A census-designated place (CDP) is a special kind of area in the U.S. State of Massachusetts (and other states!) that the U.S. Census Bureau defines for gathering information. It's like a neighborhood or a small community that might not be an official city or town, but it has enough people living there to be counted separately. This article lists all 190 of these special places in Massachusetts.
What are Census-Designated Places?
Imagine a map of a state. You see official cities and towns, right? But sometimes, there are areas that look like towns, with homes and businesses, but they don't have their own local government. They might be part of a larger town or county. That's where a CDP comes in! The Census Bureau draws lines around these areas just for counting people and collecting data.
Why are CDPs important?
CDPs help us understand where people live, even in places that aren't official cities. This information is super useful for planning things like schools, roads, and emergency services. It helps local governments and communities know how many people are in different areas and what they might need. It's all about making sure everyone is counted and understood!
Massachusetts' CDPs
Massachusetts has 190 of these census-designated places. Many of them are parts of larger towns or cities, while some are almost the same size as the official town they are in. The list below shows these places, their population from the 2020 census, the county they are in, and the main city or town they belong to.
CDP |
Population (2020) |
County |
City or town |
Abington |
17,062 |
Plymouth |
Abington (Conterminous) |
Acushnet |
3,030 |
Bristol |
Acushnet |
Adams |
5,466 |
Berkshire |
Adams |
Andover |
9,735 |
Essex |
Andover |
Arlington |
46,308 |
Middlesex |
Arlington (Conterminous) |
Athol |
8,486 |
Worcester |
Athol |
Ayer |
2,986 |
Middlesex |
Ayer |
Baldwinville |
2,117 |
Worcester |
Templeton |
Barre |
1,029 |
Worcester |
Barre |
Belchertown |
3,129 |
Hampshire |
Belchertown |
Bellingham |
4,782 |
Norfolk |
Bellingham |
Belmont |
27,295 |
Middlesex |
Belmont (Conterminous) |
Blandford |
363 |
Hampden |
Blandford |
Bliss Corner |
5,480 |
Bristol |
Dartmouth |
Bourne |
1,497 |
Barnstable |
Bourne |
Boxford |
2,432 |
Essex |
Boxford |
Brewster |
2,028 |
Barnstable |
Brewster |
Brookfield |
824 |
Worcester |
Brookfield |
Brookline |
63,191 |
Norfolk |
Brookline (Conterminous) |
Burlington |
26,377 |
Middlesex |
Burlington (Conterminous) |
Buzzards Bay |
4,279 |
Barnstable |
Bourne |
Cedar Crest |
2,230 |
Plymouth |
Marshfield |
Chatham |
1,551 |
Barnstable |
Chatham |
Cheshire |
545 |
Berkshire |
Cheshire |
Chester |
552 |
Hampden |
Chester |
Clinton |
8,166 |
Worcester |
Clinton |
Cochituate |
6,927 |
Middlesex |
Wayland |
Cordaville |
2,703 |
Worcester |
Southborough |
Danvers |
28,087 |
Essex |
Danvers (Conterminous) |
Dedham |
25,364 |
Norfolk |
Dedham (Conterminous) |
Deerfield |
479 |
Franklin |
Deerfield |
Dennis |
2,399 |
Barnstable |
Dennis |
Dennis Port |
3,487 |
Barnstable |
Dennis |
Devens |
1,697 |
Middlesex & Worcester |
Ayer, Harvard & Shirley |
Dover |
2,452 |
Norfolk |
Dover |
Duxbury |
1,896 |
Plymouth |
Duxbury |
East Brookfield |
1,292 |
Worcester |
East Brookfield |
East Dennis |
2,585 |
Barnstable |
Dennis |
East Douglas |
2,702 |
Worcester |
Douglas |
East Falmouth |
6,278 |
Barnstable |
Falmouth |
East Harwich |
5,250 |
Barnstable |
Harwich |
East Pepperell |
2,120 |
Worcester |
Pepperell |
East Sandwich |
3,669 |
Barnstable |
Sandwich |
Edgartown |
1,107 |
Dukes |
Edgartown |
Essex |
1,517 |
Essex |
Essex |
Falmouth |
3,818 |
Barnstable |
Falmouth |
Fiskdale |
2,797 |
Worcester |
Sturbridge |
Forestdale |
4,116 |
Barnstable |
Sandwich |
Foxborough |
6,227 |
Norfolk |
Foxborough |
Granby |
1,306 |
Hampshire |
Granby |
Great Barrington |
2,234 |
Berkshire |
Great Barrington |
Green Harbor |
394 |
Plymouth |
Duxbury & Marshfield |
Groton |
1,353 |
Middlesex |
Groton |
Hanscom AFB |
1,516 |
Middlesex |
Bedford & Lincoln |
Hanson |
2,028 |
Plymouth |
Hanson |
Harwich Center |
1,995 |
Barnstable |
Harwich |
Harwich Port |
1,899 |
Barnstable |
Harwich |
Hatfield |
1,453 |
Hampshire |
Hatfield |
Hingham |
5,979 |
Plymouth |
Hingham |
Holbrook |
11,405 |
Norfolk |
Holbrook (Conterminous) |
Holland |
1,551 |
Hampden |
Holland |
Hopedale |
3,939 |
Worcester |
Hopedale |
Hopkinton |
2,651 |
Middlesex |
Hopkinton |
Housatonic |
1,083 |
Berkshire |
Great Barrington |
Hudson |
15,749 |
Middlesex |
Hudson |
Hull |
10,072 |
Plymouth |
Hull (Conterminous) |
Huntington |
857 |
Hampshire |
Huntington |
Ipswich |
4,370 |
Essex |
Ipswich |
Kingston |
5,700 |
Plymouth |
Kingston |
Lee |
1,880 |
Berkshire |
Lee |
Lenox |
1,639 |
Berkshire |
Lenox |
Lenox Dale |
466 |
Berkshire |
Lenox |
Lexington |
34,454 |
Middlesex |
Lexington (Conterminous) |
Littleton Common |
3,065 |
Middlesex |
Littleton |
Longmeadow |
15,853 |
Hampden |
Longmeadow (Conterminous) |
Lunenburg |
1,789 |
Worcester |
Lunenburg |
Lynnfield |
13,000 |
Essex |
Lynnfield (Conterminous) |
Madaket |
377 |
Nantucket |
Nantucket |
Mansfield Center |
7,830 |
Bristol |
Mansfield |
Marblehead |
20,441 |
Essex |
Marblehead (Conterminous) |
Marion Center |
1,172 |
Plymoush |
Marion |
Marshfield |
4,653 |
Plymouth |
Marshfield |
Marshfield |
2,491 |
Plymouth |
Marshfield |
Mashpee Neck |
1,076 |
Barnstable |
Mashpee |
Mattapoisett Center |
3,190 |
Plymouth |
Mattapoisett |
Maynard |
10,746 |
Middlesex |
Maynard (Conterminous) |
Medfield |
6,939 |
Norfolk |
Medfield |
Middleborough Center |
7,921 |
Plymouth |
Middleborough |
Milford |
26,971 |
Worcester |
Milford |
Millers Falls |
994 |
Franklin |
Erving & Montague |
Millis-Clicquot |
4,499 |
Norfolk |
Millis |
Milton |
28,630 |
Norfolk |
Milton (Conterminous) |
Monomoscoy Island |
139 |
Barnstable |
Mashpee |
Monson Center |
1,952 |
Hampshire |
Monson |
Monument Beach |
2,784 |
Barnstable |
Bourne |
Nahant |
3,334 |
Essex |
Nahant (Conterminous) |
Nantucket |
10,166 |
Nantucket |
Nantucket |
Needham |
32,091 |
Norfolk |
Needham (Conterminous) |
New Seabury |
852 |
Barnstable |
Mashpee |
Northborough |
6,474 |
Worcester |
Northborough |
North Brookfield |
2,256 |
Worcester |
North Brookfield |
North Eastham |
2,296 |
Barnstable |
Eastham |
North Falmouth |
3,293 |
Barnstable |
Falmouth |
North Lakeville |
3,290 |
Plymouth |
Lakeville |
North Pembroke |
3,490 |
Plymouth |
Pembroke |
Plymouth |
3,983 |
Plymouth |
Plymouth |
North Scituate |
5,414 |
Plymouth |
Scituate |
North Seekonk |
2,726 |
Bristol |
Seekonk |
North Westport |
4,720 |
Bristol |
Westport |
Northfield |
1,051 |
Franklin |
Northfield |
Northwest Harwich |
4,296 |
Barnstable |
Harwich |
Norton Center |
2,677 |
Bristol |
Norton |
Norwood |
31,611 |
Norfolk |
Norwood (Conterminous) |
Oak Bluffs |
2,324 |
Dukes |
Oak Bluffs |
Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock |
4,744 |
Plymouth |
Marshfield |
Ocean Grove |
2,904 |
Bristol |
Swansea |
Onset |
1,617 |
Plymouth |
Wareham |
Orange |
3,636 |
Franklin |
Orange |
Orleans |
1,767 |
Barnstable |
Orleans |
Oxford |
5,928 |
Worcester |
Oxford |
Peperell |
2,390 |
Middlesex |
Pepperell |
Petersham |
225 |
Worcester |
Petersham |
Pinehurst |
7,368 |
Middlesex |
Billerica |
Plymouth |
7,667 |
Plymouth |
Plymouth |
Pocasset |
2,843 |
Barnstable |
Bourne |
Popponesset |
280 |
Barnstable |
Mashpee |
Popponesset Island |
45 |
Barnstable |
Mashpee |
Provincetown |
3,318 |
Barnstable |
Provincetown |
Raynham Center |
4,365 |
Bristol |
Raynham |
Reading |
25,518 |
Middlesex |
Reading (Conterminous) |
Rockport |
5,010 |
Essex |
Rockport |
Rowley |
1,523 |
Essex |
Rowley |
Russell |
690 |
Hampden |
Russell |
Rutland |
2,179 |
Worcester |
Rutland |
Sagamore |
3,851 |
Barnstable |
Bourne |
Salisbury |
5,629 |
Essex |
Salisbury |
Sandwich |
2,998 |
Barnstable |
Sandwich |
Saugus |
28,619 |
Essex |
Saugus (Conterminous) |
Scituate |
5,620 |
Plymouth |
Scituate |
Seabrook |
448 |
Barnstable |
Mashpee |
Seconsett Island |
98 |
Barnstable |
Mashpee |
Sharon |
6,184 |
Norfolk |
Sharon |
Shelburne Falls |
1,719 |
Franklin |
Buckland & Shelburne |
Shirley |
1,611 |
Middlesex |
Shirley |
Siasconset |
505 |
Nantucket |
Nantucket |
Smith Mills |
4,832 |
Bristol |
Dartmouth |
Somerset |
18,303 |
Bristol |
Somerset (Conterminous) |
South Ashburnham |
1,136 |
Worcester |
Ashburnham |
South Deerfield |
1,930 |
Franklin |
Deerfield |
South Dennis |
3,899 |
Barnstable |
Dennis |
South Duxbury |
3,463 |
Plymouth |
Duxbury |
South Lancaster |
1,838 |
Worcester |
Lancaster |
South Yarmouth |
11,703 |
Barnstable |
Yarmouth |
Spencer |
5,810 |
Worcester |
Spencer |
Stoneham |
23,244 |
Middlesex |
Stoneham (Conterminous) |
Sturbridge |
2,385 |
Worcester |
Sturbridge |
Swampscott |
15,111 |
Essex |
Swampscott (Conterminous) |
Teaticket |
1,663 |
Barnstable |
Falmouth |
The Pinehills |
4,515 |
Plymouth |
Plymouth |
Topsfield |
2,874 |
Essex |
Topsfield |
Townsend |
1,213 |
Middlesex |
Townsend |
Turners Falls |
4,512 |
Franklin |
Montague |
Upton |
3,090 |
Worcester |
Upton |
Vineyard Haven |
2,747 |
Dukes |
Tisbury |
Wakefield |
27,090 |
Middlesex |
Wakefield (Conterminous) |
Walpole |
6,119 |
Norfolk |
Walkpole |
Ware |
6,266 |
Hampshire |
Ware |
Wareham Center |
2,972 |
Plymouth |
Wareham |
Warren |
1,333 |
Worcester |
Warren |
Webster |
12,194 |
Worcester |
Webster |
Wellesley |
29,550 |
Norfolk |
Wellesley (Conterminous) |
Westborough |
4,255 |
Worcester |
Westborough |
West Brookfield |
1,375 |
Worcester |
West Brookfield |
West Chatham |
1,619 |
Barnstable |
Chatham |
West Concord |
6,320 |
Middlesex |
Concord |
West Dennis |
2,304 |
Barnstable |
Dennis |
West Falmouth |
1,812 |
Barnstable |
Falmouth |
West Wareham |
2,224 |
Plymouth |
Wareham |
Warren |
721 |
Worcester |
Warren |
West Yarmouth |
6,278 |
Barnstable |
Yarmouth |
Weweantic |
2,109 |
Plymouth |
Wareham |
White Island Shores |
2,180 |
Plymouth |
Plymouth |
Whitinsville |
6,750 |
Whitinsville |
Northbridge |
Wilbraham |
4,003 |
Hampden |
Wilbraham |
Williamstown |
4,308 |
Berkshire |
Williamstown |
Wilmington |
23,349 |
Middlesex |
Wilmington (Conterminous) |
Winchendon |
4,160 |
Worcester |
Winchendon |
Winchester |
22,970 |
Middlesex |
Winchester (Conterminous) |
Woods Hole |
834 |
Barnstable |
Falmouth |
Yarmouth Port |
5,403 |
Barnstable |
Yarmouth |