The map above shows Massachusetts and Tennessee side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
Massachusetts vs Tennessee Geography
Land area: Massachusetts has a land area of 7,801 square miles (20,204 km²), while Tennessee has 41,224 square miles (106,770 km²). Tennessee's land area is 5.3 times (428%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Total area: Massachusetts: 10,554 square miles (27,335 km²) vs Tennessee: 42,130 square miles (109,116 km²), including inland and coastal water. Tennessee's total area is 4.0 times (299%) larger than Massachusetts'.
Length: Massachusetts is 123 miles (198 km) long from north to south; Tennessee is 191 miles (308 km). Tennessee's north-south length is 1.6 times (55%) longer than Massachusetts'.
Width: Massachusetts spans 185 miles (297 km) east to west; Tennessee spans 497 miles (800 km). Tennessee's east-west width is 2.7 times (169%) wider than Massachusetts'.
Highest point: Massachusetts's highest point is Mount Greylock at 3,489 feet (1,063 m); Tennessee's is Clingmans Dome at 6,624 feet (2,019 m). Clingmans Dome is 3,135 feet higher than Mount Greylock.
Lowest point: Massachusetts's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; Tennessee's is Mississippi River at 178 feet. Massachusetts's lowest point is 178 feet lower.
Massachusetts vs Tennessee Population and History
Population: Massachusetts has a population of 7,136,171 (2024), while Tennessee has 7,227,750 (2024). Massachusetts and Tennessee have about the same population.
Population density: Massachusetts: 914.8 people per square mile vs Tennessee: 175.3. Massachusetts' population density is 5.2 times (422%) higher than Tennessee's.
Biggest city: Massachusetts's biggest city is Boston with 673,458 people; Tennessee's is Nashville with 704,963. Boston and Nashville have about the same population.
Largest metro area: Massachusetts's largest metropolitan area is Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (5,025,517 people) vs Tennessee's Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area (2,150,553). Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area's population is 2.3 times (134%) larger than Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area's.
History: Massachusetts: Admitted to the Union on February 6, 1788, as the 6th state. Tennessee: Admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796, as the 16th state. In its current form, Massachusetts is the older of the two by 8 years.
Massachusetts vs Tennessee Economy
GDP: Massachusetts's GDP is $778.5 billion (2024) vs Tennessee's $561.2 billion. Massachusetts' economic output is 1.4 times (39%) larger than Tennessee's.
GDP per capita: Massachusetts: $109,095 per person vs Tennessee: $77,645. Massachusetts' GDP per capita is 1.4 times (41%) higher than Tennessee's.
Average income: Massachusetts: $93,607 vs Tennessee: $66,504 average income per person (per capita personal income). Massachusetts' average income is 1.4 times (41%) higher than Tennessee's.
Massachusetts vs Tennessee Counties
Number of counties: Massachusetts has 14 counties, while Tennessee has 95. Tennessee's county count is 6.8 times (579%) higher than Massachusetts'.
Biggest county by area: Massachusetts's largest county is Worcester County at 1,511 square miles; Tennessee's is Shelby County at 753 square miles. Worcester County's land area is 2.0 times (101%) larger than Shelby County's.
Smallest county by area: Massachusetts: Nantucket County (46 sq mi) vs Tennessee: Trousdale County (114 sq mi). Trousdale County's land area is 2.5 times (147%) larger than Nantucket County's.
Most populous county: Massachusetts: Middlesex County (1,668,956 people) vs Tennessee: Shelby County (910,530 people). Middlesex County's population is 1.8 times (83%) larger than Shelby County's.
Least populous county: Massachusetts: Nantucket County (14,670 people) vs Tennessee: Pickett County (5,108 people). Nantucket County's population is 2.9 times (187%) larger than Pickett County's.
Richest county: Massachusetts: Nantucket County ($129,250 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Williamson County ($139,704). Williamson County's income is 1.1 times (8%) richer than Nantucket County's.
Poorest county: Massachusetts: Hampshire County ($65,432 per capita income) vs Tennessee: Lake County ($31,572). Hampshire County's income is 2.1 times (107%) richer than Lake County's.
Massachusetts vs Tennessee Taxes
State income tax: Massachusetts has a top income tax rate of 9%, while Tennessee has no state income tax. Massachusetts's top rate is 9 percentage points higher.
Property tax: Massachusetts: 1% effective rate vs Tennessee: 0.45% of home value per year. Massachusetts's rate is 0.55 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: Massachusetts: 6.25% combined state and average local rate vs Tennessee: 9.61%. Tennessee's combined rate is 3.36 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
Massachusetts official website · Tennessee official website
More Size Comparisons
All Massachusetts size comparisons · All Tennessee 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.