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Across most of America, the African American and Hispanic communities comprise "most of the minority". We're not totally sure that's a term, but it's an accurate reflection of the state of race in America.
Asians are a "minority of the minority", generally. But not everywhere.
There are now over 17 million people who identify as Asian living in America, making up 5.6% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Asian population in Massachusetts is 449,793 - at 6.6% of the total population of Massachusetts.
And, unlike African Americans that fall under one group in the Census, Asian Americans have many sub-groups -- Chinese, Filipino, and Indian being the three largest sub-groups.
So, what how does the Asian population stratify across Massachusetts? Which cities and towns in Massachusetts have seen the greatest increase in their Asian population?
Here are the cities in Massachusetts with the largest Asian population in 2021:
Which city in Massachusetts had the largest Asian population? Quincy took the number one over all spot for the largest Asian in Massachusetts for 2021. 30.29% of Quincy identify as Asian.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where Massachusetts ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Asian, check out the best places to live in Massachusetts or the most diverse places in Massachusetts.
The 10 Most Asian Cities In Massachusetts For 2021
/10
Population: 94,207
% Asian: 30.29%
# Of Asian Residents: 28,532
Percent Change Since 2010: 39.15%
More on Quincy: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 111,306
% Asian: 22.97%
# Of Asian Residents: 25,568
Percent Change Since 2010: 22.83%
More on Lowell: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 60,984
% Asian: 22.46%
# Of Asian Residents: 13,696
Percent Change Since 2010: 23.34%
More on Malden: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 116,632
% Asian: 16.59%
# Of Asian Residents: 19,352
Percent Change Since 2010: 38.06%
More on Cambridge: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 88,593
% Asian: 14.84%
# Of Asian Residents: 13,151
Percent Change Since 2010: 45.11%
More on Newton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 37,220
% Asian: 13.83%
# Of Asian Residents: 5,149
Percent Change Since 2010: 111.54%
More on Braintree Town: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 62,777
% Asian: 11.64%
# Of Asian Residents: 7,309
Percent Change Since 2010: 8.51%
More on Waltham: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 80,906
% Asian: 10.19%
# Of Asian Residents: 8,246
Percent Change Since 2010: 14.07%
More on Somerville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 35,401
% Asian: 9.88%
# Of Asian Residents: 3,497
Percent Change Since 2010: 73.12%
More on Watertown Town: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 57,637
% Asian: 9.79%
# Of Asian Residents: 5,643
Percent Change Since 2010: 40.51%
More on Medford: Real Estate | Data | Photos
How We Determined The Cities In Massachusetts With The Largest Asian Population For 2021
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across Massachusetts.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2015-2019 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Asian alone.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 12,000 people. That left us with 53 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 30.3% to 0.4%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Asian population with a higher score being more Asian than a lower score. Quincy took the distinction of being the most Asian, while Southbridge Town was the least Asian city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Massachusetts ranked by population of Asian residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
There You Have It - Asian Populations Across Massachusetts
If you're looking for a breakdown of Asian populations across Massachusetts according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least Asian places in Massachusetts:
- Southbridge Town
- Holyoke
- Barnstable Town
For more Massachusetts reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Massachusetts
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Massachusetts
- Best Places To Retire In Massachusetts
Detailed List Of The Most Asian Cities In Massachusetts
| Rank | City | % Asian |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quincy | 30.29% |
| 2 | Lowell | 22.97% |
| 3 | Malden | 22.46% |
| 4 | Cambridge | 16.59% |
| 5 | Newton | 14.84% |
| 6 | Braintree Town | 13.83% |
| 7 | Waltham | 11.64% |
| 8 | Somerville | 10.19% |
| 9 | Watertown Town | 9.88% |
| 10 | Medford | 9.79% |
| 11 | Boston | 9.59% |
| 12 | Woburn | 8.82% |
| 13 | Everett | 8.14% |
| 14 | Worcester | 7.39% |
| 15 | Lynn | 7.2% |
| 16 | Weymouth Town | 6.75% |
| 17 | Melrose | 6.18% |
| 18 | Franklin Town | 5.76% |
| 19 | Marlborough | 5.46% |
| 20 | Revere | 4.83% |
| 21 | Attleboro | 4.17% |
| 22 | Methuen Town | 4.07% |
| 23 | West Springfield Town | 4.05% |
| 24 | Chelsea | 3.72% |
| 25 | Northampton | 3.27% |
| 26 | Gardner | 3.16% |
| 27 | Leominster | 2.86% |
| 28 | Westfield | 2.82% |
| 29 | Springfield | 2.55% |
| 30 | Salem | 2.51% |
| 31 | Chicopee | 2.36% |
| 32 | Fitchburg | 2.31% |
| 33 | Newburyport | 2.24% |
| 34 | Beverly | 2.1% |
| 35 | Pittsfield | 2.01% |
| 36 | Brockton | 1.97% |
| 37 | Palmer Town | 1.96% |
| 38 | Gloucester | 1.95% |
| 39 | Fall River | 1.88% |
| 40 | Taunton | 1.84% |
| 41 | Lawrence | 1.65% |
| 42 | Agawam Town | 1.57% |
| 43 | New Bedford | 1.55% |
| 44 | Easthampton Town | 1.55% |
| 45 | Haverhill | 1.33% |
| 46 | Greenfield Town | 1.27% |
| 47 | Peabody | 1.12% |
| 48 | Amesbury Town | 1.08% |
| 49 | North Adams | 1.03% |
| 50 | Winthrop Town | 0.95% |
| 51 | Barnstable Town | 0.92% |
| 52 | Holyoke | 0.59% |
| 53 | Southbridge Town | 0.37% |
