The map above shows Massachusetts and New Jersey side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Massachusetts vs New Jersey Geography
Land area: Massachusetts has a land area of 7,801 square miles (20,204 km²), while New Jersey has 7,355 square miles (19,049 km²). Massachusetts' land area is 1.1 times (6%) larger than New Jersey's.
Total area: Massachusetts: 10,554 square miles (27,335 km²) vs New Jersey: 8,719 square miles (22,583 km²), including inland and coastal water. Massachusetts' total area is 1.2 times (21%) larger than New Jersey's.
Length: Massachusetts is 123 miles (198 km) long from north to south; New Jersey is 169 miles (271 km). New Jersey's north-south length is 1.4 times (37%) longer than Massachusetts'.
Width: Massachusetts spans 185 miles (297 km) east to west; New Jersey spans 129 miles (207 km). Massachusetts' east-west width is 1.4 times (43%) wider than New Jersey's.
Highest point: Massachusetts's highest point is Mount Greylock at 3,489 feet (1,063 m); New Jersey's is High Point at 1,798 feet (548 m). Mount Greylock is 1,691 feet higher than High Point.
Lowest point: Massachusetts's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; New Jersey's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
Massachusetts vs New Jersey Population and History
Population: Massachusetts has a population of 7,136,171 (2024), while New Jersey has 9,500,851 (2024). New Jersey's population is 1.3 times (33%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Population density: Massachusetts: 914.8 people per square mile vs New Jersey: 1,291.8. New Jersey's population density is 1.4 times (41%) higher than Massachusetts'.
Biggest city: Massachusetts's biggest city is Boston with 673,458 people; New Jersey's is Newark with 317,303. Boston's population is 2.1 times (112%) larger than Newark's.
Largest metro area: Massachusetts's largest metropolitan area is Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (5,025,517 people) vs New Jersey's New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (19,940,274). New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area's population is 4.0 times (297%) larger than Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area's.
History: Massachusetts: Admitted to the Union on February 6, 1788, as the 6th state. New Jersey: Admitted to the Union on December 18, 1787, as the 3rd state. In its current form, New Jersey is the older of the two by 1 years.
Massachusetts vs New Jersey Economy
GDP: Massachusetts's GDP is $778.5 billion (2024) vs New Jersey's $846.0 billion. New Jersey's economic output is 1.1 times (9%) larger than Massachusetts'.
GDP per capita: Massachusetts: $109,095 per person vs New Jersey: $89,045. Massachusetts' GDP per capita is 1.2 times (23%) higher than New Jersey's.
Average income: Massachusetts: $93,607 vs New Jersey: $84,893 average income per person (per capita personal income). Massachusetts' average income is 1.1 times (10%) higher than New Jersey's.
Massachusetts vs New Jersey Counties
Number of counties: Massachusetts has 14 counties, while New Jersey has 21. New Jersey's county count is 1.5 times (50%) higher than Massachusetts'.
Biggest county by area: Massachusetts's largest county is Worcester County at 1,511 square miles; New Jersey's is Burlington County at 799 square miles. Worcester County's land area is 1.9 times (89%) larger than Burlington County's.
Smallest county by area: Massachusetts: Nantucket County (46 sq mi) vs New Jersey: Hudson County (46 sq mi). Nantucket County and Hudson County have about the same land area.
Most populous county: Massachusetts: Middlesex County (1,668,956 people) vs New Jersey: Bergen County (978,641 people). Middlesex County's population is 1.7 times (71%) larger than Bergen County's.
Least populous county: Massachusetts: Nantucket County (14,670 people) vs New Jersey: Salem County (65,874 people). Salem County's population is 4.5 times (349%) larger than Nantucket County's.
Richest county: Massachusetts: Nantucket County ($129,250 per capita income) vs New Jersey: Somerset County ($121,042). Nantucket County's income is 1.1 times (7%) richer than Somerset County's.
Poorest county: Massachusetts: Hampshire County ($65,432 per capita income) vs New Jersey: Cumberland County ($50,843). Hampshire County's income is 1.3 times (29%) richer than Cumberland County's.
Massachusetts vs New Jersey Taxes
State income tax: Massachusetts has a top income tax rate of 9%, while New Jersey has a top income tax rate of 10.75%. New Jersey's top rate is 1.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Massachusetts: 1% effective rate vs New Jersey: 1.89% of home value per year. New Jersey's rate is 0.89 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Massachusetts: 6.25% combined state and average local rate vs New Jersey: 6.6%. New Jersey's combined rate is 0.35 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Massachusetts official website · New Jersey official website
More Size Comparisons
All Massachusetts size comparisons · All New Jersey size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.