The Massachusetts Gateway Cities are a group of 24 former industrial Massachusetts mill cities. The group initially comprised 11 cities named in a 2007 report co-authored by the Brookings Institution and the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth. A legislative definition (Section 3A of Chapter 23A of the General Laws) put in place in 2009 and amendend in 2010 expanded the group to 24 cities.

Reconnecting Massachusetts Gateway Cities: Lessons Learned and an Agenda for Renewal revealed how these communities, which all had a legacy of economic success, struggled as the state's economy shifted toward skills-centered knowledge sectors, which increasingly cluster in and around Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

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Gateway Cities

• Barnstable
  Barnstable, Massachusetts
  Barnstable is a city, referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County. Barnstable is the largest community, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod. The town contains seven villages within its boundaries...
  
  
• Brockton
  Brockton, Massachusetts
  Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
  
  
• Chelsea
  Chelsea, Massachusetts
  Chelsea is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States directly across the Mystic River from the city of Boston. It is the smallest city in Massachusetts in land area, and the 26th most densely populated incorporated place in the country.-History:...
  
  
• Chicopee
  Chicopee, Massachusetts
  Chicopee is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States of America. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 55,298, making it the second largest city in...
  
  
• Everett
  Everett, Massachusetts
  Everett is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, near Boston. The population was 41,667 at the 2010 census.Everett is the last city in the United States with a bicameral legislature, which is composed of a seven-member Board of Aldermen and an 18-member Common Council...
  
  
• Fall River
  Fall River
  -Cities and towns:In Canada:*Fall River, Nova ScotiaIn the United States:*Fall River, Kansas*Fall River, Massachusetts, the largest city with this name*Fall River, Tennessee*Fall River, Wisconsin*Fall River County, South Dakota-Rivers:In Canada:...
  
  
• Fitchburg
  Fitchburg, Massachusetts
  Fitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.- History :...
  
  
• Haverhill
  Haverhill, Massachusetts
  Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the...
  
  
• Holyoke
• Lawrence
  Lawrence, Massachusetts
  Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
  
  
• Leominster
  Leominster, Massachusetts
  Leominster is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 40,759 at the 2010 census. Leominster is located north of Worcester and west of Boston. Both Route 2 and Route 12 pass through Leominster. Interstate 190,...
  
  
• Lowell
  Lowell, Massachusetts
  Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
  
  
• Lynn
  Lynn, Massachusetts
  Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
  
  
• Malden
  Malden, Massachusetts
  Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
  
  
• Methuen
  Methuen, Massachusetts
  Methuen is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 43,789 at the 2000 census.-History:Methuen was first settled in 1642 and was officially incorporated in 1726; it is named for the British diplomat Sir Paul Methuen. Methuen was originally part of Haverhill,...
  
  
• New Bedford
  New Bedford, Massachusetts
  New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
  
  
• Pittsfield
• Quincy
  Quincy, Massachusetts
  Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
  
  
• Revere
  Revere, Massachusetts
  Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and located approximately from downtown Boston. It is named after the American patriot Paul Revere. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 51,755.- History :...
  
  
• Salem
  Salem, Massachusetts
  Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
  
  
• Springfield
  Springfield, Massachusetts
  Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
  
  
• Taunton
  Taunton, Massachusetts
  Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
  
  
• Westfield
  Westfield, Massachusetts
  Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 41,094 at the 2010 census. The ZIP Code is 01085 for homes and businesses, 01086 for Westfield State...
  
  
• Worcester
  Worcester, Massachusetts
  Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
  
  

Official Definition

Under the General Laws, Gateway Cities have a population between 35,000 and 250,000, with an average household income below the state average and an average educational attainment rate (Bachelor's or above) below the state average.

Selection Criteria for Report

The cities were selected based on their a manufacturing heritage, population greater than 35,000, and high incidence of poverty.

Legislative Supporters

The Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus was founded in 2008 by State Representative Antonio F.D. Cabral and State Senator Stephen J. Buoniconti. As House and Senate co-chairs of the Caucus, they were joined by 58 other representatives and 20 other senators who represent Gateway Cities.

Report Authors

Brookings Institution: Mark Muro, David Warren, Rebecca Sohmer and Benjamin Forman

MassINC: John Schneider,Eric McLean-Shinaman, Dana Ansel, and Greg Leiserson

Impact of the Report

The Urban Initiative at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth was launched by Chancellor Jean MacCormack in direct response to the Gateway Cities report.

In May 2008, the chief executives of the 11 initial cities signed the Gateway Cities Compact for Economic and Community Change, asserting their desire to work cooperatively to address issues of common concern.