Capital and largest city in Massachusetts, United States
Boston is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It serves as a cultural and financial center of New England, a region of the Northeastern United States. Boston has an area of 48.4 sq mi (125 km2) and a population of 675,647 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in the Northeastern United States after New York City and Philadelphia. The larger Greater Boston metropolitan statistical area had a population of 4.9 million in 2023, making it the largest metropolitan area in New England and the eleventh-largest in the United States.Wikipedia
New England sits at the northeastern edge of the American continent, where colonial-era brick cities give way to dense forests, rocky coastlines, and some of the sharpest seasonal swings in the country. Harsh winters and short days are offset by world-class autumn foliage and reliably mild summers. Boston anchors a global biotech and university corridor, while smaller cities like Portland (ME), Providence, and Burlington punch well above their demographic weight in food, arts, and startup energy.
Housing costs vary significantly across the region. Greater Boston has moved toward coastal norms, but mid-sized cities in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont still represent some of the best value in the Northeast — walkable downtowns, strong school systems, and mountain or ocean access within an hour. Remote workers have accelerated this dynamic, and small lakeside and coastal towns that were once seasonal are now year-round communities.
Compare Boston with other cities
Stack it side-by-side against cities you're considering.