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What are the fastest-growing counties in Massachusetts?

Hampshire County (+10.4%), Worcester County (+3.7%) and Nantucket County (+3.6%) grew fastest in Massachusetts between 2020 and 2025.

Massachusetts as a whole grew 2.4% between 2020 and 2025, to 7,154,084 residents.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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All 14 Massachusetts counties ranked

Massachusetts counties by population growth
RankCountyResidents 2025Change 2020–25Net migration per 1,000, 2025New homes per 1,000, 2025
1Hampshire County164,065+10.4%−4.31.8
2Worcester County888,502+3.7%−1.41.9
3Nantucket County14,758+3.6%−5.916.9
4Plymouth County546,829+3.5%0.11.7
5Dukes County21,219+3.1%−11.48.6
6Bristol County593,640+2.9%1.51.9
7Middlesex County1,669,979+2.8%−6.71.4
8Barnstable County233,539+2.4%2.32.7
9Essex County826,653+2.3%−6.31.1
10Norfolk County739,749+2.2%−3.31.6
11Hampden County464,338+0.1%−0.90.7
12Suffolk County791,891+0.1%−16.43.0
13Franklin County70,698−0.3%0.10.9
14Berkshire County128,224−1.2%−2.11.2

Ranked by the change in Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025.

Statewide totals

More county rankings for Massachusetts

Metro areas

Fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S.

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Questions

Is Massachusetts growing?

Massachusetts as a whole grew 2.4% between 2020 and 2025, to 7,154,084 residents. Statewide figures add up its counties.

What is the fastest-growing county in Massachusetts?

Hampshire County, which grew 10.4% between 2020 and 2025 to 164,065 residents (Census Bureau population estimates). Worcester County (+3.7%) and Nantucket County (+3.6%) came next.

Which Massachusetts counties are losing population?

2 of the 14 ranked counties had fewer residents in 2025 than in 2020. The steepest declines: Berkshire County (−1.2%), Franklin County (−0.3%).

Where are people moving in Massachusetts?

For their size, Barnstable County (2.3 per 1,000 residents), Bristol County (1.5 per 1,000 residents) and Plymouth County (0.1 per 1,000 residents) drew the most net domestic migration (people moving in from other U.S. counties minus people moving out) in 2025.

Fastest-growing counties in other states

Across the U.S.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.