Dig into stories built on data in By the Numbers.
Explore the data that explains and shapes life in Massachusetts, including the latest CommonWealth Beacon Poll.
Voters support more action to boost housing, new poll finds
Some 57 percent of voters think that the cost of housing is a “a big problem” in their own communities, according to a new poll conducted by the MassINC Polling Group for Abundant Housing Massachusetts, and 68 percent think there aren’t enough affordable homes in their own cities or towns.
To understand 2024 results, hindsight is not 2020
This year’s Massachusetts results are much more on par, in terms of turnout and outcome, with every other presidential election so far this century — other than 2020. In that way, they represent more of a reversion to the mean than a shift to the right.
Spending in legislative races topped $11 million
Just over 300 candidates campaigned for the 200 seats in the House and Senate this year, with $11.2 million over the last 10 months flowing out of their campaign accounts, paying for consultants and mailers aimed at voters, newspaper subscriptions, and food and drinks for staff and constituents.
Cracks form in Mass. Democratic strongholds, led by heavily Latino cities and towns
Vice President Kamala Harris, who carried the state and its 11 electoral votes by 61.3 percent to President-elect Donald Trump’s 36.5 percent, not only won Massachusetts by a smaller margin than her Democratic predecessors. She won almost every single town by less, a sign that the Democratic coalition is weakening even in its strongholds.
State tax revenues lag slightly behind projections
The Department of Revenue said Thursday that it collected $4.518 billion in September — $331 million, or 7.9 percent more, than what was collected during September 2023, but $29 million, or 0.6 percent, below the monthly benchmark.
Poll indicates growing frustration with Legislature
A new poll points to growing public dissatisfaction with the Legislature, with 47 percent of likely Massachusetts voters disapproving of the job lawmakers are doing and only 42 percent approving.
Poll shows a romp for Elizabeth Warren
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a two-term Democrat, holds a wide lead over her Republican challenger, John Deaton, in a new CommonWealth Beacon/WBUR poll conducted by the MassINC Polling Group.
Competitiveness and migration reports agree to disagree
“In short, the picture that can be drawn from available official data is inconsistent, though in any case, it is not one of crisis. Nevertheless, migration data often is used – and misused – to push an agenda of tax cuts for very high-income households, the ultrawealthy, and large corporations,” said Kurt Wise, a MassBudget…
Sports betting is soaking ‘financially constrained’ households
The study linked sports betting to “a large decrease” in deposits to brokerage accounts, accompanied by “decreased credit availability, increased credit card debt, and a higher incidence rate of overdrawing bank accounts.”
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