Massachusetts was the 6th state to join the union on February 6, 1788. It was one of the original 13 colonies. Boston is the state capital and its largest city. Massachusetts is the 44th largest state in the U.S. and is bordered by Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
According to the US Census Bureau, the estimated population of Massachusetts is 7,001,399 (July 2023 est.); it ranks as the 16th most populous state.
Official Massachusetts State Facts and Symbols
Every state has their own unique symbols, from birds to flowers to songs and more! Here are some of Massachusetts’s official state symbols:
Nickname: The Bay State
State Bird: Black-Capped Chickadee
State Fish: Cod
State Flower: Mayflower
State Tree: American Elm
State Song: All Hail to Massachusetts
State Motto: “Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem” (By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty)
Find more information about Massachusetts’s state symbols/facts here.
Fun Facts about Massachusetts
– What looks like a big hook in Massachusetts’ eastern coastline is actually land created by glaciers that exposed many rocky bays. Called the Coastal Lowland, this hilly, wet area includes Cape Cod Bay, Martha’s Vineyard and the Nantucket Island.
– Boston cream pie is the official state dessert. The first U.S. chocolate factory was built in Dorchester, and the chocolate chip cookie was invented in 1930 at the Tollhouse Restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts. Quincy, Massachusetts is home to the first Dunkin Donuts.
– Boston’s Freedom Trail is a painted line through the city that leads to 16 historic sites related to the American Revolution including the Paul Revere House, where Revere lived at the time of his famous midnight ride.
– You can visit Plymouth Rock, the boulder that’s said to be the exact spot where the Pilgrims stepped off the Mayflower.
– In the late 1600s about 20 people died because they were accused of witchcraft in a series of hearings called the Salem Witch Trials.
– Massachusetts is the birthplace of the following Presidents: John Adams was born in Braintree on October 30, 1735 (2nd U.S. President). John Quincy Adams was born in Braintree on July 11, 1767 (6th U.S. President). John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in Brookline on May 29, 1917 (35th U.S. President,). George Herbert Walker Bush was born in Milton on June 12, 1924 (41st U.S. President).
NCP Panel Members in Massachusetts
Let’s learn about your fellow panel members in Massachusetts! Here’s how our Massachusetts panel members answered some of our state highlight survey questions.
How long have you been a panel member?
37% of survey respondents have been panel members for 15 years or more
9% have been panel members for less than a year
How long have you lived in your current state?
54% of respondents have lived in Massachusetts their entire life/born there
Is the area you live rural, suburban, or urban?
20% live in rural areas
63% live in suburban areas
17% live in urban areas
Do you have children?
67% of respondents have children
Of those, 22% have children living in their home
Shopping Habits of NCP Panel Members in Massachusetts
We asked panel members questions about how, when, and where they shop, along with some other questions about their shopping habits. Do you think peoples’ shopping habits differ based on where they live?
Here’s what our panel members in Massachusetts had to say about their shopping habits:
When asked how they do most of their shopping, 62% of respondents said they do a combo of online and in-store shopping. 34% said they shop in-store only and 4% said they shop online only.
61% of respondents tend to shop at the same stores vs. 39% who said they shop at a variety of stores.
69% of respondents said they mostly stick to their list when shopping, but sometimes make impulse purchases.
72% of respondents said they shop alone, with another 22% shopping with a spouse or partner.
When it comes to choosing where to shop, 70% of the Massachusetts panel members who responded said they primarily shop at grocery stores and 18% at mass-merchandise retailers.
Price, convenience, and location are the top factors that influence where they decide to shop. Most of our Massachusetts panel members said they shop once a week for groceries and do most of their shopping on Saturdays.
About 86% of survey respondents look for ways to save money while shopping, with digital coupons and joining a store’s loyalty program being the most popular options. They also use paper coupons, use the store sales flyer to plan their list, shop at multiple stores, and subscribe to store emails.
Convenience while shopping
Here’s what Massachusetts panel members had to say about different aspects of shopping:
74% never order groceries online to pick up at the store, while 18% sometimes do.
65% never order groceries online to be delivered, while 25% sometimes do.
When asked if weather influenced their choice between online and in-person shopping, 34% of respondents said weather doesn’t impact their decision, with 33% saying they prefer in-person shopping regardless of the weather.
When asked about self-checkout, 15% of respondents said they always use self-checkout, 37% indicated they frequently use it. 31% of respondents said they rarely use it, and 17% said they never use it.
Interests of panel members in Massachusetts
When asked about the outdoors, 42% said they occasionally participate in outdoor recreational activities. The most popular activities were hiking/walking, cycling, canoeing/kayaking/boating, and swimming. Of the other interests panel members wrote in, the most popular were camping and gardening.
When asked which sports or events they follow, the top responses were football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey.
We also asked what “type” of place or tourist attraction would they recommend to people visiting their state/hometown. The most popular responses were restaurants/culinary places and local markets, historical and cultural museums, beaches and coastal areas, and natural parks and reserves.
When asked what “specific” place or tourist attraction they would recommend in their state/hometown, here are some of the top recommendations:
Boston (Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall)
Cape Cod
Mount Greylock (highest point in MA)
Salem (especially during Halloween week)
Concord & Lexington
Plymouth
We hope you learned something new about Massachusetts! How do your shopping habits compare to panel members in Massachusetts?
Stay tuned for the next state spotlight on…Michigan!
Join NCP!
If you’re not a NCP panel member and you’re interested in joining NCP to share your shopping experiences, earn great rewards, and influence what you see on store shelves, click here or go to the Join NCP section of the blog for more information.
Regards,
Taylor
More from NCP:
Click here for all the Spotlight on States blogs.
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I always enjoy learning about new places even though I am not a traveler. Reading about it and looking at pictures does it for me. Massachusetts is a very interesting place.
I enjoyed the article on Massachusetts. It seems like a great in-state vacation place.
Thank you, Mary!