Is being in an area of Massachusetts that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Boston and Worcester, while others want peace and quiet like in Palmer Town and North Adams, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in Massachusetts have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Bay State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What’s the fastest growing city in Massachusetts for 2025? Based on the most recent ACS data, Everett ranks as the fastest-growing city in Massachusetts. If you happen to be a resident of Everett, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in Massachusetts grow like weeds.
For more Massachusetts state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In Massachusetts
- Cheapest Places To Live In Massachusetts
- Most Dangerous Cities In Massachusetts
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In Massachusetts For 2025
1. Everett
/10
Population: 49,236
Population 2010: 40,560
Percent Growth 21.4%
Absolute Growth: 8,676
More on Everett: Data
2. Revere
/10
Population: 59,933
Population 2010: 50,008
Percent Growth 19.8%
Absolute Growth: 9,925
More on Revere: Data
3. Lawrence
/10
Population: 88,297
Population 2010: 75,177
Percent Growth 17.5%
Absolute Growth: 13,120
More on Lawrence: Data
4. Methuen Town
/10
Population: 53,043
Population 2010: 46,393
Percent Growth 14.3%
Absolute Growth: 6,650
More on Methuen Town: Data
5. Chelsea
/10
Population: 39,460
Population 2010: 34,532
Percent Growth 14.3%
Absolute Growth: 4,928
More on Chelsea: Data
6. Worcester
/10
Population: 205,501
Population 2010: 179,994
Percent Growth 14.2%
Absolute Growth: 25,507
More on Worcester: Data
7. Cambridge
/10
Population: 117,794
Population 2010: 103,506
Percent Growth 13.8%
Absolute Growth: 14,288
More on Cambridge: Data
8. Malden
/10
Population: 65,509
Population 2010: 58,180
Percent Growth 12.6%
Absolute Growth: 7,329
More on Malden: Data
9. Lynn
/10
Population: 100,905
Population 2010: 89,625
Percent Growth 12.6%
Absolute Growth: 11,280
More on Lynn: Data
10. Brockton
/10
Population: 105,080
Population 2010: 93,869
Percent Growth 11.9%
Absolute Growth: 11,211
More on Brockton: Data
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Bay State for 2025
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2023)
We ranked all 52 Massachusetts cities with a population over 12,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Bay State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the fastest growing cities in Massachusetts.
Here’s a graph of the cities in Massachusetts with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In Massachusetts, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in Massachusetts are led by Everett which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in Massachusetts are Everett, Revere, Lawrence, Methuen Town, Chelsea, Worcester, Cambridge, Malden, Lynn, and Brockton.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- North Adams
- Holyoke
- Pittsfield
For more Massachusetts reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Massachusetts
- Safest Places In Massachusetts
- Worst Places To Live In Massachusetts
Fastest Growing Places In Massachusetts For 2025
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everett | 49,236 | 40,560 | 21.4% | 8,676 |
| 2 | Revere | 59,933 | 50,008 | 19.8% | 9,925 |
| 3 | Lawrence | 88,297 | 75,177 | 17.5% | 13,120 |
| 4 | Methuen Town | 53,043 | 46,393 | 14.3% | 6,650 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 39,460 | 34,532 | 14.3% | 4,928 |
| 6 | Worcester | 205,501 | 179,994 | 14.2% | 25,507 |
| 7 | Cambridge | 117,794 | 103,506 | 13.8% | 14,288 |
| 8 | Malden | 65,509 | 58,180 | 12.6% | 7,329 |
| 9 | Lynn | 100,905 | 89,625 | 12.6% | 11,280 |
| 10 | Brockton | 105,080 | 93,869 | 11.9% | 11,211 |