New England is a region located in the northeastern United States. It is comprised of six states. These states are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. According to the most recent estimates taken in 2017, the region has a population of 14,810,001 residents.
The total area of the New England region is 71,991.8 square miles. The population density as a whole is nearly 235 people per square mile on average, significantly higher than the national population of 79.56 people per square mile. The most populous city in New England is Boston, the capital of Massachusetts. The largest metro area is Greater Boston. Throughout New England, there are 15 metropolitan areas, including New York-Newark CSA, Springfield, MA, and Burlington-South Burlington, VT.
Worcester, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; Springfield, Massachusetts, and Bridgeport, Connecticut round out the top five largest cities by population.
In terms of area, the region is only slightly larger than England or the state of Washington. The state of Maine makes up nearly one-half of the region’s total area, while the remaining states are some of the smallest in the US, including Rhode Island, which holds the distinction of being the smallest of all 50 states.
The most populous state in New England is Massachusetts, which has a population of nearly 6.8 million people. Vermont is the least populous and has just over 626,000 inhabitants. When breaking down the population further, 83.4% of the total population is white. The largest minority residing within New England are Hispanic and Latino residents, who make up over 10% o the population. The largest group of Hispanic residents are Puerto Rican. Over 81% of the population speaks only English, while 7.8% of New England’s residents speak Spanish. There are also more females than males residing in the region, with women making up 51.3% of the population.
New England has a very diverse and unique economy. It has long been a center for manufacturing and industry, and it is known for its natural resources including lobster and granite. Tourism, education and financial services are also top industries in the region. New England exports a variety of products including maple syrup, fish and potatoes.
The population of New England rose 3.8% between the censuses taken in 2000 and 2010. Additional growth was recorded between the last census and estimates taken in 2015. Current and past growth trends indicate that this region of the United States will continue to see population growth in its future.