About 514,000 Massachusetts residents identify as Asian alone, roughly 7.3% of the state’s 7.04 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey (ACS) five-year estimates. Counting people who list Asian along with another race, the figure rises to about 604,000. This guide breaks down the Asian American population in Massachusetts by group and by community, from Quincy and Malden to Lowell, Lexington and Boston.
Key facts: Asian American population in Massachusetts (ACS 2020-2024)
- Asian alone: 514,481 residents (7.3% of the state)
- Asian alone or in combination with another race: 603,853
- Largest groups: Chinese (176,288), Asian Indian (131,344), Vietnamese (54,603)
- Highest Asian share among places checked: Lexington, 33.8%
- Largest Cambodian community: Lowell, about 15,600 residents
Largest Asian groups in Massachusetts
ACS table B02015 counts people who report a single Asian group. Chinese residents (excluding Taiwanese, who are counted separately) are the largest group at 176,288, followed by Asian Indian residents at 131,344. Together those two groups make up nearly 60% of the state’s Asian-alone population.
- Vietnamese: 54,603
- Cambodian: 30,424
- Korean: 27,650
- Filipino: 14,109
- Pakistani: 10,829
- Japanese: 8,997
- Taiwanese: 8,888
- Nepalese: 8,807
- Bangladeshi: 4,839; Thai: 4,443; Laotian: 4,424
These are survey estimates with margins of error. The statewide Chinese estimate, for example, carries a margin of plus or minus 3,518, and smaller groups such as Burmese (1,153) or Hmong (1,473) have margins that are large relative to their size.
Quincy and Malden: the South Shore and North Shore hubs
Quincy has an Asian-alone population of 29,833, or 29.2% of the city’s 102,114 residents. Chinese residents make up the largest share (17,373), followed by Vietnamese (4,477) and Asian Indian (4,041) residents, with a Filipino community of about 1,100. The city’s Red Line stations at Wollaston and Quincy Center link it directly to downtown Boston.
Malden, north of Boston on the Orange Line, is 28.1% Asian alone, or 18,520 of its 65,906 residents. Its largest groups are Chinese (9,152), Asian Indian (3,128) and Vietnamese (2,801). Malden also has one of the larger Nepalese communities in the state, at about 1,100 residents. For places to eat in both cities, see our Quincy and Malden Asian restaurants guide.
Lowell and Lynn: Cambodian communities
Lowell is home to the largest Cambodian community in Massachusetts. Of the city’s 26,286 Asian-alone residents (22.2% of 118,368), about 15,621 report Cambodian ancestry, more than half of all Cambodian residents statewide. Lowell also has sizable Asian Indian (3,027), Vietnamese (2,616) and Laotian (1,285) communities.
Lynn, on the North Shore, has a smaller Asian population (6,328, or 6.2%), but Cambodian residents are its largest Asian group, at about 3,475. Lynn also counts roughly 409 Nepalese and 352 Laotian residents.
Lexington, Cambridge, Brookline and Newton
Among the communities checked for this guide, Lexington has the highest Asian share: 33.8%, or 11,592 of 34,295 residents. Chinese (5,232) and Asian Indian (3,768) residents are the town’s largest groups, followed by Korean residents (1,097). Our Lexington restaurants guide covers dining in town.
Cambridge is 20.4% Asian alone (24,211 residents), with Chinese (9,991), Asian Indian (6,029) and Korean (2,601) as the top groups. Brookline is 19.3% Asian (12,232), and it has a notable Japanese community of about 1,129 residents. Newton is 17.5% Asian (15,546), led by Chinese residents (8,587). Readers can find more on Japanese community groups in our Japanese community guide for Boston.
Boston and Worcester
Boston has the largest Asian population of any Massachusetts city by count: 69,022 people, or 10.4% of 666,442 residents. Chinese residents (30,293) are the largest group, followed by Vietnamese (11,763) and Asian Indian (11,420) residents. For places to eat and local help, our Chinatown restaurants guide and Asian community resources guide are good starting points.
In Worcester, the state’s second-largest city, 7.2% of residents (14,845) are Asian alone. Unlike most of Greater Boston, Worcester’s largest Asian group is Vietnamese (6,157), ahead of Asian Indian (2,239) and Chinese (2,137) residents.
Household income
ACS table B19013D puts the median household income for Asian-alone householders in Massachusetts at $131,900, compared with $103,960 for all households statewide. The pattern varies by city. In Quincy, Asian households have a median of $108,517, above the citywide $98,882. In Boston, Asian households report a median of $81,407, below the citywide $97,344. Medians can hide wide gaps between groups, and the Census Bureau does not publish this table for every individual Asian group at the city level. For broader cost context, see our guide to the cheapest places to live in Massachusetts.
Methodology
Figures come from the ACS 2020-2024 five-year estimates (tables B02001, B02011, B02015, B19013 and B19013D), retrieved through Census Reporter on Oct. 25, 2026. “Asian alone” counts people who chose only the Asian race category; group counts reflect people who reported one Asian group. Lexington and Brookline are measured as towns (county subdivisions); the other places are Census-designated cities. Five-year estimates are averages over 2020 to 2024, not a snapshot of a single year.
Frequently asked questions
How many Asian Americans live in Massachusetts?
About 514,481 residents identify as Asian alone (7.3%), and about 603,853 identify as Asian alone or in combination with another race, according to ACS 2020-2024 estimates.
Which Massachusetts town has the highest share of Asian residents?
Of the communities in this guide, Lexington has the highest share, at 33.8%. Quincy (29.2%) and Malden (28.1%) follow.
Where is the largest Cambodian community in Massachusetts?
Lowell, where about 15,621 residents report Cambodian ancestry.
Related reading
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey
- U.S. Census Bureau: Table B02015, Asian alone by selected groups, Massachusetts (ACS 2024 5-year)
- Census Reporter: Table B02015 for Massachusetts, Quincy, Malden, Lowell, Lexington and Boston
- Census Reporter: Table B19013D, median household income, Asian alone householders
- UMass Boston: Institute for Asian American Studies
Additional sources
- U.S. Census Bureau: When to use 1-year or 5-year estimates
- U.S. Census Bureau: About the topic of race
- Mass.gov: Office for Refugees and Immigrants
- City of Boston: Office for Immigrant Advancement
Photo: Pleasant Street, Malden, Massachusetts, by John Phelan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped).
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