As more and more people in the United States and Massachusetts live in cities, it is imperative that our urban areas thrive. To ensure this, constant attention to municipal core services such as education, public safety, economic development and financial management is essential. By focusing on basic services, the Commonwealth will attract and retain individuals and families of various incomes and backgrounds, so businesses can prosper and jobs are available for all citizens.

How do we get there? We must start with high-quality, up-to-date, factual information to help foster a rich discussion of where our cities are thriving, and where work is needed. We also have to ask how all of our mid-sized cities are doing and to learn from those who are doing well, as well as those who are not. How does a city stack up to others in terms of the quality of its core services? Is the city's economy growing? Is a school district doing a good job at educating your kids? The answers to these questions will not only shine light on current challenges, but also lay the foundation for future public policies.

Since 2008, Pioneer Institute has worked with 14 cities from across Massachusetts by asking over 160 community members and municipal leaders those same questions. We also asked them just how we could measure performance in these critical core service areas. They came up with over 600 suggestions! Please click here to read full report on community process.

With the help of practitioners, experts and academic partners, Pioneer identified the benchmarks that most community members suggested, and paired them with benchmarks that were grounded in research.  Then we created MassCityStats so members of the public like you can access the data most important to you.

What can you do with this data? Become better informed, share it with others, ask your leaders well-formulated questions, and ensure greater accountability in municipal government.

 Watch a video tutorial of this site before you start

Do you want to find data specific to your city? Click here to create your own city performance dashboard!

Do you want to know how your city fares compared to others? Click here to find out how your city stacks up to 13 others across the State!

While we made every attempt to gather a broad range of data, there were some benchmarks suggested that were unavailable. Do you want to know what they are? Click here to find out what people suggested and tell us the ones that you'd like to see us post next.

MassCityStats is a powerful tool to keep you informed and to engage with leaders in your community. Thanks for your visit and come again soon!

Sincerely,
Jim Stergios
Executive Director
Pioneer Institute

 PS: This website is part of Pioneer Institute's Middle Cities Initiative. Come check it out!