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List of Cities and Counties in Massachusetts

Discover Massachusetts’s population facts easily with our list of counties and cities. Find out how many people live in each area, from big cities to small towns, and see how Massachusetts’s population is spread out across the state.

Massachusetts Counties by Population

A county is an administrative subdivision of a US state or territory. As of 2022, Massachusetts is divided into 14 counties.

The most populous county in Massachusetts is  Middlesex County and the least populated is Nantucket County. The Largest county by Land Area in Massachusetts is Worcester County and the smallest by area is Nantucket county.

read about the Population of Massachusetts

#CountyPopulation 2021Area (sq. miles)
1Middlesex County1,614,742824
2Worcester County862,0291,513
3Essex County807,074498
4Suffolk County771,24558
5Norfolk County724,505400
6Bristol County580,164556
7Plymouth County533,003661
8Hampden County462,718618
9Barnstable County232,411396
10Hampshire County161,572529
11Berkshire County128,657931
12Franklin County71,015702
13Dukes County21,097104
14Nantucket County14,49148

Source: US Census report 2021

read about the race and ethnicity in Massachusetts

Top cities in Massachusetts by population

Massachusetts has 14 counties and they consist of 292 towns and 59 cities in Massachusetts. Boston is the largest city with a population of 645,647. It’s followed by Worchester (206,518) and Springfield (155,929).

Let’s have a look at the Top 20 Cities in Massachusetts by Population

#CityCounty Population 2020
1BostonSuffolk 675,647
2WorcesterWorcester 206,518
3SpringfieldHampden 155,929
4CambridgeMiddlesex 118,403
5LowellMiddlesex 115,554
6BrocktonPlymouth 105,643
7QuincyNorfolk101,636
8LynnEssex101,253
9New BedfordBristol101,079
10Fall RiverBristol94,000
11LawrenceEssex 89,143
12NewtonMiddlesex88,923
13SomervilleMiddlesex81,045
14FraminghamMiddlesex72,362
15HaverhillEssex67,787
16MaldenMiddlesex66,263
17WalthamMiddlesex65,218
18BrooklineNorfolk63,191
19RevereSuffolk62,186
20PlymouthPlymouth 61,217

Source: US Census 2020

Most Populous Counties in Massachusetts

The most populous county in Massachusetts is  Middlesex County with 1.6 million residents.  Its followed by Worcester County (0.86 million) and Essex County (0.8 million)

Let’s have a look at the Top 5 most populous counties

#CountyPopulation 2021
1Middlesex County1,614,742
2Worcester County862,029
3Essex County807,074
4Suffolk County771,245
5Norfolk County724,505
Least Populated Massachusetts County

The least populous county is Nantucket County with 14,491 residents, it’s followed by Dukes and Franklin County.

Let’s have look at 5 least populated counties in Massachusetts

#CountyPopulation 2021
1Nantucket County14,491
2Dukes County21,097
3Franklin County71,015
4Berkshire County128,657
5Hampshire County161,572

source: US Census 2021

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Largest counties in Massachusetts by area

The Largest county by Land Area in Massachusetts is Worcester County with an area of 1,513 sq. miles. Berkshire with an area of 931 sq. mi. comes next followed by Middlesex County (824 sq. mi.)

Let’s have a look at the Top 5 counties by Area

#CountyArea (sq. miles)
1Worcester County1,513
2Berkshire County931
3Middlesex County824
4Franklin County702
5Plymouth County661
Smallest County in Massachusetts by area

The smallest county by area in Massachusetts is Nantucket with an area of 48 square miles.

#CountyArea (sq. miles)
1Nantucket County48
2Suffolk County58
3Dukes County104
4Barnstable County396
5Norfolk County400

source: US Census report 2021

Most densely populated Counties in Massachusetts

The most densely populated county in Massachusetts is Suffolk County, with 13,298 people per sq. mi. Next comes Middlesex County with 1,960 people per sq. mi followed by Norfolk  County (1,811/ sq.mi)

Let’s have a look at the Top 5 densely populated counties

#CountyDensity (people/sq.mi.)
1Suffolk County13,297.33
2Middlesex County1,959.64
3Norfolk County1,811.26
4Essex County1,620.63
5Bristol County1,043.46
Least densely Populated County in Massachusetts

Franklin county is the least densely populated County in Massachusetts

#CountyDensity (people/sq.mi.)
1Franklin County101.16
2Berkshire County138.19
3Dukes County202.86
4Nantucket County301.90
5Hampshire County305.43
List of Counties in Massachusetts 2024 | Top Cities in Massachusetts