Massachusetts Experiences Largest Population Growth in 60 Years

News Summary

Massachusetts has recorded its largest population increase in six decades with a nearly 1% rise from 2023 to 2024, adding approximately 69,603 residents. This marks a notable reversal from previous trends of outmigration. Key cities like Boston and Revere have shown significant growth, while international migration has greatly contributed to offsetting losses from domestic outmigration. Despite concerns over high living costs, the state’s demographic shift signals resilience and adaptation in its urban planning and housing policies.

Boston – Massachusetts has experienced its largest population growth in 60 years, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2024 estimates. The state saw a nearly 1% increase in population from 2023 to 2024, adding approximately 69,603 residents. This marks a significant reversal in trends, considering ongoing concerns about residents moving out of the state.

As of July 1, 2024, Massachusetts’s population reached 7,136,171, up from 7,066,568 the previous year. Notably, four out of five municipalities in the state showed slight population growth over the past year, contributing to the overall increase. Boston, the state’s largest city, accounted for 8,855 of these new residents, leading to a population of over 673,000, an increase of around 1.3%.

Among cities with at least 50,000 residents, Revere reported a growth rate of 2.94%, while Stoneham led all towns with a substantial increase of 6.3%, adding 1,452 people. However, the state also faced some challenges, with 61 communities reporting population losses year-over-year. Concord was the hardest hit, losing 181 residents, or roughly 1%.

The recent growth trend encapsulates finding a balance where international migration plays a vital role. Between July 1, 2023, and July 1, 2024, Massachusetts welcomed over 90,000 international migrants, significantly contributing to the population rise. This surge in humanitarian migration has effectively offset the ongoing domestic outmigration, where about 27,500 residents left the state, a decrease from 36,500 the previous year and 54,800 in 2022.

This dramatic shift in population dynamics comes during a period where, traditionally, the Northeast has struggled with outpopulation trends. For the first time in several years, the Northeast region as a whole reported population growth, with some cities under 5,000 people growing by 0.1% and larger cities with populations of 50,000 or more averaging a 1.0% growth increase.

While many residents still seek greener pastures in states with lower costs of living, the influx of new immigrants has compensated for these losses. The UMass Donahue Institute highlighted that the combination of slowed domestic outmigration and record international migration has spurred this notable growth, which has not been seen since 1964.

Data over the period from 2020 to 2024 indicates a cumulative population increase of approximately 141,000 people, representing a 2% growth. Secretary of State William Galvin has emphasized the importance of accurate population counts for federal funding allocated to essential services such as schools, transportation, and health care.

Despite the optimism surrounding the recent growth trend, concerns about high housing costs and living expenses persist. The UMass analysis suggests that these factors, which previously contributed to outmigration, can be somewhat mitigated by current immigration trends emphasizing the necessity of adapting urban planning and housing policies to accommodate the growing population.

In summary, Massachusetts is navigating through a demographic shift that indicates resilience with fresh waves of immigration coupled with a decline in domestic outmigration, creating a novel narrative for the state’s population landscape in recent years.

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Additional Resources

• MassLive: State failing to tap dynamism of Hispanic/Latino population growth
• Boston Globe: Latino population growth in Massachusetts 2025 report
• WWLP: Massachusetts sees largest population increase in 60 years
• Wikipedia: Demographics of Massachusetts
• Google Search: Massachusetts population growth