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=May 7, 2015}}</ref>

Massachusetts has avoided many forms of racial strife seen elsewhere in the US, but examples such as the successful electoral showings of the [[Nativism (politics)|nativist]] (mainly [[Anti-Catholicism|anti-Catholic]]) [[Know Nothing]]s in the 1850s,{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|pp=180–82}} the controversial [[Sacco and Vanzetti]] executions in the 1920s,{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|pp=257–58}} and Boston's opposition to [[Boston busing desegregation|desegregation busing]] in the 1970s.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|pp=300–4}}

The US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race, and "NH" means "Non-Hispanic".
{| class="wikitable"
|+Racial and Ethnic Composition of Massachusetts
!Race / Ethnicity
!Pop 2000<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p004&g=040XX00US25|title=Explore Census Data|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2010.P2?q=p2&t=Race+and+Ethnicity&g=040XX00US25|title=Explore Census Data|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Pop 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p2&t=Race+and+Ethnicity&g=040XX00US25|title=Explore Census Data|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!%2000
!%2010
!%2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|5,198,359
|4,984,800
|4,748,897
|{{Percentage|5198359|6349097|2}}
|{{Percentage|4984800|6547629|2}}
|{{Percentage|4748897|7029917|2}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|318,329
|391,693
|457,055
|{{Percentage|318329|6349097|2}}
|{{Percentage|391693|6547629|2}}
|{{Percentage|457055|7029917|2}}
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Natives|Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|11,264
|10,788
|9,378
|{{Percentage|11264|6349097|2}}
|{{Percentage|10788|6547629|2}}
|{{Percentage|9378|7029917|2}}
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|236,786
|347,495
|504,900
|{{Percentage|236786|6349097|2}}
|{{Percentage|347495|6547629|2}}
|{{Percentage|504900|7029917|2}}
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|1,706
|1,467
|1,607
|{{Percentage|1706|6349097|2}}
|{{Percentage|1467|6547629|2}}
|{{Percentage|1607|7029917|2}}
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some Other Race]] alone (NH)
|43,586
|61,547
|92,108
|{{Percentage|43586|6349097|2}}
|{{Percentage|61547|6547629|2}}
|{{Percentage|92108|7029917|2}}
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|110,338
|122,195
|328,278
|{{Percentage|110338|6349097|2}}
|{{Percentage|122195|6547629|2}}
|{{Percentage|328278|7029917|2}}
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|428,729
|627,654
|887,685
|{{Percentage|428729|6349097|2}}
|{{Percentage|627654|6547629|2}}
|{{Percentage|887685|7029917|2}}
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''6,349,097'''
|'''6,547,629'''
|'''7,029,917'''
|'''{{Percentage|6349097|6349097|2}}'''
|'''{{Percentage|6547629|6547629|2}}'''
|'''{{Percentage|7029917|7029917|2}}'''
|}

===Languages===
The most common varieties of [[American English]] spoken in Massachusetts, other than [[General American]], are the [[New England English#Southwestern New England|''cot-caught'' distinct, rhotic, western Massachusetts dialect]] and the [[Boston accent|''cot-caught'' merged, non-rhotic, eastern Massachusetts dialect]] which is popularly known as a "Boston accent".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Irwin |first1=Patricia |last2=Nagy |first2=Naomi |title=Bostonians /r/ Speaking: A Quantitative Look at (R) in Boston |url=http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=pwpl |publisher=University of Pennsylvania |access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:1em; float:center"
|+Top 11 Non-English Languages Spoken in Massachusetts
|-
! Language !! Percentage of pop. as of 2010<ref name="MLA Data"/>
|-
| [[Spanish language|Spanish]] || 7.50%
|-
| [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] || 2.97%
|-
| [[Chinese language|Chinese]] (including [[Cantonese]] and [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]) || 1.59%
|-
| [[French language|French]] (including [[New England French]]) || 1.11%
|-
| [[French-based creole languages|French Creole]] || 0.89%
|-
| [[Italian language|Italian]] || 0.72%
|-
| [[Russian language|Russian]] || 0.62%
|-
| [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] || 0.58%
|-
| [[Greek language|Greek]] || 0.41%
|-
| [[Arabic]] and [[Khmer language|Khmer (Cambodian)]] (including all [[Austroasiatic languages]]) (tied) || 0.37%
|}

As of 2010, 78.93% (4,823,127) of Massachusetts residents{{spaces}}5 and older spoke English at home as a [[first language]], while 7.50% (458,256) spoke Spanish, 2.97% (181,437) [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], 1.59% (96,690) Chinese (which includes [[Cantonese]] and [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]), 1.11% (67,788) French, 0.89% (54,456) [[French-based creole languages|French Creole]], 0.72% (43,798) Italian, 0.62% (37,865) Russian, and [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] was spoken as a primary language by 0.58% (35,283) of the population over{{spaces}}5. In total, 21.07% (1,287,419) of Massachusetts's population{{spaces}}5 and older spoke a first language other than English.<ref name=qcensus/><ref name="MLA Data">{{cite web |url=http://www.mla.org/map_data |title=Massachusetts |publisher=[[Modern Language Association]] |access-date=August 21, 2013}}</ref>

===Religion===
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Religious self-identification, per [[Public Religion Research Institute]]'s 2022 ''American Values Survey''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |date=February 24, 2023 |title=PRRI – American Values Atlas: Religious Tradition in Massachusetts|url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2022/States/religion/m/US-MA|access-date=April 3, 2023 |website=[[Public Religion Research Institute]]}}</ref>
| label1 = [[Irreligion in the United States|Unaffiliated]]
| value1 = 34
| color1 = White
| label2 = [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholicism]]
| value2 = 34
| color2 = Purple
| label3 = [[Protestantism in the United States|Protestantism]]
| value3 = 22
| color3 = Blue
| label4 = [[Eastern Orthodoxy]]
| value4 = 1
| color4 = Lightblue
| label5 = [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]]/[[Unitarian Universalism|Universalist]]
| value5 = 1
| color5 = Teal
| label6 = [[Judaism in the United States|Judaism]]
| value6 = 3
| color6 = Pink
| label7 = [[Hinduism in the United States|Hinduism]]
| value7 = 2
| color7 = Orange
| label8 = [[Buddhism in the United States|Buddhism]]
| value8 = 1
| color8 = Yellow
| label9 = [[New Age]]
| value9 = 1
| color9 = Red
| label10 = Other
| value10 = 1
| color10 = Black
}}

Massachusetts was founded and settled by [[Brownist]] [[Puritans]] in 1620,<ref name="puritans" /> and soon after by other groups of [[Ecclesiastical separatism|Separatists]]/[[English Dissenters|Dissenters]], [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|Nonconformist]]s and [[Independent (religion)|Independents]] from [[17th-century denominations in England|17th century England]].{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|pp=29–30}} A majority of people in Massachusetts today remain [[Christians]].<ref name="qcensus" /> The descendants of the Puritans belong to many different churches; in the direct line of inheritance are the various [[Congregational church]]es, the [[United Church of Christ]] and congregations of the [[Unitarian Universalist Association]]. The headquarters of the [[Unitarian Universalist Association]], long located on [[Beacon Hill, Boston|Beacon Hill]], is now located in [[South Boston]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uua.org/headquarters |title=Headquarters of the Unitarian Universalist Association |publisher=Unitarian Universalist Association |access-date=April 27, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uua.org/news/press-release/uua-sell-its-beacon-hill-properties-move-innovation-district |title=The UUA to Sell its Beacon Hill Properties, Move to Innovation District |date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=[[Unitarian Universalist Association]] |access-date=April 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417012851/http://www.uua.org/news/press-release/uua-sell-its-beacon-hill-properties-move-innovation-district |archive-date=April 17, 2015 }}</ref> Many Puritan descendants also dispersed to other Protestant denominations. Some disaffiliated along with Roman Catholics and other Christian groups in the wake of modern [[secularization]].<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Pellegrino |first1=Nicholas |title=Reviving a Spirit of Controversy: Roman Catholics and the Pursuit of Religious Freedom in Early America |date=May 2015 |type=PhD dissertation |publisher=University of Nevada, Las Vegas |doi=10.34917/7646017 |url=https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations/2410/ |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

As of the 2014 Pew study, Christians made up 57% of the state's population, with [[Protestantism|Protestants]] making up 21% of them. [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]] made up 34% and now predominate because of massive immigration from primarily Catholic countries and regions—chiefly Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Quebec, and Latin America. Both Protestant and Roman Catholic communities have been in decline since the late 20th century, due to the rise of [[irreligion]] in [[New England]]. It is the most irreligious region of the country, along with the [[Western United States]]; for comparison and contrast however, in 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute determined 67% of the population were Christian reflecting a slight increase of religiosity.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=PRRI – American Values Atlas |url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-MA |access-date=September 17, 2022 |website=ava.prri.org}}</ref> A significant Jewish population immigrated to the Boston and Springfield areas between 1880 and 1920. [[Jews]] make up 3% of the population. [[Mary Baker Eddy]] made the [[Christian Science Center|Boston Mother Church]] of [[Christian Science]] serve as the world headquarters of this [[new religious movement]]. [[Buddhism|Buddhists]], [[Paganism|Pagans]], [[Hindu]]s, [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventists]], [[Muslim]]s, and [[Mormons]] may also be found. [[The Satanic Temple]] has its headquarters in Salem. [[Kripalu Center]] in [[Stockbridge, Massachusetts|Stockbridge]], the Shaolin Meditation Temple in Springfield, and the Insight Meditation Center in [[Barre, Massachusetts|Barre]] are examples of non-Abrahamic religious centers in Massachusetts. According to 2010 data from The [[Association of Religion Data Archives]], (ARDA) the largest single denominations are the [[Catholic Church]] with 2,940,199 adherents; the [[United Church of Christ]] with 86,639 adherents; and the [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]] with 81,999 adherents.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/25/rcms2010_25_state_family_2010.asp |title=The Association of Religion Data Archives &#124; State Membership Report |publisher=[[Association of Religion Data Archives]] |access-date=November 22, 2013 |archive-date=December 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235450/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/25/rcms2010_25_state_family_2010.asp }}</ref>

In 2014, 32% of the population identified as having no religion;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/massachusetts/ |title=Adults in Massachusetts |date=May 11, 2015 |publisher=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project}}</ref> in a separate 2020 study, 23% of the population identified as irreligious, and 67% of the population identified as Christians (including 26% as white Protestants and 20% as white Catholics).<ref name=":1" /> As of 2022, a plurality of Massachusettsans were [[Irreligion in the United States|irreligious]],<ref name=":1" /> and the state is considered to be a part of the [[Unchurched Belt]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lin |first=Joanna |date=March 16, 2009 |title=New England surpasses West Coast as least religious region in America, study finds |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-mar-16-me-beliefs16-story.html |access-date=April 11, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Native American tribes ===
What became Massachusetts was originally inhabited by the Wampanoag, the Nipmuc, the Massachusett, the Pocumtuc, the Nauset, the Pennacook, and a few other tribes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Massachusetts Indian Tribes and Languages (Massachuset) |url=https://www.native-languages.org/massachusetts.htm |access-date=September 2, 2024 |website=www.native-languages.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Indigenous American Nations, c.16th Century (1st edition) |url=https://indigamerica.blogspot.com/ |access-date=September 2, 2024 |website=Indigenous America Maps}}</ref> Some of these tribes are still represented among the population of the state.

The largest Native American tribes in Massachusetts according to the 2010 census are listed in this table.<ref>{{Cite web |title=American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/cph-series/cph-t/cph-t-6.html}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Tribal groupings with over 600 members in Massachusetts in 2010 census
!Tribal grouping
!American Indian and Alaska Native alone
!AIAN in combination with other races
!Total AIAN, any combination
|-
|Total AIAN population
|18850
|31855
|50705
|-
|[[Cherokee]]
|885
|3654
|4539
|-
|[[Wampanoag]]
|1674
|1642
|3316
|-
|[[Mi'kmaq|Micmac]]
|623
|1166
|1789
|-
|South American Indian
|817
|930
|1747
|-
|[[Blackfoot Confederacy|Blackfeet]]
|298
|1347
|1645
|-
|Mexican American Indian
|1131
|449
|1580
|-
|[[Iroquois]]
|457
|984
|1441
|-
|Central American Indian
|635
|332
|967
|-
|[[Nipmuc]]
|305
|550
|855
|-
|[[Abenaki]]
|197
|469
|666
|-
|[[Sioux]]
|186
|463
|649
|-
|Tribe not specified
|9421
|16535
|25956
|}

==Education==
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{{Further|Education in Massachusetts|History of education in Massachusetts|}}
[[File:MA Public High School District SAT by town.png|thumb|Towns in Massachusetts by combined mean SAT of their public high school district for the 2015–2016 academic year<ref>{{cite web|url=http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/sat_perf.aspx|title=2015–16 SAT Performance Statewide Report|website=profiles.doe.mass.edu}}</ref>]]
In 2018, Massachusetts's overall educational system was ranked the top among all fifty U.S. states by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/10-best-states-for-education?int=undefined-rec&slide=10|title=The 10 Best U.S. States for Education—2. New Jersey|work=[[U.S. News & World Report]]|date=February 27, 2018|access-date=May 5, 2018}}</ref> Massachusetts was the first state in North America to require municipalities to appoint a teacher or establish a grammar school with the passage of the [[Massachusetts School Laws|Massachusetts Education Law]] of 1647,{{sfn|Dejnozka|Gifford|Kapel|Kapel|1982|p=313}} and 19th century reforms pushed by [[Horace Mann]] laid much of the groundwork for contemporary universal public education{{sfn|Dejnozka|Gifford|Kapel|Kapel|1982|p=311}}{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|pp=251–52}} which was established in 1852.<ref name=compschools /> Massachusetts is home to the oldest school in continuous existence in North America ([[The Roxbury Latin School]], founded in 1645), as well as the country's oldest public elementary school ([[The Mather School]], founded in 1639),<ref>{{cite web |title=Mather Elementary School |url=http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/school/mather-elementary-school |publisher=Boston Public Schools |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> its oldest high school ([[Boston Latin School]], founded in 1635),<ref>{{cite news|last=Ramírez |first=Eddy |title=The First Class State |url=https://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2007/11/29/the-first-class-state.html |newspaper=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |date=November 29, 2007 |access-date=June 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219191828/http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2007/11/29/the-first-class-state.html |archive-date=December 19, 2008 }}</ref> its oldest continuously operating boarding school ([[The Governor's Academy]], founded in 1763),<ref>{{cite web |title=#26 The Governors Academy, Byfield, Mass |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-private-schools-2011-4#26-the-governors-academy-byfield-mass-3 |website=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> its oldest college ([[Harvard University]], founded in 1636),<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rimer |first1=Sara |last2=Finder |first2=Alan |title=Harvard Plans to Name First Female President |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/10/education/10harvard.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 10, 2007 |access-date=June 5, 2010}}</ref> and its oldest women's college ([[Mount Holyoke College]], founded in 1837).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.studypoint.com/admissions/mount-holyoke/ |title=Mount Holyoke Admissions Information |publisher=StudyPoint |access-date=June 10, 2015}}</ref> Massachusetts is also home to the highest ranked private high school in the United States, [[Phillips Academy]] in [[Andover, Massachusetts]], which was founded in 1778.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dangremond|first=Sam|date=August 1, 2018|title=These Are the Best Private High Schools in America, According to a New Ranking|url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/news/a8639/best-private-high-schools-in-america/|access-date=July 21, 2010|website=Town and Country}}</ref>

Massachusetts's per-student public expenditure for elementary and secondary schools was eighth in the nation in 2012, at $14,844.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bidwell |first1=Allie |title=How States Are Spending Money in Education |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/29/how-states-are-spending-money-in-education |website=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |access-date=May 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505044339/http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/29/how-states-are-spending-money-in-education |archive-date=May 5, 2015 }}</ref> In 2013, Massachusetts scored highest of all the states in math and third-highest in reading on the [[National Assessment of Educational Progress]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Are the nation's twelfth-graders making progress in mathematics and reading? |url=http://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_g12_2013/#/ |publisher=[[National Assessment of Educational Progress]] |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> The state's public school students are in the top tier of global academic performance.<ref name="AcademicRanking3">{{cite web |url=http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=24050 |url-status=live |title=Massachusetts Students Score among World Leaders on PISA Reading, Science and Math Tests |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204051502/http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=24050 |archive-date=December 4, 2019 |access-date=January 14, 2020}}</ref> In 2022, Massachusetts was first or second in the reading and mathematics average scores and proficiency percentages of the evaluated 4th and 8th graders.<ref>{{cite web |title=NAEP state comparisons |url=https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile/overview/MA?cti=PgTab_ScoreComparisons&sub=MAT&chort=1&st=MN&sfj=NP&sj=MA&year=2022R3 |website=NAEP State Profiles - Massachusetts |access-date=January 6, 2025}}</ref>

Massachusetts hosts 121 institutions of higher education.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/ciswel/weltomas.htm#edu |title=A Practical Guide to Living in the State—Education |publisher=[[Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth]] |location=MA, US |access-date=June 2, 2010}}</ref> [[Harvard University]] and the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], both located in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]], consistently rank among the world's best private universities and universities in general.<ref>{{cite web |title=World's Best Universities:Top 400 |website=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |access-date=May 25, 2010 |date=February 25, 2010 |url=https://www.usnews.com/articles/education/worlds-best-universities/2010/02/25/worlds-best-universities-top-400.html}}</ref> In addition to Harvard and MIT, several other Massachusetts universities rank in the top 50 at the undergraduate level nationally in the [[College and university rankings#United States|widely cited rankings]] of ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'': [[Tufts University]] (#27), [[Boston College]] (#32), [[Brandeis University]] (#34), [[Boston University]] (#37) and [[Northeastern University]] (#40). Massachusetts is also home to three of the top five ''U.S. News & World Report''{{'}}s best Liberal Arts Colleges: [[Williams College]] (#1), [[Amherst College]] (#2), and [[Wellesley College]] (#4).<ref>{{cite web|title=National Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings |url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges |website=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |access-date=May 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821213346/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges |archive-date=August 21, 2016 }}</ref> It is also home to the oldest Catholic liberal arts college, [[College of the Holy Cross]] (#33).<ref>{{Cite web |title=College of the Holy Cross Rankings |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/holy-cross-2141/overall-rankings |access-date=May 28, 2023 |website=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref> [[Boston Architectural College]] is New England's largest private college of [[spatial design]]. The public [[University of Massachusetts]] (nicknamed ''UMass'') features five campuses in the state, with its [[University of Massachusetts Amherst|flagship campus]] in [[Amherst, Massachusetts|Amherst]], which enrolls more than 25,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.massachusetts.edu/system/about.html |title=The UMass System |publisher=[[University of Massachusetts Amherst]] |access-date=May 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830061248/http://www.massachusetts.edu/system/about.html |archive-date=August 30, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://media.umassp.edu/massedu/ir/facts2009-10.pdf |title=UMass—Facts 2009–2010 |publisher=[[University of Massachusetts Amherst]] |access-date=May 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720090725/http://media.umassp.edu/massedu/ir/facts2009-10.pdf |archive-date=July 20, 2011 }}</ref>

As of 2021, Massachusetts has the [[educational attainment in the United States|highest percentage of adults over the age of 25]] with a bachelor's degree (46.62%) and a [[Postgraduate education|graduate]] degree (21.27%) of any state in the country.

==Economy==
{{See also|List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income|Category:Economy of Massachusetts}}

The United States [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]] estimates that the Massachusetts [[gross state product]] in 2020 was $584{{spaces}}billion.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7003=200&7035=-1&7004=sic&7005=1&7006=xx&7036=-1&7001=1200&7002=1&7090=70&7007=-1&7093=levels#reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7003=200&7035=-1&7004=naics&7005=1&7006=xx&7036=-1&7001=1200&7002=1&7090=70&7007=-1&7093=levels |title=Apps Test &#124; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) |publisher=Bea.gov |access-date=July 31, 2021 |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831043848/https://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7003=200&7035=-1&7004=sic&7005=1&7006=xx&7036=-1&7001=1200&7002=1&7090=70&7007=-1&7093=levels#reqid=70&step=10&isuri=1&7003=200&7035=-1&7004=naics&7005=1&7006=xx&7036=-1&7001=1200&7002=1&7090=70&7007=-1&7093=levels }}</ref> The [[Per capita personal income in the United States|per capita personal income]] in 2012 was $53,221, making it the third-highest state in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/spi/2009/pdf/spi0309.pdf |title=State Personal Income 2008 |publisher=[[Bureau of Economic Analysis]] |access-date=June 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412133925/http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/spi/2009/pdf/spi0309.pdf |archive-date=April 12, 2010 }}</ref> As of January 2023, Massachusetts state general [[minimum wage]] is $15.00 per hour while the minimum wage for tipped workers is $6.75 an hour, with a guarantee that employers will pay the difference should a tipped employee's hourly wage not meet or exceed the general minimum wage.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-minimum-wage |title=Massachusetts law about minimum wage |publisher=[[Commonwealth of Massachusetts]] |date=December 31, 2020 |access-date=January 11, 2020}}</ref> These minimum wage levels came about in January 2023, as part of a series of minimum wage amendments passed in 2018 that saw the minimum wage increase slowly every January up to 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Session Law – Acts of 2018 Chapter 121 |url=https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2018/Chapter121 |access-date=April 21, 2022 |website=malegislature.gov}}</ref>

In 2015, twelve [[Fortune 500|''Fortune'' 500]] companies were located in Massachusetts: [[Liberty Mutual]], [[Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company]], [[TJX Companies]], [[General Electric]], [[Raytheon]], [[American Tower]], [[Global Partners]], [[Thermo Fisher Scientific]], [[State Street Corporation]], [[Biogen]], [[Eversource Energy]], and [[Boston Scientific]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geographyrealm.com/map-and-list-of-fortune-1000-companies-for-2018/|title=Map and List of Fortune 1000 Companies for 2018|date=November 13, 2018}}</ref> CNBC's list of "Top States for Business for 2023" has recognized Massachusetts as the 15th-best state in the nation for business,<ref>{{cite web |title=America's Top States For Business |date=July 11, 2023 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/11/americas-top-states-for-business-2023-the-full-rankings.html |publisher=[[CNBC]] |access-date=September 18, 2023}}</ref> and for the second year in a row in 2016 the state was ranked by Bloomberg as the most innovative state in America.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-22/here-are-the-most-innovative-states-in-america-in-2016|title=Here are the Most Innovative States in America in 2016|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|date=December 22, 2016}}</ref> According to a 2013 study by Phoenix Marketing International, Massachusetts had the sixth-largest number of millionaires per capita in the United States, with a ratio of 6.73 percent.<ref>{{cite web |last=Frank |first=Robert |title=Top states for millionaires per capita |date=January 15, 2014 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/01/15/top-states-for-millionaires-per-capita.html |publisher=[[CNBC]] |access-date=January 25, 2014}}</ref> Billionaires living in the state include past and present leaders (and related family) of local companies such as [[Fidelity Investments]], [[New Balance]], [[Kraft Group]], [[Boston Scientific]], and the former [[Continental Cablevision]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/06/10/here-new-list-richest-people-mass/OaNMT5TILihKuLoyLNBwbL/story.html|title=Here's a new list of the richest people in Mass.|website=The Boston Globe}}</ref>

Massachusetts has three [[Foreign-trade zones of the United States|foreign-trade zones]], the [[Massachusetts Port Authority]] of Boston, the Port of New Bedford, and the City of Holyoke.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enforcement.trade.gov/ftzpage/letters/ftzlist-map.html|title=List of Foreign-Trade Zones by State|author=United States Department of Commerce . International Trade Administration . Enforcement and Compliance|website=enforcement.trade.gov|access-date=March 16, 2018|archive-date=October 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030233822/https://enforcement.trade.gov/ftzpage/letters/ftzlist-map.html}}</ref> [[Logan International Airport|Boston-Logan International Airport]] is the busiest airport in New England, serving 33.4{{spaces}}million total passengers in 2015, and witnessing rapid growth in international air traffic since 2010.<ref name=LoganTraffic>{{cite web |url=https://www.massport.com/media/378708/1215-avstats-airport-traffic-summary.pdf |title=Monthly Airport Traffic Summary—December 2015 |access-date=February 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207054448/https://www.massport.com/media/378708/1215-avstats-airport-traffic-summary.pdf |archive-date=February 7, 2016 }} Accessed May 8, 2016.</ref>

Sectors vital to the Massachusetts economy include higher education, [[biotechnology]], [[information technology]], finance, health care, tourism, manufacturing, and defense. The [[Route 128 (Massachusetts)|Route 128 corridor]] and Greater Boston continue to be a major center for [[venture capital|venture capital investment]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nvca.org/research/venture-investment/ |title=Venture Investment—Regional Aggregate Data |publisher=National Venture Capital Association |access-date=January 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408104240/http://nvca.org/research/venture-investment/ |archive-date=April 8, 2016 }}</ref> and [[high technology]] remains an important sector. In recent years tourism has played an ever-important role in the state's economy, with Boston and [[Cape Cod]] being the leading destinations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2016/06/10/where-massachusetts-tourists-come-from/M7IXI2wbqxj0p0RFAxxhKO/story.html|date=June 11, 2016|title=Where do Massachusetts tourists come from?|first=Corlyn|last=Voorhees|website=[[The Boston Globe]]}}</ref> Other popular tourist destinations include [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]], [[Plymouth, Massachusetts|Plymouth]], and [[the Berkshires]]. Massachusetts is the sixth-most popular tourist destination for foreign travelers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tourism Statistics |url=http://www.statisticbrain.com/tourism-statistics/ |publisher=Statisticsbrain.com |access-date=April 27, 2015 |archive-date=March 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324153143/http://www.statisticbrain.com/tourism-statistics/ }}</ref> In 2010, the Great Places in Massachusetts Commission published '1,000 Great Places in Massachusetts' that identified 1,000 sites across the commonwealth to highlight the diverse historic, cultural, and natural attractions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/12/1000_places_to_visit/|title=1,000 places to visit in Massachusetts|website=The Boston Globe}}</ref>
[[File:Sunset on Cape Cod Bay.jpg|thumb|Sunset at [[Brewster, Massachusetts|Brewster]], on [[Cape Cod Bay]].]]

While manufacturing comprised less than 10% of Massachusetts's gross state product in 2016, the Commonwealth ranked 16th in the nation in total manufacturing output in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|title=State Profiles Data Sheet|date=October 2017|publisher=National Association of Manufacturers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003142946/http://www.nam.org/Data-and-Reports/State-Manufacturing-Data/State-Manufacturing-Data/April-2017/2017-State-Manufacturing-Data-Table/|archive-date=October 3, 2018|url=http://www.nam.org/Data-and-Reports/State-Manufacturing-Data/State-Manufacturing-Data/April-2017/2017-State-Manufacturing-Data-Table/}}</ref> This includes a diverse array of manufactured goods such as medical devices, paper goods, specialty chemicals and plastics, telecommunications and electronics equipment, and machined components.<ref>{{cite report|title=Massachusetts Manufacturing Facts|publisher=National Association of Manufacturers|access-date=December 28, 2018|archive-date=December 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226224516/http://www.nam.org/Data-and-Reports/State-Manufacturing-Data/2014-State-Manufacturing-Data/Manufacturing-Facts--Massachusetts/|url=http://www.nam.org/Data-and-Reports/State-Manufacturing-Data/2014-State-Manufacturing-Data/Manufacturing-Facts--Massachusetts/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=MassMEDIC|publisher=Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council|url=https://www.massmedic.com/|access-date=December 28, 2018}}</ref>

The more than 33,000 nonprofits in Massachusetts employ one-sixth of the state's workforce.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://waltham.wickedlocal.com/news/20170620/waltham-nonprofit-watch-cdc-recognized-at-statehouse|title=Waltham nonprofit WATCH CDC recognized at Statehouse|work=Wicked Local Waltham|access-date=June 21, 2017|archive-date=June 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620162454/http://waltham.wickedlocal.com/news/20170620/waltham-nonprofit-watch-cdc-recognized-at-statehouse}}</ref> In 2007, Governor Deval Patrick signed into law a state holiday, Nonprofit Awareness Day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Groups celebrate Nonprofit Awareness Day - Massachusetts Nonprofit Network |url=http://massnonprofitnet.org/blog/groups-celebrate-nonprofit-awareness-day/ |website=massnonprofitnet.org |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

In February 2017, ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' ranked Massachusetts the best state in the United States based upon 60 [[Performance metric|metrics]] including healthcare, education, crime, infrastructure, opportunity, economy, and government. Massachusetts ranked number one in education, number two in healthcare, and number five in the handling of the economy.<ref name="best states">{{cite web |title=Best States Overall Ranking |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings |access-date=December 29, 2017 |work=[[U.S. News & World Report]]}}</ref>

===Agriculture===
{{ Main | Agriculture in Massachusetts }}
As of 2012, there were 7,755 farms in Massachusetts encompassing a total of {{convert|523,517|acre|km2|-1}}, averaging {{convert|67.5|acre|hectare}} apiece.<ref>{{cite web |title=Number of Farms Numbers Continue Slight Rise in 2012 |url=https://ag.umass.edu/ma-agricultural-data/number-of-farms/numbers-continue-slight-rise-in-2012 |publisher=[[University of Massachusetts Amherst]] Center for Agriculture, Food, and the environment |access-date=April 27, 2015}}</ref> [[Greenhouse]], [[floriculture]], and [[sod]] products {{endash}} including [[ornamental plant|the ornamental market]] {{endash}} make up more than one third of the state's agricultural output.<ref name="census-2017">{{cite web | access-date=July 29, 2022 |year=2017 | title=National Agricultural Statistics Service - 2017 Census of Agriculture - Volume 1, Chapter 1: State Level Data | website=USDA, [[National Agricultural Statistics Service]] | url=https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_1_State_Level/Massachusetts/}}</ref><ref name="Facts-Stats" /> Particular agricultural products of note also include [[Cranberry|cranberries]], sweet corn and apples are also large sectors of production.<ref name="Facts-Stats">{{cite web | access-date=September 30, 2022 | website=[[Massachusetts Government]] | url=https://www.mass.gov/info-details/agricultural-resources-facts-and-statistics | title=Agricultural Resources Facts and Statistics}}</ref> Fruit cultivation is an important part of the state's agricultural revenues,<ref name="fruit-UMassExt">{{cite web | title=UMass Extension Fruit Program | website=[[UMass Extension Fruit Program]] | date=February 26, 2015 | url=http://ag.umass.edu/fruit | access-date=June 27, 2022}}</ref> and Massachusetts is the second-largest cranberry-producing state after [[Wisconsin]].<ref>{{cite web |date=January 26, 2007 |url=https://www.nass.usda.gov/nh/jan07cran.pdf |title=Massachusetts Cranberries |publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]] |access-date=May 23, 2010}}</ref>

===Taxation===

Depending on how it is calculated, state and local tax burden in Massachusetts has been estimated among U.S. states and Washington D.C. as 21st-highest (11.44% or $6,163 per year for a household with nationwide median income)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-states-to-be-a-taxpayer/2416/#complete-rankings.|title=2016's States with the Highest & Lowest Tax Rates|access-date=June 18, 2016}}</ref> or 25th-highest overall with below-average corporate taxes (39th-highest), above-average personal income taxes, (13th-highest), above-average sales tax (18th-highest), and below-average property taxes (46th-highest).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://taxfoundation.org/article/2016-state-business-tax-climate-index|title=2016 State Business Tax Climate Index|access-date=June 18, 2016|archive-date=June 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621014424/http://taxfoundation.org/article/2016-state-business-tax-climate-index}}</ref> In the 1970s, the Commonwealth ranked as a relatively high-tax state, gaining the pejorative nickname "Taxachusetts". This was followed by a round of tax limitations during the 1980s—a conservative period in American politics—including [[Proposition 2½]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/03/28/taxachussetts-misnomer-least-for-now/JwFnatLJTZ2eoGxDYzT82J/story.html|title='Taxachusetts' is a misnomer, at least for now|website=Boston Globe|first=Tom|last=Keane|date=March 28, 2014}}</ref>

As of January 1, 2020, Massachusetts has a flat-rate personal income tax of 5.00%,<ref>{{cite web |title=Taxes & Rates Income |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Revenue |access-date=October 16, 2021 |url=https://www.mass.gov/guides/personal-income-tax-for-residents}}</ref> after a 2002 voter referendum to eventually lower the rate to 5.0%<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Implements Reduction in Personal Income Tax Rates |publisher=[[The Tax Foundation]] |access-date=May 10, 2012 |url=http://taxfoundation.org/blog/show/27852.html |archive-date=January 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120200319/http://www.taxfoundation.org/blog/show/27852.html }}</ref> as amended by the legislature.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/12/31/income-tax-rate-fall-jan/0z4PxvHvtSxWOFja3EDZfO/story.html|title=Mass. tax rate takes slight dip|website=The Boston Globe}}</ref> There is a [[tax exemption]] for income below a threshold that varies from year to year. The corporate income tax rate is 8.8%,<ref name=MassTaxes1>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts |publisher=[[The Tax Foundation]] |access-date=April 27, 2015 |url=http://taxfoundation.org/state-tax-climate/massachusetts |archive-date=May 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505003342/http://taxfoundation.org/state-tax-climate/massachusetts }}</ref> and the short-term [[capital gains tax]] rate is 12%.<ref name=MassTax2>{{cite web |title=Tax Rates |date=November 9, 2006 |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Revenue |access-date=April 27, 2015 |url=http://www.mass.gov/dor/individuals/filing-and-payment-information/guide-to-personal-income-tax/tax-rates.html |archive-date=April 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422150419/http://www.mass.gov/dor/individuals/filing-and-payment-information/guide-to-personal-income-tax/tax-rates.html }}</ref> An unusual provision allows filers to voluntarily pay at the pre-referendum 5.85% income tax rate, which is done by between one and two thousand taxpayers per year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cltg.org/cltg/clt2005/05-04-15.htm#Globe1|title=CLT Update: Apr 15, 2005, "We didn't need or want a tax cut—but it's ours now!"|website=cltg.org}}</ref>

The state imposes a 6.25% [[sales tax]]<ref name=MassTaxes1/> on retail sales of tangible personal property—except for groceries, clothing (up to $175.00), and periodicals.<ref name=SalesTax1>{{cite web |title=Sales and Use Tax |location=MA, US |publisher=Massachusetts Department of Revenue |date = January 14, 2022 |url=http://www.mass.gov/dor/individuals/taxpayer-help-and-resources/tax-guides/salesuse-tax-guide.html}}</ref> The sales tax is charged on clothing that costs more than $175.00, for the amount exceeding $175.00.<ref name=SalesTax1/> Massachusetts also charges a [[use tax]] when goods are bought from other states and the vendor does not remit Massachusetts sales tax; taxpayers report and pay this on their income tax forms or dedicated forms, though there are "safe harbor" amounts that can be paid without tallying up actual purchases (except for purchases over $1,000).<ref name=SalesTax1 /> There is no [[inheritance tax]] and limited Massachusetts [[estate tax]] related to federal estate tax collection.<ref name=MassTax2/>

===Energy===

{{Further|Solar power in Massachusetts|Wind power in Massachusetts|:Category:Energy in Massachusetts}}

Massachusetts's [[electricity generation]] market was made competitive in 1998, enabling retail customers to change suppliers without changing utility companies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goodenergy.com/Energy-Procurement/massachusetts |title=Massachusetts Electricity deregulation |date=June 2, 2020 |publisher=Good Energy}}</ref> In 2018, Massachusetts consumed 1,459{{spaces}}trillion [[British Thermal Units|BTU]],<ref name=EIAmass>{{cite web |title=State Profile and Energy Estimates |url=http://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=MA |publisher=[[Energy Information Administration]] |access-date=July 29, 2020}}</ref> making it the seventh-lowest state in terms of consumption of energy per capita, and 31 percent of that energy came from [[natural gas]].<ref name=EIAmass/> In 2014 and 2015, Massachusetts was ranked as the most energy efficient state the United States<ref>{{cite web |title=State Scorecard Rank |url=http://database.aceee.org/state-scorecard-rank |publisher=[[American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy]] |access-date=June 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=2015 State Scorecard Rank—Massachusetts |url=http://aceee.org/sites/default/files/pdf/state-sheet/2015/massachusetts.pdf |publisher=[[American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy]] |access-date=June 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604091938/http://aceee.org/sites/default/files/pdf/state-sheet/2015/massachusetts.pdf |archive-date=June 4, 2016 }}</ref> while Boston is the most efficient city,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wood |first1=Elisa |title=Boston Takes Top Spot Again in City Energy Efficiency Scorecard |url=http://energyefficiencymarkets.com/whos-surprised-boston-takes-top-spot-again-in-city-energy-efficiency-scorecard/ |access-date=June 13, 2015 |publisher=Energy Efficiency Markets.com |date=May 26, 2015}}</ref> but it had the fourth-highest average residential retail electricity prices of any state.<ref name=EIAmass/> In 2018, renewable energy was about 7.2 percent of total energy consumed in the state, ranking 34th.<ref name=EIAmass/>

==Transportation==
{{Main|Massachusetts Department of Transportation|Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Category:Transportation in Massachusetts}}
{{see also|Plug-in electric vehicles in Massachusetts}}
[[File:MBTA services sampling excluding trolleybus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|The [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]] serves [[Greater Boston]].]]
For federal funding purposes, Massachusetts has 10 regional [[metropolitan planning organization]]s and three non-metropolitan planning organizations covering the remainder of the state;<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Regional Planning Agencies |url=http://www.apa-ma.org/resources/massachusetts-regional-planning-agencies |publisher=[[American Planning Association]] |access-date=April 30, 2015}}</ref> statewide planning is handled by the [[Massachusetts Department of Transportation]]. Transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector in Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite web |title=MassDEP Emissions Inventories |url=https://www.mass.gov/lists/massdep-emissions-inventories#greenhouse-gas-baseline,-inventory-&-projection- |publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts |access-date=February 11, 2019 }}</ref>

===Regional public transportation===

The [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]] (MBTA), also known as "The{{spaces}}T",<ref>{{cite web |title=MBTA Website |url=http://www.mbta.com/index.asp |publisher=[[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]] |access-date=May 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418012818/http://www.mbta.com/index.asp |archive-date=April 18, 2015 }}</ref> operates public transportation in the form of subway,<ref>{{cite web |title=Subway Map |publisher=[[Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority]] |access-date=May 22, 2010 |url=http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/}}</ref> bus,<ref>{{cite web |title=Bus Schedules & Maps |publisher=[[Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority]] |access-date=May 22, 2010 |url=http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/}}</ref> and ferry<ref>{{cite web |title=Boat Map and Schedules |publisher=[[Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority]] |access-date=May 22, 2010 |url=http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/boats/}}</ref> systems in the [[Greater Boston|Metro Boston]] area.

Fifteen other regional transit authorities provide public transportation in the form of bus services in the rest of the state.<ref>{{cite web |title=Your Transit Authorities |publisher=Massachusetts Association of Regional Transit Authorities |access-date=May 23, 2010 |url=http://www.matransit.com/}}</ref> Four [[heritage railway]]s are also in operation: 
* The [[Cape Cod Central Railroad]], operating from Hyannis to Buzzards Bay<ref>{{cite web |title=Cape Cod Central Railroad |publisher=[[Cape Cod Central Railroad]] |access-date=May 23, 2010 |url=http://www.capetrain.com/}}</ref>
* The [[Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum|Berkshire Scenic Railway]], operating from Lee to Great Barrington<ref>{{cite web |title=2010 Scenic Train Schedule |publisher=Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum |access-date=May 23, 2010 |url=http://berkshirescenicrailroad.org/schedules.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828170559/http://www.berkshirescenicrailroad.org/schedules.php |archive-date=August 28, 2009 }}</ref>
* [[Edaville Railroad]] in Carver<ref>{{cite web |title=Edaville – The New England Classic Family Theme Park |url=https://edaville.com/ |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>
* The [[National Streetcar Museum|Lowell National Historical Park Trolley Line]] in Lowell<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. Streetcar Systems- Massachusetts – Lowell |url=https://www.railwaypreservation.com/vintagetrolley/lowell.htm |website=railwaypreservation.com |access-date=December 4, 2022 |date=November 25, 2022}}</ref>

===Long-distance rail and bus===

[[Amtrak]] operates several [[inter-city rail]] lines in Massachusetts. Boston's [[South Station]] serves as the terminus for three lines, namely the high-speed ''[[Acela Express]]'', which links to cities such as [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]], [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], [[New York City]], and eventually Washington DC; the ''[[Northeast Regional]]'', which follows the same route but includes many more stops, and also continues further south to [[Newport News, Virginia|Newport News]] in Virginia; and the ''[[Lake Shore Limited]]'', which runs westward to [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]], [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], and eventually [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]].<ref name = "amtrak">{{cite web|url=https://www.amtrak.com/northeast-train-routes|title=Northeast Train Routes|website=Amtrak|access-date=June 12, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |website=Routes |title=Acela Express |publisher=[[Amtrak]] |access-date=May 22, 2010 |url=http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer/AM_Route_C/1241245664867/1237405732511 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523233021/http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer/AM_Route_C/1241245664867/1237405732511 |archive-date=May 23, 2010 }}</ref> Boston's other major station, [[North Station]], serves as the southern terminus for Amtrak's ''[[Downeaster (train)|Downeaster]]'', which connects to [[Portland, Maine|Portland]] and [[Brunswick, Maine|Brunswick]] in Maine.<ref name = "amtrak"/>

Outside of Boston, Amtrak connects several cities across Massachusetts, along the aforementioned ''Acela'', ''Northeast Regional'', ''Lake Shore Limited'', and ''Downeaster'' lines, as well as other routes in central and western Massachusetts. The [[Amtrak Hartford Line|Amtrak ''Hartford Line'']] connects [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]] to [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], operated in conjunction with the [[Connecticut Department of Transportation]], and the ''[[Valley Flyer]]'' runs a similar route but continues further north to [[Greenfield, Massachusetts|Greenfield]]. Several stations in western Massachusetts are also served by the ''[[Vermonter (train)|Vermonter]]'', which connects [[St. Albans station (Vermont)|St. Albans, Vermont]] to Washington DC.<ref name = "amtrak"/>

Amtrak carries more passengers between Boston and New York than all airlines combined (about 54% of market share in 2012),<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/16/business/hassles-of-air-travel-push-passengers-to-amtrak.html|title=Air Travel's Hassles Drive Riders to Amtrak's Acela|first=Ron|last=Nixon|newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 15, 2012}}</ref> but service between other cities is less frequent. There, more frequent intercity service is provided by private bus carriers, including [[Peter Pan Bus Lines]] (headquartered in Springfield), [[Greyhound Lines]], [[OurBus]], [[BoltBus]] and [[Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway]]. Various [[Chinatown bus lines]] depart for New York from South Station in Boston.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chinatown Bus: Fung Wah Bus, Boston New York Bus |url=https://boston-tourism-made-easy.com/chinatown-bus/ |website=BOSTON TOURISM MADE EASY |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

[[MBTA Commuter Rail]] services run throughout the larger Greater Boston area, including service to [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]], [[Fitchburg, Massachusetts|Fitchburg]], [[Haverhill, Massachusetts|Haverhill]], [[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]], [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]], and [[Kingston, Massachusetts|Kingston]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Commuter Rail Maps and Schedules |publisher=[[Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority]] |access-date=May 5, 2015 |url=http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/}}</ref> This overlaps with the service areas of neighboring regional transportation authorities. As of the summer of 2013 the [[Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority]] in collaboration with the MBTA and the [[Massachusetts Department of Transportation]] (MassDOT) is operating the [[CapeFLYER]] providing passenger rail service between Boston and Cape Cod.<ref>{{cite web |title=CapeFlyer |access-date=July 29, 2013 |url=http://capeflyer.com/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=T announces summer Cape Cod train service |publisher=[[WCVB-TV]] |access-date=July 29, 2013 |url=http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/boston-south/T-announces-summer-Cape-Cod-train-service/-/9848842/19557134/-/f7pi02/-/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103130254/http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/boston-south/T-announces-summer-Cape-Cod-train-service/-/9848842/19557134/-/f7pi02/-/index.html |archive-date=November 3, 2013 }}</ref>

===Ferry===

Most ports north of Cape Cod are served by Boston Harbor Cruises, which operates [[MBTA Boat|ferry services]] in and around [[Greater Boston]] under contract with the [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]]. Several routes connect the downtown area with [[Hingham, Massachusetts|Hingham]], [[Hull, Massachusetts|Hull]], [[Winthrop, Massachusetts|Winthrop]], [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]], [[Logan Airport]], [[Charlestown, Massachusetts|Charlestown]], and some of the islands located within the harbor. The same company also operates seasonal service between [[Boston]] and [[Provincetown]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mbta.com/schedules/ferry|title=Ferry Schedules and Maps|website=Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|access-date=June 20, 2020}}</ref>

On the southern shore of the state, several different passenger ferry lines connect [[Martha's Vineyard]] to ports along the mainland, including [[Woods Hole, Massachusetts|Woods Hole]], [[Hyannis, Massachusetts|Hyannis]], [[New Bedford, Massachusetts|New Bedford]], and [[Falmouth, Massachusetts|Falmouth]], all in Massachusetts, as well as [[North Kingstown, Rhode Island|North Kingstown]] in Rhode Island, [[Highlands, New Jersey|Highlands]] in New Jersey, and [[New York City]] in New York.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vineyardferries.com/|title=2020 Martha's Vineyard Ferry Schedules|website=Martha's Vineyard Ferries|access-date=July 23, 2020}}</ref> Similarly, several different lines connect [[Nantucket]] to ports including Hyannis, New Bedford, [[Harwich, Massachusetts|Harwich]], and New York City.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nantucketferries.com/|title=2020 Nantucket Ferry Schedules|website=Nantucket Ferries|access-date=July 23, 2020}}</ref> Service between the two islands is also offered. The dominant companies serving these routes include [[SeaStreak]], [[Hy-Line Cruises]], and [[The Steamship Authority]], the latter of which regulates all passenger services in the region and is also the only company permitted to offer freight ferry services to the islands.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.steamshipauthority.com/ssa/about.cfm |title=Background |publisher=[[The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority]] |access-date=May 24, 2010}}</ref>

Other ferry connections in the state include a water taxi connecting various points in [[Fall River, Massachusetts|Fall River]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://turnto10.com/news/local/fall-river-water-taxi-begins-service-at-citys-waterfront-taunton-river-marina-water-business-memorial-day-arpa-project-boats-pilot-program-may-27-2024|title=Fall River water taxi begins service at city's waterfront|website=NBC|author=Allegra Zamore|date=May 27, 2024|access-date=June 4, 2024}}</ref> seasonal ferry service connecting [[Plymouth, Massachusetts|Plymouth]] to Provincetown,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.captjohn.com/fast-ferry-ptown/|title=Fast Ferry to Provincetown|website=Captain John Boats|access-date=June 20, 2020}}</ref> and a service between New Bedford and [[Cuttyhunk]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cuttyhunkferryco.com/|title=New Bedford to Cuttyhunk Ferry Service|website=Cuttyhunk Ferry Co.|access-date=July 23, 2020}}</ref>

===Rail freight===

{{See also|List of Massachusetts railroads}}

As of 2018, a number of [[Rail freight transport|freight railroads]] were operating in Massachusetts, with Class I railroad [[CSX Transportation|CSX]] being the largest carrier, and another Class 1, [[Norfolk Southern]] serving the state via its [[Pan Am Southern]] joint partnership. Several regional and short line railroads also provide service and connect with other railroads.<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Passenger and Freight Rail |url=http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/planning/Main/MapsDataandReports/Maps/PassengerandFreightRail.aspx |publisher=[[Massachusetts Department of Transportation]] |access-date=May 2, 2015 |archive-date=April 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150420041125/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/planning/Main/MapsDataandReports/Maps/PassengerandFreightRail.aspx }}</ref> Massachusetts has a total of {{convert|1,110|mi|km}} of freight trackage in operation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mass.gov/doc/final-state-rail-plan-spring-2018/download|title=Massachusetts State Rail Plan, May 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts State Fact Sheet: Rail Fast Facts For 2017 |url=https://www.aar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/AAR-Massachusetts-State-Fact-Sheet.pdf |publisher=Association of American Railroads |access-date=February 12, 2019 |archive-date=February 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190213183458/https://www.aar.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/AAR-Massachusetts-State-Fact-Sheet.pdf }}</ref>

===Air service===
{{Further|List of airports in Massachusetts}}
[[File:Logan_Airport_aerial_view.jpg|thumb|[[Logan International Airport]] in Boston is the largest passenger volume airport in New England.]]
[[Logan International Airport|Boston Logan International Airport]] served 33.5{{spaces}}million passengers in 2015 (up from 31.6{{spaces}}million in 2014)<ref name=LoganTraffic/> through 103 [[Gate (airport)|gate]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Logan |url=https://www.massport.com/logan-airport/about-logan/ |publisher=[[Massachusetts Port Authority]] |access-date=May 2, 2015}}</ref><ref name=massport>{{cite web |title=About Massport |url=https://www.massport.com/about-massport/about-massport/ |publisher=[[Massachusetts Port Authority]] |access-date=May 2, 2015 |archive-date=July 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707205904/http://www.massport.com/about-massport/about-massport/ }}</ref> Logan, [[Hanscom Field]] in [[Bedford, Massachusetts|Bedford]], and [[Worcester Regional Airport]] are operated by [[Massport]], an independent state transportation agency.<ref name=massport/> Massachusetts has 39 public-use airfields<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mass.gov/public-use-airports/locations|title=Public Use Airports Locations &#124; Mass.gov|website=mass.gov}}</ref> and more than 200 private landing spots.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mass Aeronautics |url=http://www.massaeronautics.org/default.asp?pgid=AeroAbout&sid=level2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505120625/http://www.massaeronautics.org/default.asp?pgid=AeroAbout&sid=level2 |archive-date=May 5, 2008 }}</ref> Some airports receive funding from the Aeronautics Division of the [[Massachusetts Department of Transportation]] and the [[Federal Aviation Administration]]; the FAA is also the primary regulator of Massachusetts air travel.<ref>{{cite web |title=About FAA |url=https://www.faa.gov/about/ |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration |access-date=May 2, 2015}}</ref>

===Roads===

[[File:National-atlas-massachusetts.png|thumb|upright=1.05|Prominent roads and cities in Massachusetts]]

There are a total of {{convert|36,800|mi|km}} of [[Interstate highway|interstates]] and other highways in Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2019/03/27/2018-ri-ye-final.pdf |title=2018 Massachusetts Road Inventory Year End Report |publisher=[[Massachusetts Department of Transportation]] |access-date=October 6, 2019 |archive-date=December 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212162823/https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2019/03/27/2018-ri-ye-final.pdf }}</ref> [[Massachusetts Turnpike|Interstate{{spaces}}90]] (I-90, also known as the Massachusetts Turnpike), is the longest interstate in Massachusetts. The route travels {{convert|136|mi|km|abbr=on}} generally west to east, entering Massachusetts at the New York state line in the town of [[West Stockbridge, Massachusetts|West Stockbridge]], and passes just north of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], just south of [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]] and through [[Framingham, Massachusetts|Framingham]] before terminating near Logan International Airport in Boston.<ref>{{cite web |title=Interstate 90 |url=http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-090.html |website=interstate-guide.com |publisher=AARoads |access-date=June 10, 2015 |archive-date=January 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080125162913/http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-090.html }}</ref> Other major interstates include [[Interstate 91 in Massachusetts|I-91]], which travels generally north and south along the [[Connecticut River]]; [[Interstate 93 in Massachusetts|I-93]], which travels north and south through central Boston, then passes through [[Methuen, Massachusetts|Methuen]] before entering New Hampshire; and [[Interstate 95 in Massachusetts|I-95]], which connects [[Providence, Rhode Island]] with Greater Boston, forming a partial [[beltway|loop]] [[Concurrency (road)|concurrent]] with [[Massachusetts Route 128|Route{{spaces}}128]] around the more urbanized areas before continuing north along the coast into New Hampshire.<ref>{{cite news |first1 = David |last1 = Montgomery |first2 = Josh |last2 = White |newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] |title = 128 Cars, Trucks Crash in Snow on I-95 |date = February 23, 2001 |page = A1 }}</ref>

[[Interstate 495 (Massachusetts)|I-495]] forms a wide loop around the outer edge of Greater Boston. Other major interstates in Massachusetts include [[Interstate 291 (Massachusetts)|I-291]], [[Interstate 391 (Massachusetts)|I-391]], [[Interstate 84 in Massachusetts|I-84]], [[Interstate 195 in Massachusetts|I-195]], [[Interstate 395 in Massachusetts|I-395]], [[Interstate 290 (Massachusetts)|I-290]], and [[Interstate 190 (Massachusetts)|I-190]]. Major non-interstate highways in Massachusetts include [[United States Numbered Highways|U.S. Routes]] [[U.S. Route 1 in Massachusetts|1]], [[U.S. Route 3 in Massachusetts|3]], [[U.S. Route 6 in Massachusetts|6]], and [[U.S. Route 20 in Massachusetts|20]], and state routes [[Massachusetts Route 2|2]], [[Massachusetts Route 3|3]], 9, [[Massachusetts Route 24|24]], and 128. A great majority of interstates in Massachusetts were constructed during the mid-20th century, and at times were controversial, particularly the intent [[Southwest Corridor (Massachusetts)|to route I-95 northeastwards from Providence, Rhode Island, directly through central Boston]], first proposed in 1948. Opposition to continued construction grew, and in 1970 Governor [[Francis W. Sargent]] issued a general prohibition on most further freeway construction within the I-95/Route 128 loop in the Boston area.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|pp=283–284}} A massive undertaking to bring I-93 underground in downtown Boston, called the [[Big Dig]], brought the city's highway system under public scrutiny for its high cost and construction quality.<ref name=BigDig1/>

==Government and politics==
[[File:Boston_-Massachusetts_State_House_(48718911666).jpg|thumb|The [[Massachusetts State House]] is topped with a golden dome, and faces [[Boston Common]] on [[Beacon Hill, Boston|Beacon Hill]].]]
Massachusetts has a long political history; earlier political structures included the [[Mayflower Compact]] of 1620, the separate [[Massachusetts Bay Colony|Massachusetts Bay]] and [[Plymouth Colony|Plymouth]] colonies, and the combined colonial [[Province of Massachusetts]]. The [[Massachusetts Constitution]] was ratified in 1780 while the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] was in progress, four years after the [[Articles of Confederation]] was drafted, and eight years before the present [[United States Constitution]] was ratified on June 21, 1788. Drafted by [[John Adams]], the Massachusetts Constitution is the oldest functioning written constitution in continuous effect in the world.<ref>{{cite book |last=Levy |first=Leonard |title=Seasoned Judgments: The American Constitution, Rights, and History |year=1995 |page=307 |publisher=Transaction Publishers |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-7lKq0dfs54C&pg=PA307 |access-date=June 10, 2015|isbn=978-1-4128-3382-0 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Kemp |first=Roger |title=Documents of American Democracy |year=2010 |page=59 |publisher=McFarland |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JHawgM-WnlUC&pg=PA59|isbn=978-0-7864-5674-1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Murrin |first=John |title=Liberty, Power, and Equality: A History |year=2011 |publisher=Cengage Learning |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CADtJymgzk4C&pg=PT222|isbn=978-0-495-91587-4 }}</ref> It has been amended 121 times, most recently in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Constitution |url=https://malegislature.gov/Laws/Constitution |website=malegislature.gov |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

Massachusetts politics since the second half of the 20th century have generally been dominated by the [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic Party]], and the state has a reputation for being the most [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]] state in the country.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hickey |first1=Walter |title=The Most Liberal States In America |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/most-liberal-states-2013-2#2-massachusetts--305-percent-liberal-9 |website=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=May 4, 2015}}</ref> In 1974, [[Elaine Noble]] became [[List of the first LGBT holders of political offices|the first]] openly lesbian or gay candidate elected to a state legislature in US history.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gianoulis |first=Tina |title=Noble, Elaine |publisher=glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture |date=October 13, 2005 |url=http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/noble_e.html |access-date=September 24, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030032157/http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/noble_e.html |archive-date=October 30, 2007 }}</ref> The state's [[Massachusetts's 12th congressional district|12th congressional district]] elected the first openly gay member of the [[United States House of Representatives]], [[Gerry Studds]], in 1972<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cave |first1=Damien |title=Gerry Studds Dies at 69; First Openly Gay Congressman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/15/us/15studds.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 15, 2006 |access-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref> and in 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to allow [[same-sex marriage]].<ref name=CNNmarriage/> In 2006, Massachusetts became the first state to approve a law that provided for nearly universal healthcare.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/us/04cnd-mass.html|title=Massachusetts Set to Offer Universal Health Insurance|last=Belluck|first=Pam|date=April 4, 2006|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 28, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="Mandatory"/> Massachusetts has a pro-[[sanctuary city]] law.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/09/politics/sanctuary-city-bans-states/index.html|title=Florida is about to ban sanctuary cities. At least 11 other states have, too|first=Catherine E. |last=Shoichet|publisher=CNN|date=May 9, 2019}}</ref> As of 2024, Massachusetts has a Democratic Governor, two Democratic Senators, and all nine Congressional Representatives are Democrats. Massachusetts is a blue state; [[Ronald Reagan]] was the last Republican to win the state in [[1984 United States presidential election|1984]].

In a 2020 study, Massachusetts was ranked as the 11th easiest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=J. Pomante II |first1=Michael |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=December 15, 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Government===

{{Main|Government of Massachusetts}}
{{See also|Commonwealth (U.S. state)}}
[[File:Maura Healey, official portrait, governor.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|[[Maura Healey]] ([[Democratic Party (Massachusetts)|D]]) is the 73rd [[Governor of Massachusetts]].]]
The [[Massachusetts government|Government of Massachusetts]] is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The [[governor of Massachusetts]] heads the executive branch, while legislative authority vests in a separate but coequal legislature. Meanwhile, judicial power is constitutionally guaranteed to the independent judicial branch.<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Government Structure |url=https://budget.digital.mass.gov/bb/h1/fy10h1/prnt10/exec10/pbuddevstructure.htm |website=budget.digital.mass.gov |access-date=December 3, 2022}}</ref>

====Executive branch====
As chief executive, the governor is responsible for signing or vetoing legislation, filling judicial and agency appointments, granting pardons, preparing an annual budget, and commanding the [[Massachusetts National Guard]].<ref name=MassPol1>{{cite web |url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cismaf/mf1b.htm |title=Massachusetts Facts: Politics |publisher=[[Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth]] |access-date=June 1, 2010}}</ref> Massachusetts governors, unlike those of most other states, are addressed as His/Her Excellency.<ref name=MassPol1/> The governor is [[Maura Healey]] and the incumbent lieutenant governor is [[Kim Driscoll]]. The governor conducts the affairs of state alongside a separate [[Massachusetts Governor's Council|Governor's Council]] made up of the [[Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts|lieutenant governor]] and eight separately elected councilors.<ref name=MassPol1/> The council is charged by the state constitution with reviewing and confirming gubernatorial appointments and pardons, approving disbursements out of the state treasury, and certifying elections, among other duties.<ref name=MassPol1 />

Aside from the governor and Governor's Council, the executive branch also includes four independently elected constitutional officers: a [[Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth|secretary of the commonwealth]], an [[Massachusetts Attorney General|attorney general]], a [[Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts|state treasurer]], and a [[Massachusetts State Auditor|state auditor]]. The commonwealth's incumbent constitutional officers are respectively [[William F. Galvin]], [[Andrea Campbell]], [[Deb Goldberg]] and [[Diana DiZoglio]], all [[Massachusetts Democratic Party|Democrats]]. In accordance with state statute, the secretary of the commonwealth administers elections, regulates lobbyists and the securities industry, registers corporations, serves as register of deeds for the entire state, and preserves public records as keeper of the [[Seal of Massachusetts|state seal]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sec.state.ma.us/|title=Main Menu|publisher=Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth|access-date=May 14, 2022}}</ref> Meanwhile, the attorney general provides legal services to state agencies, combats fraud and corruption, investigates and prosecutes crimes, and enforces consumer protection, environment, labor, and civil rights laws as Massachusetts chief lawyer and law enforcement officer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-attorney-general-maura-healey|title=Office of the Attorney General|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts|access-date=May 14, 2022}}</ref> At the same time, the state treasurer manages the state's cash flow, debt, and investments as chief financial officer, whereas the state auditor conducts audits, investigations, and studies as chief audit executive in order to promote government accountability and transparency and improve state agency financial management, legal compliance, and performance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.masstreasury.org/departments|title=Departments|publisher=Office of the Treasurer and Receiver-General|access-date=May 14, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-the-state-auditor|title=Office of the State Auditor|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts|access-date=May 14, 2022}}</ref>

====Legislative branch====
The [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]] and [[Massachusetts Senate]] comprise the legislature of Massachusetts, known as the [[Massachusetts General Court]].<ref name=MassPol1/> The House consists of 160 members while the Senate has 40 members.<ref name=MassPol1 /> Leaders of the House and Senate are chosen by the members of those bodies; the leader of the House is known as the Speaker while the leader of the Senate is known as the President.<ref name=MassPol1/> Each branch consists of several committees.<ref name=MassPol1/> Members of both bodies are elected to two-year terms.<ref>{{cite web |title=Number of Legislators and Length of Terms in Years |url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/number-of-legislators-and-length-of-terms.aspx |publisher=[[National Conference of State Legislatures]] |access-date=May 4, 2015 |archive-date=April 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429001300/http://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/number-of-legislators-and-length-of-terms.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Judicial branch====
The [[Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court]] (a chief justice and six associates) are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Governor's Council, as are all other judges in the state.<ref name=MassPol1 />

Federal court cases are heard in the [[United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts]], and appeals are heard by the [[United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit]].<ref>{{cite web |location=US |url=http://www.uscourts.gov/file/document/us-federal-courts-circuit-map |title=Geographic Boundaries of United States Courts of Appeals and United States District Courts |publisher=United States Courts |format=PDF |access-date=May 12, 2015}}</ref>

====Federal representation====

The Congressional delegation from Massachusetts is entirely [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm |title=Members of the 111th Congress |publisher=[[United States Senate]] |access-date=October 18, 2009}}</ref> The [[United States Senate|Senators]] are [[Elizabeth Warren]] and [[Ed Markey]] while the [[United States House of Representatives|Representatives]] are [[Richard Neal]] ([[Massachusetts's 1st congressional district|1st]]), [[Jim McGovern (congressman)|Jim McGovern]] ([[Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district|2nd]]), [[Lori Trahan]] ([[Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district|3rd]]), [[Jake Auchincloss]] ([[Massachusetts's 4th congressional district|4th]]), [[Katherine Clark]] ([[Massachusetts's 5th congressional district|5th]]), [[Seth Moulton]] ([[Massachusetts's 6th congressional district|6th]]), [[Ayanna Pressley]] ([[Massachusetts's 7th congressional district|7th]]), [[Stephen Lynch (politician)|Stephen Lynch]] ([[Massachusetts's 8th congressional district|8th]]), and [[Bill Keating (politician)|Bill Keating]] ([[Massachusetts's 9th congressional district|9th]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Directory of Representatives |url=http://www.house.gov/representatives/#state_ma |publisher=[[United States House of Representatives]] |access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref>

In U.S. presidential elections since 2012, Massachusetts has been allotted 11 votes in the [[United States Electoral College|electoral college]], out of a total of 538.<ref>{{cite web |series=Electoral College |title=Distribution of 2004 and 2008 Electoral Votes |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |location=US |access-date=June 2, 2010 |url=http://archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2008/allocation.html}}</ref> Like most states, Massachusetts's electoral votes are granted in a winner-take-all system.<ref>{{cite web |location=US |series=Electoral College |title=Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |access-date=June 2, 2010 |url=https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html}}</ref>

===Politics===
{{Main|Politics of Massachusetts|Political party strength in Massachusetts}}
{{See also|United States presidential elections in Massachusetts}}
[[File:Joe Kennedy III, Elizabeth Warren, Barney Frank.jpg|thumb|Representative [[Joe Kennedy&nbsp;III]], Senator [[Elizabeth Warren]], and former representative [[Barney Frank]] attended the Boston Pride Parade in 2012.|alt=Two older men and an older woman stand in a crowd with signs reading "Joe Kennedy for Congress".]]
Once a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]-leaning state, for more than 70 years Massachusetts has been [[red states and blue states|largely dominated]] by [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]]; the [[United States Senate election in Massachusetts, 1952|1952 victory]] of [[John F. Kennedy]] over incumbent Senator [[Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.]] is seen as a watershed moment in this transformation. His younger brother [[Ted Kennedy|Edward M. Kennedy]] held that seat until his death from a brain tumor in 2009.{{sfn|Brown|Tager|2000|p=310}} Since the 1950s, Massachusetts has gained a reputation as being a politically liberal state and is often used as an archetype of [[modern liberalism in the United States|modern liberalism]], hence the phrase "[[Massachusetts liberal]]".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-07-25-mass-liberal_x.htm |title=Does 'Massachusetts liberal' label still matter? |first1=Susan |last1=Page |first2=Jill |last2=Lawrence |work=[[USA Today]] |date=July 11, 2004 |access-date=October 17, 2009}}</ref>

Massachusetts is one of the most Democratic states in the country. The Democratic Party predominates throughout, except for a handful of Republican-leaning towns in the central and southern parts of the state. Republicans once dominated in the northern and western suburbs of Boston; however, both areas heavily swung Democratic in the era of [[Donald Trump]]. The state as a whole has not given its [[Electoral College (United States)|Electoral College]] votes to a Republican in a [[United States presidential election|presidential election]] since [[Ronald Reagan]] carried it in [[1984 United States presidential election|1984]], and not a single county has voted for a Republican presidential candidate since [[1988 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1988]]. While supporting Reagan twice, Massachusetts provided his smallest margins of victory in both the [[1980 United States presidential election|1980]]<ref>{{cite web |title=1980 Presidential General Election Results—Massachusetts |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?f=0&fips=25&year=1980 |publisher=[[Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections]] |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> and 1984 elections.<ref>{{cite web |title=1984 Presidential General Election Results—Massachusetts |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?f=0&fips=25&year=1984 |publisher=[[Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections]] |access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref> Massachusetts had been the only state to vote for Democrat [[George McGovern]] in the [[1972 United States Presidential Election|1972 presidential election]]. In [[2020 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|2020, Biden received 65.6% of the vote]], the best performance in over 50 years for a Democrat.<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Presidential Election Voting History - 270toWin |url=https://www.270towin.com/states/Massachusetts |website=270toWin.com |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

Democrats have an absolute grip on the Massachusetts congressional delegation; there are no Republicans elected to serve at the federal level. Both Senators and all nine Representatives are Democrats; only one Republican (former Senator [[Scott Brown (politician)|Scott Brown]]) has been elected to either house of Congress from Massachusetts since 1994. Massachusetts is the most populous state to be represented in the [[United States Congress]] entirely by a single party.<ref>{{cite web |last1=master |first1=Por |title=Capital of massachusetts – |url=https://sinproeste.org.br/capital-of-massachusetts/ |website=Sinproeste |date=October 12, 2022 |access-date=December 4, 2022 |language=pt-BR}}</ref>

After the 2018 elections, the Democratic Party held a super-majority over the Republican Party in [[Bicameralism|both chambers]] of the [[Massachusetts General Court]] (state legislature). Out of the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives|state house]]'s 160 seats, Democrats hold 127 seats (79%) compared to the Republican Party's 32 seats (20%), an [[Susannah Whipps|independent sits in the remaining one]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Members of the House of Representatives |url=https://malegislature.gov/People/House |publisher=[[Massachusetts House of Representatives]] |access-date=January 18, 2019}}</ref> and 37 out of the 40 seats in the [[Massachusetts state senate|state senate]] (92.5%) belong to the Democratic Party compared to the Republican Party's three seats (7.5%).<ref>{{cite web |title=Members of the Senate |url=https://malegislature.gov/People/Senate |publisher=[[Massachusetts Senate]] |access-date=January 18, 2019}}</ref> Both houses of the legislature have had Democratic majorities since the 1950s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hudak |first1=John |title=Presidential pork: White House influence over the distribution of federal grants |date=2014 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Brookings Institution Press |isbn=978-0-8157-2520-6 |page=202 |url=https://www.brookings.edu/book/presidential-pork/ |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable floatright"
! colspan = 6 | Party registration as of February 2025:<ref>{{cite web |title=Registration Statistics|publisher=[[Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth]] |access-date=May 17, 2024 |url=https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/research-and-statistics/registration-statistics.htm}}</ref>
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party
! Total voters
! Percentage
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent politician}}
| [[Independent voter|Unenrolled]]
| align=center | 3,254,435 
| align=center | 64.75%
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (US)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| align=center | 1,298,603
| align=center | 25.83%
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (US)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| align=center | 423,387
| align=center | 8.42%
|-
| {{party color cell|Other parties (US)}}
|[[List of political parties in the United States|Other]]
| align=center | 49,401 
| align=center | 0.98%
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! align=center | 5,025,826
! align=center | 100.00%
|}
Despite the state's general Democratic lean, Massachusetts has frequently elected Republicans as [[governor of Massachusetts|Governor]]: only two Democrats ([[Deval Patrick]] and [[Maura Healey]]) have won the governorship since 1991, and among gubernatorial election results from 2002 to 2022, Republican nominees garnered 48.4% of the vote compared to 45.7% for Democratic nominees.<ref name="Leip, David">{{cite web|author=Leip, David|title=General Election Results—Massachusetts|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|access-date=November 18, 2016|publisher=[[Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections]]}}</ref> These have been considered to be among the most moderate Republican leaders in the nation;<ref>{{cite news |last=Gordon |first=Meryl |title=Weld at Heart |url=http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/politics/national/features/5574/ |newspaper=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=January 14, 2002 |access-date=May 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Vennochi |first=Joan |title=Romney's liberal shadow |url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/06/17/romneys_liberal_shadow/ |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=June 17, 2007 |access-date=May 23, 2010}}</ref> they have received higher net favorability ratings from the state's Democrats than Republicans.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mass. GOP Voters Like Trump More Than Their Republican Governors|url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/03/02/charlie-baker-trump-republicans-poll|access-date=December 5, 2020|website=wbur.org|date=March 2, 2020 }}</ref>

A number of contemporary national political issues have been influenced by events in Massachusetts, such as the decision in 2003 by the state Supreme Judicial Court [[Same-sex marriage in Massachusetts|allowing same-sex marriage]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Same-sex couples ready to make history in Massachusetts |publisher=CNN |date=May 17, 2004 |access-date=July 31, 2013 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/05/17/mass.gay.marriage/}}</ref> and [[Massachusetts 2006 Health Reform Statute|a 2006 bill]] which mandated health insurance for all Massachusetts residents.<ref name="Mandatory">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11689698 |title=Massachusetts Makes Health Insurance Mandatory |first1=Michel |last1=Martin |first2=Judy Ann |last2=Bigby |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=July 3, 2007 |access-date=October 18, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100122024733/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11689698 |archive-date= January 22, 2010 }}</ref> In 2008, Massachusetts voters passed [[Massachusetts Sensible Marijuana Policy Initiative|an initiative]] decriminalizing possession of small amounts of [[marijuana]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/2008%20Return%20of%20Votes%20Complete.pdf |title=2008 Return of Votes Complete |publisher=[[United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts, 2008]] |date=December 17, 2008 |access-date=October 18, 2009 |archive-date=February 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208174407/http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/2008%20Return%20of%20Votes%20Complete.pdf }}</ref> Voters in Massachusetts also approved a ballot measure in 2012 that legalized the medical use of marijuana.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/11/06/massachusetts-voters-approve-ballot-measure-legalize-medical-marijuana/EpDzgJGfBjnOAkoXpJwm1K/story.html |title=Massachusetts voters approve ballot measure to legalize medical marijuana |website=Boston Globe |access-date=April 13, 2013 |archive-date=April 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412115401/http://archive.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/11/06/massachusetts-voters-approve-ballot-measure-legalize-medical-marijuana/EpDzgJGfBjnOAkoXpJwm1K/story.html }}</ref> Following the approval of a ballot question endorsing legalization in 2016, Massachusetts began issuing licenses for the regulated sale of recreational marijuana in June 2018. The licensed sale of recreational marijuana became legal on July 1, 2018; however, the lack of state-approved testing facilities prevented the sale of any product for several weeks.<ref>{{cite news | title=Massachusetts issues first marijuana license |publisher=CommonWealth |date=June 21, 2018 |access-date=August 30, 2018 |url=https://commonwealthmagazine.org/marijuana/massachusetts-issues-first-marijuana-license/}}</ref> However, in 2020, a ballot initiative to implement [[2020 Massachusetts Question 2|Ranked-Choice Voting]] failed, despite being championed by many [[Progressivism in the United States|progressives]].<ref>{{cite web |first1=Simón |last1=Rios |title=Voters Say 'No' To Ranked-Choice Voting In Mass. |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/11/04/question-two-ranked-choice-voting-massachusetts-no |publisher=[[WBUR]] |access-date=December 27, 2020 |date=November 4, 2020}}</ref>

Massachusetts is one of the most [[Abortion-rights movements|pro-choice]] states in the Union. A 2014 [[Pew Research Center]] poll found that 74% of Massachusetts residents supported the right to an [[abortion]] in all/most cases, making Massachusetts the most pro-choice state in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics|url=https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/compare/views-about-abortion/by/state/|access-date=April 17, 2021|website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project}}</ref>

In 2020, the state legislature overrode Governor [[Charlie Baker]]'s veto of the ROE Act, a controversial law that codified existing abortion laws in case the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] overturned [[Roe v. Wade]], dropped the age of parental consent for those seeking an abortion from 18 to 16, and legalized abortion after 24 weeks, if a fetus had fatal anomalies, or "to preserve the patient's physical or mental health."<ref>{{Cite news|title=Massachusetts Senate Overrides Veto, Passes Law Expanding Abortion Access|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/12/29/951259506/massachusetts-senate-overrides-veto-passes-law-expanding-abortion-access|access-date=January 11, 2021|website=NPR|date=December 29, 2020|last1=Romo|first1=Vanessa}}</ref>

The 2023 ''American Values Atlas'' by ''[[Public Religion Research Institute]]'' found that [[Same-sex marriage in the United States|same-sex marriage]] is supported near-universally by Massachusettsans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |date=February 24, 2023 |title=American Values Atlas: Approval of Same-Sex Marriage in Massachusetts |url=https://ava.prri.org/#lgbt/2022/States/lgbt_ssm/m/US-MA |access-date=April 12, 2023 |website=[[Public Religion Research Institute]]}}</ref>

==Cities, towns, and counties==

{{Main|Government of Massachusetts#County_government|Government of Massachusetts#Municipal_government|l1 = Government of Massachusetts § County Government|l2 = Government of Massachusetts § Municipal Government}}

As of 2023,<ref name="MMA">{{cite web |url=https://www.mma.org/local-government-101/ |title=Local Government 101 |author=John Ouellette |publisher=Massachusetts Municipal Association |date=September 19, 2023}}</ref> there are [[List of municipalities in Massachusetts|292 towns and 59 cities]] in Massachusetts. Over time, many towns have voted to become cities; 14 municipalities still refer to themselves as "towns" even though they have a city form of government.<ref name="MMA" />

There are [[List of municipalities in Massachusetts|50 cities and 301 towns]] in Massachusetts, grouped into [[List of Massachusetts counties|14 counties]].<ref name=MassCities1>{{cite web |url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cisctlist/ctlistidx.htm |title=Information and Historical Data on Cities, Towns, and Counties in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts |publisher=[[Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth]] |access-date=June 8, 2010}}</ref> The fourteen counties, moving roughly from west to east, are [[Berkshire County, Massachusetts|Berkshire]], [[Franklin County, Massachusetts|Franklin]], [[Hampshire County, Massachusetts|Hampshire]], [[Hampden County, Massachusetts|Hampden]], [[Worcester County, Massachusetts|Worcester]], [[Middlesex County, Massachusetts|Middlesex]], [[Essex County, Massachusetts|Essex]], [[Suffolk County, Massachusetts|Suffolk]], [[Norfolk County, Massachusetts|Norfolk]], [[Bristol County, Massachusetts|Bristol]], [[Plymouth County, Massachusetts|Plymouth]], [[Barnstable County, Massachusetts|Barnstable]], [[Dukes County, Massachusetts|Dukes]], and [[Nantucket County, Massachusetts|Nantucket]]. Eleven communities which call themselves "towns" are, by law, cities since they have traded the [[town meeting]] form of government for a mayor-council or manager-council form.<ref>See [[Administrative divisions of Massachusetts#The city/town distinction]].</ref>

Boston is the state capital in Massachusetts. The population of the city proper is 692,600,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/bostoncitymassachusetts/PST045219|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515190433/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/bostoncitymassachusetts/PST045219|archive-date=May 15, 2020|title=Quick Facts: Boston, Massachusetts|date=July 1, 2019|website=U.S. Census Bureau|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=June 13, 2020}}</ref> and [[Greater Boston]], with a population of 4,873,019, is the 11th largest [[metropolitan area]] in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Thomas |first1=G. Scott |title=Boston's population stays flat, but still ranks as 11th-largest in U.S. (BBJ DataCenter) |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bbj_research_alert/2012/11/bostons-population-stays-flat-but.html?page=all |website=[[American City Business Journals]] |access-date=May 4, 2015}}</ref> Other cities with a population over 100,000 include [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]], [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]], [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]], [[Brockton, Massachusetts|Brockton]], [[Quincy, Massachusetts|Quincy]], [[New Bedford, Massachusetts|New Bedford]], and [[Lynn, Massachusetts|Lynn]]. [[Plymouth, Massachusetts|Plymouth]] is the largest municipality in the state by land area, followed by [[Middleborough, Massachusetts|Middleborough]].<ref name=MassCities1 />

Massachusetts, along with the five other [[New England]] states, features the local governmental structure known as [[New England town|the New England town]].{{sfn|Sokolow|1997|pp=293–6}} In this structure, incorporated towns—as opposed to townships or counties—hold many of the responsibilities and powers of local government.{{Sfn|Sokolow|1997|pp=293–6}} Most of the county governments were abolished by the state of Massachusetts beginning in 1997 including [[Middlesex County, Massachusetts|Middlesex County]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Facts Part One: Concise Facts |url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cismaf/mf1b.htm |publisher=[[Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth]] |access-date=May 4, 2015}}</ref> the largest county in the state by population.<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Population by County |url=http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/united-states/quick-facts/massachusetts/population#map |publisher=indexmundi.com |access-date=May 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Middlesex County, Massachusetts |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=May 4, 2015 }}</ref> The voters of these now-defunct counties elect only Sheriffs and Registers of Deeds, who are part of the state government. Other counties have been reorganized, and a few still retain county councils.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lwvma.org/your-government/counties/ |title=Massachusetts Government: County Government |date=December 9, 2012 |publisher=[[League of Women Voters]] |access-date=October 2, 2014}}</ref>

{{Largest cities
| country = Massachusetts
| stat_ref = Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/usa/cities/massachusetts/|title=Largest Cities by population|date=July 1, 2021|publisher=2021 U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=April 28, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/plymouthtownplymouthcountymassachusetts/PST045222|title=Quick Facts: Plymouth town, Massachusetts|date=July 1, 2021|publisher=2021 U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=April 28, 2023}}</ref>
| list_by_pop =
| div_name =
| div_link = Counties of Massachusetts{{!}}County
| city_1 = Boston, Massachusetts{{!}}Boston
| div_1 = Suffolk County, Massachusetts{{!}}Suffolk
| pop_1 = 653,833
| img_1 = Boston skyline from Longfellow Bridge September 2017 panorama 2.jpg
| city_2 = Worcester, Massachusetts{{!}}Worcester
| div_2 = Worcester County, Massachusetts{{!}}Worcester
| pop_2 = 207,621
| img_2 = Downtown Worcester 2.jpg
| city_3 = Springfield, Massachusetts{{!}}Springfield
| div_3 = Hampden County, Massachusetts{{!}}Hampden
| pop_3 = 153,672
| img_3 = Downtown Springfield, MA.jpg
| city_4 = Cambridge, Massachusetts{{!}}Cambridge
| div_4 = Middlesex County, Massachusetts{{!}}Middlesex
| img_4 = Cambridge Skyline.jpg
| pop_4 = 118,214
| city_5 = Lowell, Massachusetts{{!}}Lowell
| div_5 = Middlesex County, Massachusetts{{!}}Middlesex
| pop_5 = 114,296
| img_5 =
| city_6 = Brockton, Massachusetts{{!}}Brockton
| div_6 = Plymouth County, Massachusetts{{!}}Plymouth
| pop_6 = 104,890
| img_6 =
| city_7 = Lynn, Massachusetts{{!}}Lynn
| div_7 = Essex County, Massachusetts{{!}}Essex
| pop_7 = 101,241
| img_7 =
| city_8 = Quincy, Massachusetts{{!}}Quincy
| div_8 = Norfolk County, Massachusetts{{!}}Norfolk
| pop_8 = 101,597
| img_8 =
| city_9 = New Bedford, Massachusetts{{!}}New Bedford
| div_9 = Bristol County, Massachusetts{{!}}Bristol
| pop_9 = 100,695
| img_9 =
| city_10 = Fall River, Massachusetts{{!}}Fall River
| div_10 = Bristol County, Massachusetts{{!}}Bristol
| pop_10 = 93,840
| img_10 =
| city_11 = Lawrence, Massachusetts{{!}}Lawrence
| div_11 = Essex County, Massachusetts{{!}}Essex
| pop_11 = 88,172
| img_11 =
| city_12 = Newton, Massachusetts{{!}}Newton
| div_12 = Middlesex County, Massachusetts{{!}}Middlesex
| pop_12 = 88,415
| img_12 =
| city_13 = Somerville, Massachusetts{{!}}Somerville
| div_13 = Middlesex County, Massachusetts{{!}}Middlesex
| pop_13 = 80,407
| img_13 =
| city_14 = Framingham, Massachusetts{{!}}Framingham
| div_14 = Middlesex County, Massachusetts{{!}}Middlesex
| pop_14 = 71,875
| img_14 = 
| city_15 = Haverhill, Massachusetts{{!}}Haverhill
| div_15 = Essex County, Massachusetts{{!}}Essex
| pop_15 = 67,415
| img_15 = 
| city_16 = Malden, Massachusetts{{!}}Malden
| div_16 = Middlesex County, Massachusetts{{!}}Middlesex
| pop_16 = 65,133
| img_16 = 
| city_17 = Waltham, Massachusetts{{!}}Waltham
| div_17 = Middlesex County, Massachusetts{{!}}Middlesex
| pop_17 = 64,447
| img_17 = 
| city_18 = Brookline, Massachusetts{{!}}Brookline
| div_18 = Norfolk County, Massachusetts{{!}}Norfolk
| pop_18 = 62,962
| img_18 = 
| city_19 = Plymouth, Massachusetts{{!}}Plymouth
| div_19 = Plymouth County, Massachusetts{{!}}Plymouth
| pop_19 = 65,405
| img_19 = 
| city_20 = Taunton, Massachusetts{{!}}Taunton
| div_20 = Bristol County, Massachusetts{{!}}Bristol
| pop_20 = 60,412
| img_20 = 
}}

==Culture==
Massachusetts has contributed to American arts and culture. Drawing from its [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] and [[Yankee]] roots, along with later immigrant groups, Massachusetts has had several writers, artists, and musicians. It has major museums and important historical sites, and the state's history and heritage are celebrated by events and festivals.<ref>{{cite web |title=History Museums |date=June 3, 2013 |url=http://www.massvacation.com/explore/history/history-museums/ |publisher=Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism |access-date=May 6, 2015}}</ref>

Massachusetts became an early center of the [[Transcendentalism|Transcendentalist]] movement, which emphasized intuition, emotion, human individuality and a deeper connection with nature.{{sfn|Goldfield|Abbott|Anderson|Argersinger|1998|p=254}} [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]], who was born in Boston but spent much of his later life in [[Concord, Massachusetts|Concord]], largely created the philosophy with his 1836 work [[Nature (essay)|''Nature'']], and continued to be a key figure in the movement for the remainder of his life. Emerson's friend, [[Henry David Thoreau]], who was also involved in Transcendentalism, recorded his year spent alone in a small cabin at nearby [[Walden Pond]] in the 1854 work ''[[Walden; or, Life in the Woods]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Walden Pond State Reservation |date=April 9, 2013 |url=http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-north/walden-pond-state-reservation.html |publisher=[[Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs]] |access-date=May 6, 2015}}</ref>

Other famous authors and poets born or strongly associated with Massachusetts include [[Anne Bradstreet]], [[Nathaniel Hawthorne]], [[Louisa May Alcott]], [[Robert Frost]], [[Emily Dickinson]], [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]], [[Edith Wharton]], [[e.e. cummings]], [[Herman Melville]], [[W.E.B. Du Bois]], [[Sylvia Plath]], [[Elizabeth Bishop]], [[John Updike]], [[Anne Sexton]], [[H.P. Lovecraft]], [[Edgar Allan Poe]], [[Helen Hunt Jackson]], [[Khalil Gibran]], [[Mary Higgins Clark]], [[Amelia Atwater-Rhodes]], [[Jack Kerouac]] and [[Dr. Seuss|Theodor Seuss Geisel]], better known as "Dr. Seuss".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://home.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/henry-wadsworth-longfellow.htm |title=Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=May 30, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Details—Sunday—Massachusetts |publisher=[[Academy of American Poets]] |access-date=May 29, 2010 |url=http://www.poets.org/state.php/varState/MA}}</ref><ref name=MassMisc>{{cite web |url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cismaf/mf4.htm |title=Miscellaneous Massachusetts Facts |publisher=[[Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth]] |access-date=May 30, 2010}}</ref> Famous painters from Massachusetts include [[Winslow Homer]] and [[Norman Rockwell]];<ref name=MassMisc/> many of the latter's works are on display at the [[Norman Rockwell Museum]] in [[Stockbridge, Massachusetts|Stockbridge]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Norman Rockewell Museum of Vermont |url=http://www.normanrockwellvt.com/ |publisher=Norman Rockwell Museum of Vermont |access-date=May 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503193330/http://normanrockwellvt.com/ |archive-date=May 3, 2015 }}</ref>

Massachusetts is an important center for the performing arts. It has the [[Boston Symphony Orchestra]], [[Boston Pops Orchestra]]<ref name=BostonArts1>{{cite web |url=http://www.massvacation.com/arts/music.php |title=Music |publisher=Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism |access-date=May 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010133331/http://massvacation.com/arts/music.php |archive-date=October 10, 2010 }}</ref> the [[Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra]] in [[Barnstable, Massachusetts|Barnstable]], the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbsymphony.org/mission-history|title=Mission &#124; History|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207072244/https://www.nbsymphony.org/mission-history|archive-date=February 7, 2019 }}</ref> and the [[Springfield Symphony Orchestra]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.capesymphony.org/cape-symphony-orchestra-the-ccso.asp |title=About the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra |publisher=[[Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra]] |access-date=June 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203011311/http://www.capesymphony.org/cape-symphony-orchestra-the-ccso.asp |archive-date=December 3, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.springfieldsymphony.org/about/history.shtml |title=Our History |publisher=[[Springfield Symphony Orchestra]] |access-date=June 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418215808/http://www.springfieldsymphony.org/about/history.shtml |archive-date=April 18, 2010 }}</ref> [[Tanglewood]] in western Massachusetts is a music venue that hosts the [[Tanglewood Music Festival]] and [[Tanglewood Jazz Festival]], and is the annual host for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.massvacation.com/westernMass/arts.php |title=Arts |location=MA, US |publisher=Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism |access-date=May 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103194144/http://massvacation.com/westernMass/arts.php |archive-date=January 3, 2010 }}</ref>

Other performing arts and theater organizations include the [[Boston Ballet]], the [[Boston Lyric Opera]],<ref name=BostonArts1/> and the [[Lenox, Massachusetts|Lenox]]-based [[Shakespeare & Company (Massachusetts)|Shakespeare & Company]]. Massachusetts has produced musicians of many contemporary genres, such as the [[classic rock]] bands [[Aerosmith]] and [[Boston (band)|Boston]], the proto-punk band [[the Modern Lovers]], the [[New wave music|new wave]] band [[the Cars]], and the [[alternative rock]] band [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Leddy |first=Charles 'Chuck' |title=Rocking history lesson shows city was in a class by itself |url=http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2008/01/10/rocking_history_lesson_shows_city_was_in_a_class_by_itself/ |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=January 10, 2008 |access-date=May 29, 2010}}</ref> The state has also been the birthplace of the rock bands [[Staind]], [[Godsmack]], and [[Highly Suspect]], since these bands all were formed in Massachusetts cities such [[Springfield (Massachusetts)|Springfield]], [[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]], and [[Cape Cod]] respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/staind-mn0000178799/biography|title=Staind &#124; Biography & History |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Godsmack {{!}} Biography & History|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/godsmack-mn0000665860/biography|access-date=January 14, 2021 |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Race |first=Victoria |date=September 30, 2015 |title=Interview – Highly Suspect |url=https://kryptonitemusic.com/2015/09/30/interview-highly-suspect/ |access-date=July 20, 2022 |website=Kryptonite Music Magazine |language=en}}</ref> Film events in the state include the [[Boston Film Festival]], the [[Boston International Film Festival]], and a number of smaller film festivals in various cities throughout Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.massvacation.com/arts/filmfestivals.php |title=Film Festivals |location=MA, US |publisher=Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism |access-date=May 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010112315/http://massvacation.com/arts/filmfestivals.php |archive-date=October 10, 2010 }}</ref>

Massachusetts has many museums and historical sites, including the [[Clark Art Institute]], the [[Museum of Fine Arts, Boston]], the [[Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston]], and the [[DeCordova Museum|DeCordova]] contemporary art and sculpture museum in [[Lincoln, Massachusetts|Lincoln]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofboston.gov/visitors/museums.asp |title=Museums |publisher=City of [[Boston]] |access-date=May 29, 2010}}</ref> and the [[Maria Mitchell Association]] in [[Nantucket]] includes several observatories, museums, and an aquarium.<ref>{{cite web |title=Art Museums |publisher=Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism |access-date=May 29, 2010 |url=http://www.massvacation.com/arts/art-museums.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010124413/http://massvacation.com/arts/art-museums.php |archive-date=October 10, 2010 }}</ref> Historically themed museums and sites such as the [[Springfield Armory National Historic Site]] in [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]],<ref name=NPS1/> Boston's [[Freedom Trail]], and nearby [[Minute Man National Historical Park]], both of which preserve many sites important during the [[American Revolution]],<ref name=NPS1/><ref>{{cite web |title=Places To Go |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=December 30, 2009 |url=https://www.nps.gov/bost/planyourvisit/placestogo.htm}}</ref> the [[Lowell National Historical Park]], which focuses on some of the earliest mills and canals of the [[Industrial Revolution]] in the US,<ref name=NPS1/> the [[Black Heritage Trail (Boston)|Black Heritage Trail]] in Boston, which includes important African-American and abolitionist sites in Boston,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afroammuseum.org/trail.htm |title=Black Heritage Trail |publisher=[[African Meeting House|Museum of African American History]] |access-date=May 29, 2010 |archive-date=July 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702194503/http://www.afroammuseum.org/trail.htm }}</ref> and the [[New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park]]<ref name=NPS1/> all showcase various periods of Massachusetts's history. [[Plymouth Rock]], marks the disembarkation site of the ''[[Mayflower]]'' [[Pilgrim (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]] who founded [[Plymouth Colony]] in December 1620.

[[Plimoth Patuxet|Plimoth Patuxet Museums]] and [[Old Sturbridge Village]] are two [[open-air museum|open-air]] or "living" museums in Massachusetts, recreating life as it was in the 17th and early 19th centuries, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Plimoth Plantation |publisher=[[Plimoth Plantation]] |access-date=May 29, 2010 |url=http://www.plimoth.org/about/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526084752/http://www.plimoth.org/about/ |archive-date=May 26, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Old Sturbridge Village |url=https://www.osv.org/ |publisher=[[Old Sturbridge Village]] |access-date=May 7, 2015}}</ref>

Boston's annual [[St. Patrick's Day]] parade and "Harborfest", a week-long [[Fourth of July]] celebration featuring a fireworks display and concert by the Boston Pops as well as a turnaround cruise in Boston Harbor by the [[USS Constitution|USS ''Constitution'']], are popular events.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Siddiqui |first1=Faiz |last2=Ellement |first2=John R. |last3=Finucane |first3=Martin |title=Boston plans to hold Fourth of July celebrations Thursday |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/07/02/organizers-meet-today-decide-whether-hold-rehearsal-concert-esplanade/hAEMRvOxUOfuSGYQPNkqYO/story.html |access-date=May 7, 2015 |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=July 2, 2014}}</ref> The [[New England Summer Nationals]], an [[auto show]] in Worcester, draws tens of thousands of attendees every year.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kush |first=Bronislaus B |url=http://www.telegram.com/article/20100703/NEWS/7030347/1003/NEWS03 |title=Summer Nationals Weekend Revs Up |access-date=March 15, 2011 |website=[[Telegram & Gazette|Worcester Telegram]] |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716205618/http://www.telegram.com/article/20100703/NEWS/7030347/1003/NEWS03 }}</ref> The [[Boston Marathon]] is also a popular event in the state drawing more than 30,000 runners and tens of thousands of spectators annually.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Spectator's Guide To The 2015 Boston Marathon |date=April 20, 2015 |url=http://www.wbur.org/2015/04/18/spectators-guide-boston-marathon |publisher=[[WBUR-FM]] |access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref>

Long-distance hiking trails in Massachusetts include the [[Appalachian Trail]], the [[New England National Scenic Trail]], the [[Metacomet-Monadnock Trail]], the [[Midstate Trail (Massachusetts)|Midstate Trail]], and the Bay Circuit Trail.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.outdoors.org/conservation/wherewework/southernnewengland/index.cfm |title=Southern New England |publisher=[[Appalachian Mountain Club]] |access-date=June 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100803013221/http://www.outdoors.org/conservation/wherewework/southernnewengland/index.cfm |archive-date=August 3, 2010 }}</ref> Other outdoor recreational activities in Massachusetts include sailing and yachting, freshwater and deep-sea fishing,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.massvacation.com/outdoor/fishing.php |title=Fishing & charters |publisher=Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism |access-date=June 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006100627/http://massvacation.com/outdoor/fishing.php |archive-date=October 6, 2010 }}</ref> [[whale watching]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.massvacation.com/outdoor/whale-watching.php |title=Whale watching |publisher=Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism |access-date=June 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101006105604/http://massvacation.com/outdoor/whale-watching.php |archive-date=October 6, 2010 }}</ref> downhill and cross-country skiing,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.massvacation.com/outdoor/skiing-snowboarding.php |title=Skiing/snowboarding |publisher=Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism |access-date=June 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308101738/http://massvacation.com/outdoor/skiing-snowboarding.php |archive-date=March 8, 2010 }}</ref> and hunting.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hunting |url=http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/recreational-activities/hunting.html |publisher=[[Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs]] |access-date=May 7, 2015}}</ref>

Massachusetts is one of the states with the largest percentage of [[Catholic]]s. It has many sanctuaries such as the [[National Shrine of The Divine Mercy (Stockbridge, Massachusetts)]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://religioustravelplanningguide.com/10-top-catholic-shrines-in-the-u-s/|title=10 Top Catholic Shrines in the U.S.|date=February 15, 2012|access-date=January 1, 2020|archive-date=October 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018134422/https://religioustravelplanningguide.com/10-top-catholic-shrines-in-the-u-s/}}</ref>

<gallery widths=200 heights=160>
File:Site of Thoreau's cabin.JPG|The site of [[Henry David Thoreau]]'s cabin is at [[Walden Pond]] in [[Concord, Massachusetts|Concord]].
File:The Clark Art Institute - Tadao Ando.jpg|Massachusetts hosts many of the world's most prestigious art museums, such as the [[Clark Art Institute]].
File:InsideOutStage.jpg|An outdoor dance performance was at [[Jacob's Pillow Dance|Jacob's Pillow]] in [[Becket, Massachusetts|Becket]].
File:USS Constitution salutes Bataan 2005.jpg|The USS ''[[USS Constitution|Constitution]]'' fires a [[Gun salute|salute]] during its annual Fourth of July turnaround cruise.
File:OldShipEntrance.jpg|The [[Old Ship Church]] in [[Hingham, Massachusetts|Hingham]] was built in 1681, and is the oldest church in America in continuous ecclesiastical use.<ref>{{cite news |last=Butterfield |first=Fox |title=The Perfect New England Town |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/14/travel/the-perfect-new-england-village.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 14, 1989 |access-date=May 30, 2010}}</ref> The Massachusetts population has since become one of the most [[irreligion|irreligious]] of US states.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/29/how-religious-is-your-state/?state=alabama|title=How religious is your state?|author= Michael Lipka and Benjamin Wormald|publisher=Pew research center|date=February 29, 2016|access-date=May 5, 2018}}</ref>
File:NE Flag red.jpg|Massachusetts has the largest population of the [[New England]] states. New Englander culture and identity remains strong in Massachusetts ([[Flag of New England]] pictured above).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.uconn.edu/2004/May/rel04062.htm|title=UConn Poll: New Englanders & Regional Identity|website=news.uconn.edu|access-date=July 25, 2019|archive-date=June 13, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613221628/http://news.uconn.edu/2004/May/rel04062.htm}}</ref>
</gallery>

==Media==

{{See also|List of television stations in Massachusetts|List of newspapers in Massachusetts|List of radio stations in Massachusetts}}

There are two major television media markets located in Massachusetts. The Boston/Manchester market is the fifth-largest in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |year=2005 |url=http://www.nielsenmedia.com/DMAs.html |title=Nielson Media Research Local Universe Estimates (US) |access-date=May 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060517010320/http://www.nielsenmedia.com/DMAs.html |archive-date=May 17, 2006}}</ref> The other market surrounds the Springfield area.<ref>{{cite web |title=Springfield—Holyoke TV Channels |url=http://www.stationindex.com/tv/markets/springfield-holyoke |publisher=Station Index |access-date=May 7, 2015}}</ref> [[WGBH-TV]] in Boston is a major public television station and produces national programs such as [[Nova (American TV series)|''Nova'']], [[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|''Frontline'']], and ''[[American Experience]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wgbh.org/about/index.cfm |title=WGBH—About Us |publisher=[[WGBH-TV]] |access-date=May 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130305145846/http://www.wgbh.org/about/index.cfm |archive-date=March 5, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wgbh.org/programs/programDetail.cfm?programid=97 |title=American Experience |publisher=[[WGBH-TV]] |access-date=May 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100506075722/http://www.wgbh.org/programs/programDetail.cfm?programid=97 |archive-date=May 6, 2010 }}</ref>

''[[The Boston Globe]]'', ''[[Boston Herald]]'', ''[[Springfield Republican]]'', and the ''[[Worcester Telegram & Gazette]]'' are Massachusetts's largest daily newspapers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://abcas3.accessabc.com/ecirc/newsform.asp |title=US Newspaper—Search Results (Massachusetts) |publisher=[[Alliance for Audited Media|Audit Bureau of Circulations]] |access-date=May 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001095406/http://abcas3.accessabc.com/ecirc/newsform.asp |archive-date=October 1, 2010 }}</ref> In addition, there are many community dailies and weeklies. The [[Associated Press]] maintains a bureau in Boston, and local [[news wire]] the [[State House News Service]] feeds coverage of state government to other Massachusetts media outlets. There are a number of major [[AM broadcasting|AM]] and [[FM broadcasting|FM]] stations which serve Massachusetts,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?state=MA&call=&city=&arn=&serv=&vac=&freq=0.0&fre2=107.9&facid=&class=&dkt=&list=1&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9 |title=FM Query Results (Massachusetts) |publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]] |access-date=May 27, 2010}}</ref> along with many more regional and community-based stations. Some colleges and universities also operate campus television and radio stations, and print their own newspapers.<ref>{{cite web |title=General |publisher=[[WZBC]] |access-date=May 27, 2010 |url=http://www.wzbc.org/about.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528232500/http://www.wzbc.org/about.html |archive-date=May 28, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About |newspaper=[[Harvard Crimson]] |access-date=May 27, 2010 |url=http://www.thecrimson.com/about/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About the BU Literary Society and Clarion |publisher=[[Boston University]] |access-date=May 27, 2010 |url=http://www.bu.edu/clarion/about.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100508003510/http://www.bu.edu/clarion/about.htm |archive-date=May 8, 2010 }}</ref>

==Health==
{{See also|List of hospitals in Massachusetts|Massachusetts health care reform|Governorship of Mitt Romney#Health care}}
[[File:Healthcare Costs in Massachusetts - Averaged by Medicare Reimbursements per Enrollee.png|thumb|The average Medicare reimbursement per enrollee for the counties is mapped.<ref>{{cite web |title={{!}} About Us |url=https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/about-us |website=County Health Rankings & Roadmaps |access-date=October 27, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>]]
Massachusetts generally ranks highly among states in most health and disease prevention categories. In 2015, the [[UnitedHealth Group|United Health Foundation]] ranked the state as third-healthiest overall.<ref>{{cite news |title=2015 Annual Report |url=https://www.americashealthrankings.org/learn/reports/2015-annual-report |newspaper=[[America's Health Rankings]] |access-date=February 8, 2018}}</ref> Massachusetts has the most doctors per 100,000 residents (435.38),<ref>{{cite web |last1=The National Center for Biotechnology Information |title=Number of physicians in patient care per 100,000 resident population, by state: United States, 2018 |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK569310/table/ch2.tab16/?report=objectonly |website=Chartbook - Health, United States, 2019 |publisher=United States National Library of Medicine |access-date=June 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619205147/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK569310/table/ch2.tab16/?report=objectonly |archive-date=June 19, 2022 |location=National Institutes of Health |format=Web page |year=2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Doctors per 100,000 Resident Population, 2007 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=October 24, 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/ranks/rank18.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101016214542/http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/ranks/rank18.html |archive-date=October 16, 2010 }}</ref> the second-lowest [[infant mortality rate]] (3.8),<ref>{{cite web |last1=National Center for Health Statistics |title=Massachusetts |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/states/massachusetts/ma.htm |website=Key Health Indicators |publisher=CDC |access-date=June 19, 2022 |date=February 16, 2022 |quote=All 2020 data are final. 2020 birth data come from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) via CDC WONDER; 2020 death data, including leading causes of death, firearm mortality, homicide, drug overdose mortality, and infant mortality, come from the NVSS via CDC WONDER and rankings and rates are based on 2020 age-adjusted death rates. For more information on age-adjustment, refer to this reportpdf icon. Where ranked, states are categorized from highest rate to lowest rate. Although adjusted for variations in age-distribution and population size, differences by state do not take into account other state specific population characteristics that may affect the level of the birth characteristic or mortality. When the number of deaths or births events is small, differences by state may be unreliable due to instability in rates. When the number of deaths is small, rankings by state may be unreliable due to instability in death rates.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Infant Mortality Rate, 2006 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=October 24, 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/ranks/rank17.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101016214511/http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/ranks/rank17.html |archive-date=October 16, 2010 }}</ref> and the lowest percentage of uninsured residents (children as well as the total population).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kaiser Family Foundation |title=Health Insurance Coverage of Children 0-18, 2019 |url=https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/children-0-18/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Uninsured%22,%22sort%22:%22desc%22%7D |website=kff.org |access-date=June 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509101229/https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/children-0-18/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Uninsured%22,%22sort%22:%22desc%22%7D |archive-date=May 9, 2017 |location=San Francisco |year=2022 |quote=For more current data using the Current Population Survey, see Health Insurance Coverage of Children 0-18 (CPS). The majority of KFF health coverage topics are based on analysis of the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) by KFF. 2008-2019 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates includes a 1% sample of the US population and allows for precise state-level estimates. The ACS asks respondents about their health insurance coverage at the time of the survey. Respondents may report having more than one type of coverage; however, individuals are sorted into only one category of insurance coverage. See definitions on web page for more detail on coverage type.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kaiser Family Foundation |title=Health Insurance Coverage of the Total Population (CPS) |url=https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/health-insurance-coverage-of-the-total-population-cps/?currentTimeframe=0&selectedDistributions=uninsured&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Uninsured%22,%22sort%22:%22desc%22%7D |website=kff.org |date=September 21, 2021 |access-date=June 19, 2022 |location=San Francisco |quote=For 2020, the majority of KFF health coverage topics are based on analysis of the Census Bureau's March Supplement to the Current Population Survey (the CPS Annual Social and Economic Supplement or ASEC). Previously, KFF source for these data was the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS); however, release of the ACS data has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Although health coverage and population estimates using ACS are still available for 2008-2019, the 2020 data from CPS cannot be compared to prior year estimates from ACS. Due to known data quality issues with the 2019 CPS ASEC data, which was collected in March 2020 just at the onset of the pandemic and experienced low response rates, KFF have chosen not to report the 2019 data. KFF provide trend data for 2016, 2018, and 2020 using the CPS.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Persons With and Without Health Insurance Coverage by State: 2007 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=October 24, 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s0150.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101016120337/http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s0150.pdf |archive-date=October 16, 2010 }}</ref> According to ''[[Business Insider]]'', commonwealth residents have an average life expectancy of 80.41 years, the [[List of U.S. states and territories by life expectancy|fifth-longest]] in the country.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Schoenberg |first1=Shira |title=Why do the rich live longer in Massachusetts? Data on life expectancy show gaps along income, racial lines |url=https://www.masslive.com/news/2018/12/why-do-the-rich-live-longer-in-massachusetts-data-on-life-expectancy-show-gaps-along-income-racial-lines.html |access-date=June 19, 2022 |work=masslive.com |publisher=Advance Local Media |date=December 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218172433/https://www.masslive.com/news/2018/12/why-do-the-rich-live-longer-in-massachusetts-data-on-life-expectancy-show-gaps-along-income-racial-lines.html |archive-date=December 18, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/us-states-with-the-highest-and-lowest-life-expectancy-2017-5|title=Here's how your life expectancy varies based on which state you're born in|work=Business Insider|access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref> 36.1% of the population is overweight and 24.4% is obese,<ref name=CDC1>{{cite web |last1=National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health |title=BRFSS Prevalence & Trends Data |url=https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/brfssprevalence/. |website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=June 19, 2022 |location=Atlanta |format=Online |year=2015 |quote=2020 Weight classification by Body Mass Index (BMI) (variable calculated from one or more BRFSS questions) (Crude Prevalence)}}</ref> and Massachusetts ranks sixth-highest in the percentage of residents who are considered neither obese nor overweight (39.5%).<ref name=CDC1/> Massachusetts also ranks above average in the prevalence of [[binge drinking]], which is the 20th-highest in the country.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kanny |first1=Dafna |title=Annual total binge drinks consumed by US adults, 2015 |journal=American Journal of Preventive Medicine | last2 = Naimi | first2 = Timothy S. | last3 =Liu | first3 =Yong|last4 =Lu | first4 = Hua | last5 = Brewer | first5 = Robert D. |date=April 2018 |volume=54 |issue=4 |pages=486–496 |doi=10.1016/j.amepre.2017.12.021 |pmid=29555021 |location=PubMedCentral |pmc=6075714}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Booziest states in America: Who binge drinks most? |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/booziest-states-in-america-who-binge-drinks-most/7/ |publisher=[[CBS News]] |access-date=June 18, 2022}}</ref>

The nation's first [[Marine Hospital Service|Marine Hospital]] was erected by federal order in Boston in 1799.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The United States Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service |journal=Journal of the American Medical Association |date=July 30, 1904 |volume=43 |issue=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FlXlAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA326 |access-date=February 20, 2011|doi=10.1001/jama.1904.92500050002|page=326}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. Marine Hospital |url=http://www.olgp.net/chs/hospital/marine.htm |publisher=Chelsea Historical Society |access-date=February 20, 2011 |archive-date=November 26, 2010 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126111433/http://olgp.net/chs/hospital/marine.htm }}</ref> There are currently a total of 143 hospitals in the state.<ref>{{cite web |title=Massachusetts Hospitals: Directory |url=https://www.mhalink.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Hospital_Directory |publisher=Massachusetts Hospital Association |access-date=May 7, 2015 |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518083727/https://www.mhalink.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Hospital_Directory }}</ref> According to 2015 rankings by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'', [[Massachusetts General Hospital]] is ranked in the top three in two health care specialties.<ref>{{cite web|title=U.S. News Best Hospitals 2014–15 |url=http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings |website=U.S. News & World Report |access-date=June 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301113005/http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings |archive-date=March 1, 2012 }}</ref> Massachusetts General Hospital was founded in 1811 and serves as the largest teaching hospital for nearby [[Harvard University]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Hospital Overview |publisher=[[Massachusetts General Hospital]] |access-date=October 24, 2010 |url=http://www.massgeneral.org/about/overview.aspx}}</ref>

The state of Massachusetts is a center for medical education and research including Harvard affiliates [[Brigham and Women's Hospital]], [[Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center]], and [[Dana–Farber Cancer Institute]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Facts and Figures: 2009–2010 |publisher=[[Harvard Medical School]] |access-date=October 25, 2010 |url=http://hms.harvard.edu/hms/facts.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305172041/http://hms.harvard.edu/hms/facts.asp |archive-date=March 5, 2012 }}</ref> as well as the [[New England Baptist Hospital]], [[Tufts Medical Center]], and [[Boston Medical Center]] which is the primary teaching hospital for [[Boston University]].<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us |publisher=[[Boston University School of Medicine]] |access-date=October 25, 2010 |url=http://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/BUSM-About.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414101335/http://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/BUSM-About.html |archive-date=April 14, 2010 }}</ref> The [[University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School]] is located in [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]].<ref>{{cite web |title= UMass Chan Medical School partners with Studio Theatre Worcester for 'Next To Normal' |last1 = Lemmon | first1 = Olivia | location = Worcester | website = Spectrum News 1 |access-date= June 18, 2022|archive-date = June 19, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220619000024/https://spectrumnews1.com/ma/worcester/news/2022/06/16/umass-chan-partnering-with-studio-theatre-worcester |url= https://spectrumnews1.com/ma/worcester/news/2022/06/16/umass-chan-partnering-with-studio-theatre-worcester}}</ref> The [[Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences]] has two of its three campuses in Boston and Worcester.<ref>{{cite web |title=Campuses |url=https://www.mcphs.edu/Campuses |publisher=MCPHS University |access-date=May 7, 2015 |archive-date=May 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501172114/http://www.mcphs.edu/Campuses }}</ref>

==Sports==
{{Main|Sports in Massachusetts}}
[[File:Gillette Stadium Foxboro.jpg|thumb|right|Gillette Stadium in [[Foxborough, Massachusetts|Foxborough]] is the home venue for the [[New England Patriots]] (NFL) and the [[New England Revolution]] (MLS).]]
Massachusetts is home to five major league professional sports teams: eighteen-time [[NBA Finals|NBA Champions]] [[Boston Celtics]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Celtics History—Championship Wins |publisher=[[National Basketball Association]] |access-date=May 7, 2015 |url=http://www.nba.com/celtics/history/ChampionshipWins.html}}</ref> nine-time [[World Series]] winners [[Boston Red Sox]],<ref>{{cite web|title=MLB World Series Winners |publisher=[[ESPN]] |access-date=May 7, 2015 |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/worldseries/history/winners |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101122907/http://espn.go.com/mlb/worldseries/history/winners |archive-date=November 1, 2010 }}</ref> six-time [[Stanley Cup]] winners [[Boston Bruins]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Stanley Cup Winners |publisher=[[Hockey Hall of Fame]] |access-date=May 7, 2015 |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SilverwareTrophyWinners.jsp?tro=STC}}</ref> six-time [[Super Bowl]] winners [[New England Patriots]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Super Bowl History |publisher=National Football League |access-date=May 7, 2015 |url=http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history}}</ref> and five-time [[MLS Cup]] finalists [[New England Revolution]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Butler|first=Dylan|date=December 6, 2020|title=New England Revolution ownership committed to Boston-area home: "We want to build the stadium"|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/new-england-revolution-ownership-committed-boston-area-home-we-want-build-stadiu|access-date=August 8, 2021|website=[[Major League Soccer]]|language=en}}</ref>

In the late 19th century, the [[Olympics|Olympic]] sports of basketball<ref name=basketball>{{cite web |title=Springfield College: The Birthplace of Basketball |url=http://www.springfieldcollege.edu/welcome/birthplace-of-basketball/#.VTa-7CFVhBc |publisher=Springfieldcollege.edu |access-date=April 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504211534/http://www.springfieldcollege.edu/welcome/birthplace-of-basketball/#.VTa-7CFVhBc |archive-date=May 4, 2015 }}</ref> and volleyball<ref name=volleyball>{{cite web |title=The International Volleyball Hall of Fame |url=http://www.volleyhall.org/about-us.html |publisher=Volleyball.org |access-date=April 21, 2015}}</ref> were invented in the Western Massachusetts cities of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]]<ref name=basketball/> and [[Holyoke]],<ref name=volleyball/> respectively. The [[Basketball Hall of Fame]] is a major tourist destination in the City of Springfield and the [[Volleyball Hall of Fame]] is located in Holyoke.<ref name=volleyball/> The [[American Hockey League]] (AHL), the [[National Hockey League|NHL]]'s development league, is headquartered in Springfield.<ref>{{cite web |title=AHL Staff Directory |url=http://theahl.com/staff-directory-p137544 |publisher=American Hockey League |access-date=May 7, 2015 |archive-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315010801/http://theahl.com/staff-directory-p137544 }}</ref>

Several universities in Massachusetts are notable for their collegiate athletics. The state is home to two [[NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision|Division{{spaces}}I FBS]] teams, [[Boston College]] of the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]], and FBS [[NCAA Division I FBS independent schools|Independent]] [[University of Massachusetts Amherst|University of Massachusetts at Amherst]]. [[Football Championship Subdivision|FCS]] play includes [[Harvard University]], which competes in the famed [[Ivy League]], and [[College of the Holy Cross]] of the [[Patriot League]]. [[Boston University]], [[Northeastern University (Boston, Massachusetts)|Northeastern University]], [[University of Massachusetts Lowell|UMASS Lowell]], [[Stonehill College]], and [[Merrimack College]] also participate in Division{{spaces}}I athletics.<ref>{{cite web |title=College Football Teams (FBS and FCS) |publisher=[[ESPN]] |access-date=October 18, 2009 |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/teams}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=College Basketball Teams—Division I Teams |publisher=[[ESPN]] |access-date=October 18, 2009 |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/teams}}</ref> Many other Massachusetts colleges compete in lower divisions such as [[Division III (NCAA)|Division{{spaces}}III]], where [[MIT]], [[Tufts University]], [[Amherst College]], [[Williams College]], and others field competitive teams.<ref>{{cite web |title=NCAA Directory - Directory - Member Listing |url=https://web3.ncaa.org/directory/memberList?type=12&division=III |website=web3.ncaa.org |access-date=December 4, 2022}}</ref>

Massachusetts is also the home of rowing events such as the [[Eastern Sprints]] on [[Lake Quinsigamond]] and the [[Head of the Charles Regatta]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cornell Rowing Excels at Eastern Sprints |publisher=Cornell University |access-date=June 6, 2010 |url=http://cornellbigred.com/news/2010/5/16/MROW_0516105419.aspx}}</ref> A number of major golf events have taken place in Massachusetts, including nine [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Opens]] and two [[Ryder Cup]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=2009 U.S. Open—Past Champions |publisher=[[United States Golf Association]] |access-date=October 21, 2009 |url=http://usga.usopen.com/2009/history/past-champions.html |archive-date=August 31, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090831040023/http://usga.usopen.com/2009/history/past-champions.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Deutsche Bank Championship |publisher=[[Professional Golfers' Association of America]] |access-date=October 21, 2009 |url=http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r505/ |archive-date=September 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924225531/http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r505/ }}</ref>

Massachusetts has produced several successful Olympians including [[Thomas Burke (athlete)|Thomas Burke]], [[James Brendan Connolly|James Connolly]], and [[John Thomas (athlete)|John Thomas]] ([[Track and field at the Summer Olympics|track and field]]); [[Butch Johnson]] ([[Archery at the Summer Olympics|archery]]); [[Nancy Kerrigan]] ([[Figure skating at the Olympic Games|figure skating]]); [[Todd Richards (snowboarder)|Todd Richards]] ([[Snowboarding at the Winter Olympics|snowboarding]]); [[Albina Osipowich]] ([[Swimming at the Summer Olympics|swimming]]); [[Aly Raisman]] ([[Gymnastics at the Summer Olympics|gymnastics]]); [[Patrick Ewing]] ([[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|basketball]]); [[Stephen Nedoroscik]] ([[Pommel horse at the Olympics|pommel horse]]); as well as [[Jim Craig (ice hockey)|Jim Craig]], [[Mike Eruzione]], [[Bill Cleary (ice hockey)|Bill Cleary]], [[Keith Tkachuk]] ([[Ice hockey at the Olympic Games|ice hockey]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=25 Olympians from Massachusetts |url=http://www.golocalworcester.com/sports/top-25-olympic-athletes-from-massachusetts |publisher=GoLocalWorcester |access-date=May 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.masslive.com/sports/2017/05/ranking_the_top_50_athletes_fr.html|title=Ranking the Top 50 Athletes from Massachusetts|date=May 30, 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Administrative divisions of Massachusetts]]
* [[Index of Massachusetts-related articles]]
* [[Outline of Massachusetts]]
* [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]]
* [[New England]]
* [[USS Massachusetts|USS ''Massachusetts'']], 8 ships
* [[USS Massachusetts|USRC ''Massachusetts'']], 2 ships
* '''''{{portal-inline|Massachusetts}}'''''

==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Barth |first1=Jonathan Edward |year=2014 |title='A Peculiar Stampe of Our Owne': The Massachusetts Mint and the Battle over Sovereignty, 1652-1691 |journal=The New England Quarterly |volume=87 |issue=3 |pages=490–525 |doi=10.1162/TNEQ_a_00396 |jstor=43285101|hdl=2286/R.I.26592 |s2cid=57571000 |hdl-access=free }}
* {{cite book |title=New England's Outpost: Acadia Before the Conquest of Canada |last1=Brebner |first1=John Bartlet |year=1927 |publisher=Columbia University Press |location=New York, NY |author-link=John Bartlet Brebner |isbn=978-0-7812-6367-2}}
* {{cite book |title=Anthropology and Migration:Essays on Transnational Ethnicity and Identity |last1=Brettell |first1=Caroline |year=2003 |publisher=[[AltaMira Press]] |location=Walnut Creek, CA |isbn=978-0-7591-0320-7}}
* {{cite book |title=Massachusetts: A Concise History |url=https://archive.org/details/massachusettscon00brow |url-access=registration |last1=Brown |first1=Richard D |last2=Tager |first2=Jack |year=2000 |publisher=[[University of Massachusetts Press]] |location=Amherst, MA |isbn=978-1-55849-248-6}}
* {{cite book |last1=Dejnozka |first1=Edward L |last2=Gifford |first2=Charles S |last3=Kapel |first3=David E |last4=Kapel |first4=Marilyn B |year=1982 |title=American Educators' Encyclopedia |url=https://archive.org/details/americaneducator0000dejn |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Greenwood Press]] |location=Westport, CT |isbn=978-0-313-20954-3}}
* {{cite book |last1=Goldfield |first1=David |last2=Abbott |first2=Carl |last3=Anderson |first3=Virginia DeJohn |last4=Argersinger |first4=Jo Ann E |last5=Argersinger |first5=Peter H |last6=Barney |first6=William L |last7=Weir |first7=Robert M |year=1998 |title=The American Journey—A History of the United States |url=https://archive.org/details/americanjourneyt00davi |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Prentice Hall]] |location=Upper Saddle River, NJ |isbn=978-0-13-656562-8}}
* {{cite book |title=Smallpox: The Fight to Eradicate a Global Scourge |last1=Koplow |first1=David A |year=2004 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |location=Berkeley, CA |isbn=978-0-520-24220-3}}
* {{cite book |title=Handbook of Local Government Administration |last1=Sokolow |first1=Alvin D |year=1997 |publisher=Marcel Dekker |chapter=Town and Township Government: Serving Rural and Suburban Communities |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-8247-9782-9}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
===Overviews and surveys===
* Hall, Donald. ed. ''The Encyclopedia of New England'' (2005)
* [[Works Progress Administration]]. ''Guide to Massachusetts'' (1939)

===Secondary sources===
* Abrams, Richard M. ''Conservatism in a Progressive Era: Massachusetts Politics, 1900–1912'' (1964)
* Adams, James Truslow. ''Revolutionary New England, 1691–1776'' (1923)
* Adams, James Truslow. ''New England in the Republic, 1776–1850'' (1926)
* Andrews, Charles M. ''The Fathers of New England: A Chronicle of the Puritan Commonwealths'' (1919), short survey
* Conforti, Joseph A. ''Imagining New England: Explorations of Regional Identity from the Pilgrims to the Mid-Twentieth Century'' (2001)
* Cumbler, John T. ''Reasonable Use: The People, the Environment, and the State, New England, 1790–1930'' (1930), environmental history
* Fischer, David Hackett. ''Paul Revere's Ride'' (1994), 1775 in depth
* Flagg, Charles Allcott, [https://archive.org/details/aguidetomassach00flaggoog ''A Guide to Massachusetts local history''], Salem : Salem Press Company, 1907.
* Green, James R., William F. Hartford, and Tom Juravich. ''Commonwealth of Toil: Chapters in the History of Massachusetts Workers and Their Unions'' (1996)
* Huthmacher, J. Joseph. ''Massachusetts People and Politics, 1919–1933'' (1958)
* Labaree, Benjamin Woods. ''Colonial Massachusetts: A History'' (1979)
* Morison, Samuel Eliot. ''The Maritime History of Massachusetts, 1783–1860'' (1921)
* Peirce, Neal R. ''The New England States: People, Politics, and Power in the Six New England States'' (1976), 1960–75 era
* Porter, Susan L. ''Women of the Commonwealth: Work, Family, and Social Change in Nineteenth-Century Massachusetts'' (1996)
* Sletcher, Michael. ''New England'' (2004).
* Starkey, Marion L. ''The Devil in Massachusetts'' (1949), Salem witches
* Tager, Jack, and John W. Ifkovic, eds. ''Massachusetts in the Gilded Age: Selected Essays'' (1985), ethnic groups
* Zimmerman, Joseph F. ''[https://www.questia.com/library/book/the-new-england-town-meeting-democracy-in-action-by-joseph-f-zimmerman.jsp The New England Town Meeting: Democracy in Action] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123155020/http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-new-england-town-meeting-democracy-in-action-by-joseph-f-zimmerman.jsp |date=November 23, 2011 }}'' (1999)

==External links==
{{Sister project links|s=Portal:Massachusetts|voy=Massachusetts|q=no}}
* {{Official website|https://www.mass.gov/}}
* [http://www.massvacation.com/ Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism]
* [https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/massachusetts/index.html Massachusetts State Guide] from the Library of Congress

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{{Geographic location
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 | North = {{flag|New Hampshire}}
 | Northeast = {{flag|New Hampshire}}<br />{{flag|Maine}} ({{convert|15|mi|km}} away)
 | West = {{flag|New York}}
 | Centre = {{flag|Massachusetts}}: [[Outline of Massachusetts|Outline]] • [[Index of Massachusetts-related articles|Index]]
 | East = Atlantic Ocean
 | Southwest = {{flag|New Jersey}}
 | South = {{flag|Connecticut}} and {{flag|Rhode Island}}
 | Southeast = [[Cape Cod]]<br />[[Martha's Vineyard]] and [[Nantucket Island]]
}}
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{{New England}}
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[[Category:Massachusetts| ]]
[[Category:1788 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Contiguous United States]]
[[Category:New England states]]
[[Category:Northeastern United States]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1788]]
[[Category:States of the East Coast of the United States]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]