Climate

Most of Massachusetts has a humid continental, with cold winters and warm summers. Far southeast coastal areas are the broad transition zone to temperate climates (humid subtropical climate in some classifications). 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. The climate of Boston is quite representative for the commonwealth, characterized by summer highs of around 81 °F (27 °C) and winter highs of 35 °F (2 °C), and is quite wet. Frosts are frequent all winter, even in coastal areas due to prevailing inland winds. Due to its location near the Atlantic, Massachusetts is vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms.

Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Massachusetts^[148]

Location	July (°F)	July (°C)	January (°F)	January (°C)
Boston	81/65	27/18	36/22	2/–5
Worcester	79/61	26/16	31/17	0/–8
Springfield	84/62	27/17	34/17	1/–8
New Bedford	80/65	26/18	37/23	3/–4
Quincy	80/61	26/16	33/18	1/–7
Plymouth	80/61	27/16	38/20	3/–6

Demographics

Main articles: Demographics of Massachusetts and List of people from Massachusetts

Massachusetts population density map. The centers of high-density settlement, from east to west, are Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Pittsfield, respectively.

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	378,787		—
1800	422,845		11.6%
1810	472,040		11.6%
1820	523,287		10.9%
1830	610,408		16.6%
1840	737,699		20.9%
1850	994,514		34.8%
1860	1,231,066		23.8%
1870	1,457,351		18.4%
1880	1,783,085		22.4%
1890	2,238,947		25.6%
1900	2,805,346		25.3%
1910	3,366,416		20.0%
1920	3,852,356		14.4%
1930	4,249,614		10.3%
1940	4,316,721		1.6%
1950	4,690,514		8.7%
1960	5,148,578		9.8%
1970	5,689,170		10.5%
1980	5,737,037		0.8%
1990	6,016,425		4.9%
2000	6,349,097		5.5%
2010	6,547,629		3.1%
Est. 2016	6,811,779		4.0%
[7][149][150][151]

The United States Census Bureau estimated that the population of Massachusetts was 6,794,422 on July 1, 2015, a 3.77% increase since the 2010 United States Census.^[7]
As of 2014, Massachusetts was estimated to be the third most densely populated U.S. state, with 839.4 people per square mile,^[7] behind New Jersey and Rhode Island. In 2014, Massachusetts had 1,011,811 foreign-born residents or 15% of the population.^[7]
Most Bay State 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. The 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.^[152][153]
Like the rest of the northeastern United States, the population of Massachusetts has continued to grow in the past few decades. Massachusetts is the fastest growing state in New England and the 25th fastest growing state in the United States.^[154] Population growth was largely due to a relatively high quality of life and a large higher education system in the state.^[154]
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 Census (particularly in Massachusetts gateway cities where costs of living are lower).^[155][156] 40% of foreign immigrants were from 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 Rican descent.^[155] Many areas of Massachusetts showed relatively stable population trends between 2000 and 2010.^[156] 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.^[156]
By gender, 48.4% were male and 51.6% were female in 2014. In terms of age, 79.2% were over 18 years old and 14.8% were over 65 years old.^[7]