Population Comparison
Demographics

California vs Massachusetts: Population

California has a larger population than Massachusetts by 32,508,306 people.

California flag
California
CA • West
Winner
39,538,223
Total resident population (2020 Census).
Massachusetts flag
Massachusetts
MA • Northeast
7,029,917
Total resident population (2020 Census).

Visual Comparison

California 39,538,223
Massachusetts 7,029,917

Difference: +32,508,306 people — California leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for population.

California #1 · 39,538,223
Massachusetts #15 · 7,029,917
Lowest Highest

Top 10 States — Population

#1 California flag California
39,538,223
#2 Texas flag Texas
29,145,505
#3 Florida flag Florida
21,538,187
#4 New York flag New York
20,201,249
#5 Pennsylvania flag Pennsylvania
13,002,700
#6 Illinois flag Illinois
12,812,508
#7 Ohio flag Ohio
11,799,448
#8 Georgia flag Georgia
10,711,908
#9 North Carolina flag North Carolina
10,439,388
#10 Michigan flag Michigan
10,077,331
Selected states
#15 Massachusetts flag Massachusetts
7,029,917

California ranks 1st and Massachusetts ranks 15th nationally for population.

Related Context

Population in Context

Raw headcount only tells part of the story — density and education round it out.

What This Means

California vs Massachusetts: Population in context

California has a population of 39,538,223, compared with 7,029,917 in Massachusetts — roughly 5.6× the Massachusetts figure. Total resident population (2020 Census).

California
39,538,223
Massachusetts
7,029,917
Difference
+32,508,306 people

People Also Ask

California vs Massachusetts Population — Common Questions

Q What is California's population?

California's population is 39,538,223.

Q What is Massachusetts's population?

Massachusetts's population is 7,029,917.

Q Which state has a higher population — California or Massachusetts?

California has a larger population than Massachusetts by 32,508,306 people.

Q How much more population does California have compared to Massachusetts?

+32,508,306 people.

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.