Data / Rankings / Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Cities in Massachusetts

Cities in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Somerville, MA had the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 54 cities in 2023, at 79.3%. Amherst Town, MA had the lowest, at 52.9%. The median was 67.6% and the figure for Massachusetts was 67.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest79.3Somerville, MA
Lowest52.9Amherst Town, MA
Median67.654 cities
Massachusetts67.2History

All cities, 2023

Somerville, MA: 79.3 %Somerville, MA79.3Woburn, MA: 73 %Woburn, MA73Marlborough, MA: 72.6 %Marlborough, MA72.6Everett, MA: 72.5 %Everett, MA72.5North Attleborough Town, MA: 72.4 %North Attleborough Town, MA72.4Salem, MA: 71.6 %Salem, MA71.6Malden, MA: 71.6 %Malden, MA71.6Medford, MA: 71.2 %Medford, MA71.2Attleboro, MA: 71.1 %Attleboro, MA71.1Framingham, MA: 70.9 %Framingham, MA70.9Franklin Town, MA: 70.8 %Franklin Town, MA70.8Quincy, MA: 70.8 %Quincy, MA70.8Boston, MA: 70.5 %Boston, MA70.5Revere, MA: 70 %Revere, MA70Haverhill, MA: 70 %Haverhill, MA70Braintree Town, MA: 69.8 %Braintree Town, MA69.8Waltham, MA: 69.6 %Waltham, MA69.6Cambridge, MA: 69.5 %Cambridge, MA69.5Beverly, MA: 69 %Beverly, MA69Melrose, MA: 69 %Melrose, MA69Lawrence, MA: 68.9 %Lawrence, MA68.9Weymouth Town, MA: 68.9 %Weymouth Town, MA68.9Randolph Town, MA: 68.7 %Randolph Town, MA68.7Newburyport, MA: 68.3 %Newburyport, MA68.3Leominster, MA: 68.2 %Leominster, MA68.2Winthrop Town, MA: 68 %Winthrop Town, MA68Fitchburg, MA: 67.7 %Fitchburg, MA67.7Brockton, MA: 67.6 %Brockton, MA67.6Lowell, MA: 67.4 %Lowell, MA67.4Taunton, MA: 67.2 %Taunton, MA67.2Chelsea, MA: 67.1 %Chelsea, MA67.1Lynn, MA: 66.6 %Lynn, MA66.6West Springfield Town, MA: 66.3 %West Springfield Town, MA66.3Newton, MA: 65.7 %Newton, MA65.7Barnstable Town, MA: 65.3 %Barnstable Town, MA65.3Worcester, MA: 65 %Worcester, MA65Agawam Town, MA: 64.6 %Agawam Town, MA64.6Pittsfield, MA: 64.5 %Pittsfield, MA64.5Peabody, MA: 64.1 %Peabody, MA64.1Gloucester, MA: 63.9 %Gloucester, MA63.9Southbridge Town, MA: 63.2 %Southbridge Town, MA63.2Bridgewater Town, MA: 62.5 %Bridgewater Town, MA62.5Northampton, MA: 62.1 %Northampton, MA62.1Chicopee, MA: 62 %Chicopee, MA62New Bedford, MA: 61.8 %New Bedford, MA61.8Fall River, MA: 61.4 %Fall River, MA61.4Palmer Town, MA: 61.1 %Palmer Town, MA61.1Westfield, MA: 59.8 %Westfield, MA59.8Springfield, MA: 57.7 %Springfield, MA57.7Greenfield, MA: 57.3 %Greenfield, MA57.3Gardner, MA: 56.9 %Gardner, MA56.9Holyoke, MA: 56.1 %Holyoke, MA56.1North Adams, MA: 54.3 %North Adams, MA54.3Amherst Town, MA: 52.9 %Amherst Town, MA52.9Somerville, MA: 79.3 %Somerville, MA79.3Woburn, MA: 73 %Woburn, MA73Marlborough, MA: 72.6 %Marlborough, MA72.6Everett, MA: 72.5 %Everett, MA72.5North Attleborough Town, MA: 72.4 %North Attleborough Town, MA72.4Salem, MA: 71.6 %Salem, MA71.6Malden, MA: 71.6 %Malden, MA71.6Medford, MA: 71.2 %Medford, MA71.2Attleboro, MA: 71.1 %Attleboro, MA71.1Framingham, MA: 70.9 %Framingham, MA70.9Franklin Town, MA: 70.8 %Franklin Town, MA70.8Quincy, MA: 70.8 %Quincy, MA70.8Boston, MA: 70.5 %Boston, MA70.5Revere, MA: 70 %Revere, MA70Haverhill, MA: 70 %Haverhill, MA70Braintree Town, MA: 69.8 %Braintree Town, MA69.8Waltham, MA: 69.6 %Waltham, MA69.6Cambridge, MA: 69.5 %Cambridge, MA69.5Beverly, MA: 69 %Beverly, MA69Melrose, MA: 69 %Melrose, MA69Lawrence, MA: 68.9 %Lawrence, MA68.9Weymouth Town, MA: 68.9 %Weymouth Town, MA68.9Randolph Town, MA: 68.7 %Randolph Town, MA68.7Newburyport, MA: 68.3 %Newburyport, MA68.3Leominster, MA: 68.2 %Leominster, MA68.2Winthrop Town, MA: 68 %Winthrop Town, MA68Fitchburg, MA: 67.7 %Fitchburg, MA67.7Brockton, MA: 67.6 %Brockton, MA67.6Lowell, MA: 67.4 %Lowell, MA67.4Taunton, MA: 67.2 %Taunton, MA67.2Chelsea, MA: 67.1 %Chelsea, MA67.1Lynn, MA: 66.6 %Lynn, MA66.6West Springfield Town, MA: 66.3 %West Springfield Town, MA66.3Newton, MA: 65.7 %Newton, MA65.7Barnstable Town, MA: 65.3 %Barnstable Town, MA65.3Worcester, MA: 65 %Worcester, MA65Agawam Town, MA: 64.6 %Agawam Town, MA64.6Pittsfield, MA: 64.5 %Pittsfield, MA64.5Peabody, MA: 64.1 %Peabody, MA64.1Gloucester, MA: 63.9 %Gloucester, MA63.9Southbridge Town, MA: 63.2 %Southbridge Town, MA63.2Bridgewater Town, MA: 62.5 %Bridgewater Town, MA62.5Northampton, MA: 62.1 %Northampton, MA62.1Chicopee, MA: 62 %Chicopee, MA62New Bedford, MA: 61.8 %New Bedford, MA61.8Fall River, MA: 61.4 %Fall River, MA61.4Palmer Town, MA: 61.1 %Palmer Town, MA61.1Westfield, MA: 59.8 %Westfield, MA59.8Springfield, MA: 57.7 %Springfield, MA57.7Greenfield, MA: 57.3 %Greenfield, MA57.3Gardner, MA: 56.9 %Gardner, MA56.9Holyoke, MA: 56.1 %Holyoke, MA56.1North Adams, MA: 54.3 %North Adams, MA54.3Amherst Town, MA: 52.9 %Amherst Town, MA52.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Somerville, MA79.3+0.2 pts
2Woburn, MA73+0.8 pts
3Marlborough, MA72.6+0.6 pts
4Everett, MA72.50 pts
5North Attleborough Town, MA72.4+0.5 pts
6Salem, MA71.6+1.2 pts
7Malden, MA71.6+1.2 pts
8Medford, MA71.2-0.8 pts
9Attleboro, MA71.1-0.2 pts
10Framingham, MA70.9-0.1 pts
11Franklin Town, MA70.8-0.9 pts
12Quincy, MA70.8+0.1 pts
13Boston, MA70.5+0.7 pts
14Revere, MA70+0.7 pts
15Haverhill, MA70+0.2 pts
16Braintree Town, MA69.8-0.2 pts
17Waltham, MA69.6+0.2 pts
18Cambridge, MA69.5-0.3 pts
19Beverly, MA69+0.5 pts
19Melrose, MA69-0.3 pts
21Lawrence, MA68.9-0 pts
21Weymouth Town, MA68.9-0.4 pts
23Randolph Town, MA68.7+0.1 pts
24Newburyport, MA68.3-0.7 pts
25Leominster, MA68.2+0.7 pts
26Winthrop Town, MA68-1.7 pts
27Fitchburg, MA67.7+1.4 pts
28Brockton, MA67.6-1.1 pts
29Lowell, MA67.4+0.1 pts
30Taunton, MA67.2+1.3 pts
31Chelsea, MA67.1-1.6 pts
32Lynn, MA66.6-0.2 pts
33West Springfield Town, MA66.3-1.2 pts
34Newton, MA65.70 pts
35Barnstable Town, MA65.3-2.3 pts
36Worcester, MA65+1 pts
37Agawam Town, MA64.6-0.2 pts
38Pittsfield, MA64.5-0.2 pts
39Peabody, MA64.1+0.8 pts
40Gloucester, MA63.9-0.5 pts
41Southbridge Town, MA63.2-0.6 pts
42Bridgewater Town, MA62.5-1.3 pts
43Northampton, MA62.1+0.6 pts
44Chicopee, MA62+0.6 pts
45New Bedford, MA61.8-0.9 pts
46Fall River, MA61.4+0.3 pts
47Palmer Town, MA61.1-1.3 pts
48Westfield, MA59.8+0.3 pts
49Springfield, MA57.7+0.4 pts
50Greenfield, MA57.3+0.2 pts
51Gardner, MA56.9-0.3 pts
52Holyoke, MA56.1+1.9 pts
53North Adams, MA54.3-4 pts
54Amherst Town, MA52.9+1.5 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 16 and over in the labor force (employed, unemployed or in the Armed Forces) as a percentage of all people aged 16 and over, including people in group quarters. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The Census Bureau definition used in its data profiles. It differs from the BLS labor_force_participation_rate, which counts the civilian noninstitutional population only.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. 4 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2023 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-cities?period=2023. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-cities?period=2023.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-cities?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_massachusetts_by_2023,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-cities?period=2023. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-cities?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-cities?period=2023.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which city has the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Somerville, MA, with 79.3% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Amherst Town, MA, with 52.9% in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12. 4 cities have no value for 2023 and are not ranked.

Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Cities in Massachusetts: more rankings