- Lead
- 875,215
- Total
- 3,473,668
- vs nation
- D+26.7
- Turnout
- 68.1%
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- D+25.2MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 7,044,0562024 5-year
- Population density
- 903 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 7,801 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $103,9602024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 66.6%2024 5-year
- Black
- 6.4%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 13.3%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+52.7 in 1964MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+43.1 in 1896MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- Rhode Island, RI · twin score 75.8
Midterm durability
Total general-election participants divided by same-year citizen voting-age population. These are total ballots or participating voters—not presidential candidate votes.
- 2024 total turnout
- 68.1%3,512,930 participants ÷ 5,155,254 CVAP
- 2020→2022 drop-off
- +23.6 ptsPresidential-dependent
- Drop-off versus state
- 0.0 ptsPositive means a larger decline than the statewide pattern
- Mechanical 2026 scenario
- 44.5%–49.5%Recent-cycle and two-cycle persistence scenarios; not a forecast
| Election | Participants | CVAP | Turnout | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 · Presidential | 3,378,801 | 4,887,325 | 69.1% | B/A |
| 2018 · Midterm | 2,753,623 | 4,964,686 | 55.5% | B/A |
| 2020 · Presidential | 3,658,005 | 5,030,986 | 72.7% | B/A |
| 2022 · Midterm | 2,511,460 | 5,117,162 | 49.1% | B/A |
| 2024 · Presidential | 3,512,930 | 5,155,254 | 68.1% | B/A |
Sources and methods
- 2016: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-state-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 276/110.
- 2018: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-state-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 279/137.
- 2020: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-state-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 282/1.
- 2022: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-state-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 285/182.
- 2024: numerator source 158, denominator source 157; total voters participating; eavs-f1a-state-v1:observed:aggregated; allocation share 0.0%; series 288/227.
presidential history
Party record book
Massachusetts · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1892–2024 · 34 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Lyndon B. Johnson1964
76.2%
1,786,422 votes · D+52.7
Runner-up · Joe Biden, 2020 · 65.6%
Republican
William McKinley1896
69.5%
278,976 votes · R+43.1
Runner-up · Warren G. Harding, 1920 · 68.5%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Joe Biden2020
2,382,202votes
65.6% of the vote · D+33.5
Runner-up · Kamala Harris, 2024 · 2,126,518 votes
Republican
Dwight D. Eisenhower1956
1,393,197votes
59.3% of the vote · R+18.9
Runner-up · Ronald Reagan, 1984 · 1,310,936 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
George McGovern1972
+32.1pts D vs U.S.
Place D+9.0 · U.S. R+23.2
Runner-up · Hubert Humphrey, 1968 · +30.8 pts
Republican
William McKinley1896
+37.1pts R vs U.S.
Place R+43.1 · U.S. R+6.1
Runner-up · William H. Taft, 1912 · +16.0 pts
On the ballot
Incumbent Maura Healey (D) is running for re-election and is effectively unopposed for the Democratic nomination (presumptive). Primary is September 1, 2026 (not yet held). On the GOP side, the April state convention endorsed Michael Minogue (~70%+) and qualified both Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve for the ballot while eliminating earlier frontrunner Mike Kennealy; Minogue is the frontrunner but the primary is still contested.
September 1, 2026 primary not yet held. Incumbent Ed Markey (D) is running for a third full term and faces a genuinely competitive primary challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton (polls tightened to ~5 pts by May 2026), so neither is a cleared-field frontrunner. On the GOP side, John Deaton is the cleared-field presumptive nominee (MassGOP-endorsed); Nathan Bech is a minor declared challenger. Race rated Safe Democratic.
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
| Year | Seats won | D % | R % | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D 9 | 67.9% | 8.7% | 3,512,930 | |
| D 9 | 65.2% | 28.1% | 2,511,461 | |
| D 9 | 74.6% | 21.0% | 3,326,658 | |
| D 9 | 78.2% | 20.0% | 2,485,081 |
Registered voters
By party of registration, over time
Registration leans Democratic; the presidential vote runs 7.8 points more Democratic than the rolls.
5,025,826 registered voters · 2025
Who moves in and out
Net domestic migration over time
−33,340 net domestic migration · 2025
Net −307,623 over 2011–2025 · gain loss
| Year | Net domestic migration |
|---|---|
| 2011 | −5,472 |
| 2012 | −7,745 |
| 2013 | −3,094 |
| 2014 | −10,782 |
| 2015 | −22,573 |
| 2016 | −30,169 |
| 2017 | −25,009 |
| 2018 | −27,223 |
| 2019 | −30,274 |
| 2021 | −9,433 |
| 2022 | −47,954 |
| 2023 | −35,360 |
| 2024 | −19,195 |
| 2025 | −33,340 |
The best-educated, highest-earning state in the country still fell eight points toward Trump from 2020 to 2024.
- Best-educated, highest-earning
- 1st of 50 in bachelor’s degrees (47.3%) and median household income ($103,960 vs U.S. $80,734) · ACS 2024 5-year
- The 2024 slip
- D+33.2 (2020) → D+25.2 (2024) — an 8-pt shift to Trump, in step with the Northeast · MIT Election Lab
- Competitive in living memory
- Republican for president in 1980 and 1984 (Reagan R+2.8); Dukakis won his home state by just 7.9 in 1988 · MIT Election Lab
- The tightening southeast
- Bristol County (New Bedford, Fall River): D+11.9 (2020) → D+1.3 (2024) — the closest county in the state; Plymouth D+8.8 · MIT Election Lab
- The Democratic floor
- Boston’s Suffolk D+52.1 and Dukes D+52.4 lead; the university counties run wide — Hampshire D+41.7, Berkshire D+39.7, Middlesex D+39.2 · MIT Election Lab 2024
- Secular and Catholic-rooted
- 2nd of 50 in Catholic adherence (35.5%), yet 51% claim no religion · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB)
The states whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Massachusetts. Akashic. https://akashic.app/state/MA/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.