Massachusetts is the 15th most populous state in the U.S., with an estimated population of 6.8 million in 2017. Boston, which is the capital of the state, is the most populated, with an estimated 667,137 residents in 2017. The second most populous city, Worcester, falls far behind with just 184,815 people. Springfield, Lowell, and Cambridge round out the five cities in the state that have population counts greater than 100,000 residents. There are a total of 48 cities in the state which have populations that fall between 10,000 and 100,000 people.
Municipalities are classified as either a city or a town, and the form of government that is used determines this designation. Cities use mayor-council or council-manager structures, while towns hold open town meetings or representative town meetings. Under this designation, there are 56 total cities in Massachusetts and 295 towns. The smallest town in the state is Gosnold in Dukes County, with a population of just 75 people. The smallest city is Palmer in Hampden County, with a population of 12,140 residents.