Whitest cities in Massachusetts research summary. We analyzed Massachusetts’s most recent Census data to determine the whitest cities in Massachusetts based on the percentage of White residents.
91.0% White · #1 whitest in Massachusetts
Located in
Essex County, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal, scenic, and historic city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 17,416 at the 2010 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The mooring, winter storage and maintenance of recreational boats, motor and sail, still contribute a large part of the city’s income. A Coast Guard station oversees boating activity, especially in the swift tidal currents of the Merrimack River.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
88.2% White · #2 whitest in Massachusetts
Located in
Essex County, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts’ North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census. An important center of the fishing industry and a popular summer destination, Gloucester consists of an urban core on the north side of the harbor and the outlying neighborhoods of Annisquam, Bay View, Lanesville, Folly Cove, Magnolia, Riverdale, East Gloucester, and West Gloucester.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
86.3% White · #3 whitest in Massachusetts
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
86.0% White · #4 whitest in Massachusetts
Located in
Berkshire County, Massachusetts
North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population was 13,708 as of the 2010 census, making it the least populous city in the state. Best known as the home of the largest contemporary art museum in the United States, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams has in recent years become a center for tourism, culture and recreation.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
84.3% White · #5 whitest in Massachusetts
Located in
Essex County, Massachusetts
Coordinates: 423329N 705248W 42.558; -70.880
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
83.9% White · #6 whitest in Massachusetts
Palmer is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,140 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Palmer adopted a home rule charter in 2004 with a council-manager form of government. Palmer is one of fourteen Massachusetts municipalities that have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government but wish to retain “The town of- in their official names.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
83.3% White · #7 whitest in Massachusetts
Located in
Hampden County, Massachusetts
Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. Westfield was first settled in 1660. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 41,094 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
82.2% White · #8 whitest in Massachusetts
The Town of Franklin is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Franklin is one of fourteen Massachusetts municipalities that have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government but wish to retain “The town of- in their official names. As of 2012, the city’s population was 33,092. It is home to the country’s first library, with its first books donated by Benjamin Franklin. It also contains the largest Catholic parish in the Boston Archdiocese, St. Mary’s Catholic church, with some 15,000 members.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
78.9% White · #9 whitest in Massachusetts
Weymouth is a city in metropolitan Greater Boston. As of the 2010 census, Weymouth had a total population of 55,643. Weymouth is one of fourteen Massachusetts municipalities that have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government but wish to retain “The town of” in their official names. It is named after Weymouth, Dorset, a coastal town in England. It is the second-oldest European settlement in Massachusetts. Weymouth is considered one of the South Shore’s more affordable towns and offers a short commute into Boston, MBTA bus and rail service and a town beach.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
78.6% White · #10 whitest in Massachusetts
Located in
Hampshire County, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton ) is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton was 28,549.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Massachusetts’s statewide median.
On the map
Where Massachusetts’s White population is concentrated
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the whitest places in Massachusetts for 2026
To rank the whitest places in Massachusetts, we used Saturday Night Science to look at Census demographic data.
We had to look at the number of white people living in each city in Massachusetts on a per capita basis. In other words, the percentage of white people living in each city in Massachusetts.
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 White alone.
We limited our analysis to places with a population greater than 12,000 people. That left us with 48 cities.
We then calculated the percentage of residents that are White. The percentages ranked from 91.0% to 11.6%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percentage of the White population, with a higher percentage being more White. Newburyport took the distinction of being the most White, while Lawrence was the least White city.
We updated this article for 2026. This report represents our eleventh time ranking the whitest cities in Massachusetts.
The full plate
Cities In Massachusetts By White Population
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | White Population | % White |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newburyport | 18,652 | 16,979 | 91.0% |
| 2 | Gloucester | 30,075 | 26,526 | 88.2% |
| 3 | Agawam Town | 28,539 | 24,637 | 86.3% |
| 4 | North Adams | 12,606 | 10,844 | 86.0% |
| 5 | Beverly | 42,665 | 35,972 | 84.3% |
| 6 | Palmer Town | 12,381 | 10,382 | 83.9% |
| 7 | Westfield | 40,378 | 33,620 | 83.3% |
| 8 | Franklin Town | 33,154 | 27,261 | 82.2% |
| 9 | Weymouth Town | 58,505 | 46,156 | 78.9% |
| 10 | Northampton | 30,962 | 24,327 | 78.6% |
| 11 | Gardner | 21,148 | 16,420 | 77.6% |
| 12 | Attleboro | 46,762 | 36,046 | 77.1% |
| 13 | Melrose | 29,650 | 22,792 | 76.9% |
| 14 | Pittsfield | 43,457 | 33,154 | 76.3% |
| 15 | Barnstable Town | 49,568 | 37,595 | 75.8% |
| 16 | Winthrop Town | 18,759 | 13,651 | 72.8% |
| 17 | Peabody | 54,695 | 39,675 | 72.5% |
| 18 | Woburn | 41,939 | 30,069 | 71.7% |
| 19 | West Springfield Town | 28,772 | 20,541 | 71.4% |
| 20 | Taunton | 60,433 | 42,472 | 70.3% |
| 21 | Newton | 89,044 | 60,940 | 68.4% |
| 22 | Leominster | 43,909 | 29,867 | 68.0% |
| 23 | Fall River | 94,082 | 63,635 | 67.6% |
| 24 | Braintree Town | 38,899 | 25,976 | 66.8% |
| 25 | Salem | 44,795 | 29,764 | 66.4% |
| 26 | Medford | 59,354 | 39,188 | 66.0% |
| 27 | Somerville | 81,036 | 53,144 | 65.6% |
| 28 | Haverhill | 67,698 | 43,239 | 63.9% |
| 29 | Chicopee | 55,295 | 35,186 | 63.6% |
| 30 | Waltham | 64,902 | 37,383 | 57.6% |
| 31 | New Bedford | 100,998 | 54,677 | 54.1% |
| 32 | Marlborough | 41,647 | 22,515 | 54.1% |
| 33 | Cambridge | 118,796 | 63,870 | 53.8% |
| 34 | Quincy | 102,114 | 54,799 | 53.7% |
| 35 | Southbridge Town | 17,928 | 9,428 | 52.6% |
| 36 | Fitchburg | 41,798 | 21,893 | 52.4% |
| 37 | Worcester | 207,055 | 100,716 | 48.6% |
| 38 | Revere | 60,012 | 27,967 | 46.6% |
| 39 | Boston | 666,442 | 293,690 | 44.1% |
| 40 | Lowell | 118,368 | 50,095 | 42.3% |
| 41 | Holyoke | 37,813 | 15,990 | 42.3% |
| 42 | Malden | 65,906 | 25,535 | 38.7% |
| 43 | Everett | 50,045 | 17,204 | 34.4% |
| 44 | Lynn | 101,709 | 33,276 | 32.7% |
| 45 | Springfield | 154,749 | 43,089 | 27.8% |
| 46 | Brockton | 105,386 | 28,270 | 26.8% |
| 47 | Chelsea | 39,908 | 7,070 | 17.7% |
| 48 | Lawrence | 88,736 | 10,265 | 11.6% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 48 cities with more than 12,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: White Populations Across Massachusetts
We measured the locations with the highest percentage of white people in Massachusetts. According to the most recent data, this list provides accurate information on the whitest places in Massachusetts.
The most White cities in Massachusetts are Newburyport, Gloucester, Agawam Town, North Adams, Beverly, Palmer Town, Westfield, Franklin Town, Weymouth Town, and Northampton. Not sold on Massachusetts? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
