The map above shows District of Columbia and Massachusetts side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
District of Columbia vs Massachusetts Geography
Land area: District of Columbia has a land area of 61 square miles (158 km²), while Massachusetts has 7,801 square miles (20,204 km²). Massachusetts' land area is 127.9 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Total area: District of Columbia: 68 square miles (177 km²) vs Massachusetts: 10,554 square miles (27,335 km²), including inland and coastal water. Massachusetts' total area is 154.4 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Length: District of Columbia is 13 miles (22 km) long from north to south; Massachusetts is 123 miles (198 km). Massachusetts' north-south length is 9.5 times (846%) longer than District of Columbia's.
Width: District of Columbia spans 12 miles (19 km) east to west; Massachusetts spans 185 miles (297 km). Massachusetts' east-west width is 15.4 times wider than District of Columbia's.
Highest point: District of Columbia's highest point is Fort Reno at 429 feet (131 m); Massachusetts's is Mount Greylock at 3,489 feet (1,063 m). Mount Greylock is 3,060 feet higher than Fort Reno.
Lowest point: District of Columbia's lowest point is Potomac River at 0 feet; Massachusetts's is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
District of Columbia vs Massachusetts Population and History
Population: District of Columbia has a population of 702,250 (2024), while Massachusetts has 7,136,171 (2024). Massachusetts' population is 10.2 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Population density: District of Columbia: 11,493.5 people per square mile vs Massachusetts: 914.8. District of Columbia's population density is 12.6 times higher than Massachusetts'.
Biggest city: District of Columbia's biggest city is Washington with 702,250 people; Massachusetts's is Boston with 673,458. Washington and Boston have about the same population.
Largest metro area: District of Columbia's largest metropolitan area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (6,436,489 people) vs Massachusetts's Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (5,025,517). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area's population is 1.3 times (28%) larger than Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area's.
History: District of Columbia: The federal district, established by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790; not a state. Massachusetts: Admitted to the Union on February 6, 1788, as the 6th state. In its current form, Massachusetts is the older of the two by 2 years.
District of Columbia vs Massachusetts Economy
GDP: District of Columbia's GDP is $184.3 billion (2024) vs Massachusetts's $778.5 billion. Massachusetts' economic output is 4.2 times (322%) larger than District of Columbia's.
GDP per capita: District of Columbia: $262,439 per person vs Massachusetts: $109,095. District of Columbia's GDP per capita is 2.4 times (141%) higher than Massachusetts'.
Average income: District of Columbia: $111,185 vs Massachusetts: $93,607 average income per person (per capita personal income). District of Columbia's average income is 1.2 times (19%) higher than Massachusetts'.
District of Columbia vs Massachusetts Counties
Number of counties: District of Columbia has 1 counties, while Massachusetts has 14. Massachusetts' county count is 14.0 times higher than District of Columbia's.
Biggest county by area: District of Columbia's largest county is District of Columbia at 61 square miles; Massachusetts's is Worcester County at 1,511 square miles. Worcester County's land area is 24.7 times larger than District of Columbia's.
Smallest county by area: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (61 sq mi) vs Massachusetts: Nantucket County (46 sq mi). District of Columbia's land area is 1.3 times (32%) larger than Nantucket County's.
Most populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Massachusetts: Middlesex County (1,668,956 people). Middlesex County's population is 2.4 times (138%) larger than District of Columbia's.
Least populous county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia (702,250 people) vs Massachusetts: Nantucket County (14,670 people). District of Columbia's population is 47.9 times larger than Nantucket County's.
Richest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Massachusetts: Nantucket County ($129,250). Nantucket County's income is 1.2 times (16%) richer than District of Columbia's.
Poorest county: District of Columbia: District of Columbia ($111,185 per capita income) vs Massachusetts: Hampshire County ($65,432). District of Columbia's income is 1.7 times (70%) richer than Hampshire County's.
District of Columbia vs Massachusetts Taxes
State income tax: District of Columbia has a top income tax rate of 10.75%, while Massachusetts has a top income tax rate of 9%. District of Columbia's top rate is 1.75 percentage points higher.
Property tax: District of Columbia: 0.63% effective rate vs Massachusetts: 1% of home value per year. Massachusetts's rate is 0.37 percentage points higher.
Sales tax: District of Columbia: 6% combined state and average local rate vs Massachusetts: 6.25%. Massachusetts's combined rate is 0.25 percentage points higher.
Official Websites
District of Columbia official website · Massachusetts official website
More Size Comparisons
All District of Columbia size comparisons · All Massachusetts 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.