The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Massachusetts was 6,646,144 on July 1, 2012, a 1.5% increase since the 2010 United States Census.
Massachusetts had an estimated 2012 population of 6,646,144. As of 2000, Massachusetts was estimated to be the third most densely populated U.S. state, with 809.8 people per square mile, behind New Jersey and Rhode Island. Massachusetts in 2008 included 919,771 foreign-born residents.
Most Bay Staters live within the Boston Metropolitan Area, also known as Greater Boston, which in its most expansive sense includes New England's two largest cities, Boston and Worcester. The state's only other metropolitan area is the Springfield Metropolitan Area, also known as Greater Springfield. Centered in the Connecticut River Valley, Greater Springfield includes the revitalizing city of Springfield, and an eclectic array of college towns, (e.g. Amherst and Northampton) and rural areas to the north and west. Geographically, the center of population of Massachusetts is located in the town of Natick.
Like the rest of the northeastern United States, the population of Massachusetts has continued to grow in the past few decades, although at a slower pace than states in the South or West. The latest census estimates show that Massachusetts's population grew by 3.9% since 2000, compared with nearly 10% nationwide. In their decisions to leave Massachusetts, most former residents cited high housing costs and a high cost of living. Another factor has been the transformation from a manufacturing economy into one based on high technology, leaving limited employment options for lower-skilled workers, particularly males.
Foreign immigration is more than making up for these losses, causing the state's population to continue to grow as of the 2010 Census (particularly in Massachusetts gateway cities where costs of living are lower). 40% of foreign immigrants were from Central or South America, according to a 2005 Census Bureau study. Many residents who have settled in Greater Springfield claim Puerto Rican descent. Many areas of Massachusetts showed relatively stable population trends between 2000 and 2010. Exurban Boston and coastal areas grew the most rapidly, while Berkshire County in far Western Massachusetts and Barnstable County on Cape Cod were the only counties to lose population as of the 2010 Census. Both of these counties feature many "second homes," and constitute major centers of Massachusetts tourism.
In 2005, 79% of the state population spoke English, 7% spoke Spanish, 3.5% spoke Portuguese, and 1% spoke either French or Chinese.
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 6,547,629, of which 3,166,628 (48.4%) were male and 3,381,001 (51.6%) were female. In terms of age, 78.3% were over 18 years old and 13.8% were over 65 years old; the median age is 39.1 years. The median age for males is 37.7 years and 40.3 years for females.
Race and ancestryIn terms of race and ethnicity, Massachusetts was 84.1% White (76.4% Non-Hispanic Whites, 7.8% White Hispanic ), 7.8% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.6% Asian (1.9% Chinese, 1.2% Asian Indian, and 0.7% Vietnamese), <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 4.7% from Some Other Race, and 2.0% from Two or More Races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 9.9% of the population (4.1% Puerto Rican).
The state's most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic white, has declined from 95.4% in 1970 to 76.4% in 2011. As of 2011, non-Hispanic whites were involved in 63.6% of all the births.
As late as 1795, the population of Massachusetts was nearly 95% of English ancestry. During the early and mid 19th century, immigrant groups began arriving to Massachusetts in large numbers; first from Ireland in the 1840s; 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 and Poland. In the early 20th century, a number of African Americans migrated to Massachusetts, although in somewhat fewer numbers than many other Northern states. Later in the 20th century, immigration from Latin America, Africa, and East Asia increased considerably. Massachusetts has the third largest population of Haitians in the United States.
Massachusetts also has a relatively large population of Portuguese descent. Many of the earliest Portuguese-speaking immigrants came from the Azores in the 19th century to work in the whaling industry in cities like New Bedford. Later, further waves of Portuguese arrived, this time often finding work in the textile mills. Lowell is home to the second-largest Cambodian (Khmer) community in the nation. The Wampanoag tribe maintains reservations at Aquinnah on Martha's Vineyard, at Grafton, and at Mashpee on Cape Cod, while the Nipmuck maintain two state-recognized reservations in the central part of the state. While Massachusetts had avoided many of the more violent forms of racial strife seen elsewhere in the US, examples such as the successful electoral showings of the nativist (mainly anti-Catholic) Know Nothings in the 1850s, the controversial Sacco and Vanzetti executions in the 1920s, and Boston's opposition to desegregation busing in the 1970s show that the ethnic history of Massachusetts was not completely harmonious.
ReligionMassachusetts was founded and settled by the Puritans in 1628. The descendants of the Puritans belong to many different churches; in the direct line of inheritance are the Congregational/United Church of Christ, and congregations of Unitarian Universalist Association. Most people in Massachusetts were Christians. The headquarters of the Unitarian Universalist Association is located on Beacon Hill in Boston.
Today, Protestants make up less than one quarter of the state's population. Roman Catholics now predominate because of massive immigration from primarily Ireland, followed by Italy, Portugal, Quebec, and Latin America. A large Jewish population came to the Boston and Springfield areas in 1880–1920. Mary Baker Eddy made the Boston Mother Church of Christian Science the world headquarters. Buddhists, Pagans, Hindus, Seventh-day Adventists, Muslims, and Mormons also can be found. Kripalu Center in Stockbridge, the Shaolin Meditation Temple in Springfield, and the Insight Meditation Center in Barre are examples of non-Abrahamic religious centers in Massachusetts. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives the largest single denominations are the Roman Catholic Church with 3,092,296; the United Church of Christ with 121,826; and the Episcopal Church with 98,963 adherents. Jewish congregations had about 275,000 members.
The religious affiliations of the people of Massachusetts, according to a 2001 survey, are shown below:
Built in 1681, the Old Ship Church in Hingham is the oldest church in America in continuous ecclesiastical use. Christian – 69% Catholic – 44% Protestant denominations – 25% Non-specific Protestant – 4% Baptist – 4% Congregational/United Church of Christ – 3% Episcopal – 3% Other denominations (2% or less each) – 11% Jewish – 2% Muslim – 1% Other – 7% No religion – 16% Refused to answer – 7%
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