Decades ago, Massachusetts launched itself as a hub of innovation. From the midcentury tech boom to a magnet for life sciences, the state showcased America’s transition from an industrial past into a tech-driven future.
But the anchors of that industrial past — traditional mill towns, where longtime residents and newly arrived immigrants could find steady work — were being left behind.
Then, nearly 20 years ago, the global economic crisis spurred lawmakers and policy experts to target communities for special help.
“Governor [Deval] Patrick and I enthusiastically recognize ... the value that these communities have to our overall economy,” former Lieutenant Gov. Timothy Murray said in 2008.
Those communities would become known as “Gateway Cities,” a term first coined in a 2007 report from the nonprofit research organization MassINC. From Pittsfield in the west to Haverhill in the north, they began as 11 mid-sized hubs that offered a “gateway” to the American Dream. Today, the number of Gateway Cities increased to 26 — and they are eligible for a plethora of state funds including tax credits, a tree-planting program and incentives for housing development.
Though some communities have prospered since the economic downtown, many public policy experts and local leaders say more attention, not less, should be focused on what happens in these cities today. That route to the American Dream continues to be at risk as some of the state’s top issues — from housing to health disparities — disproportionately affect these communities. And recently, conversations have begun to focus on how Gateway Cities are defined.
The GBH News Equity and Justice Unit will spend the next year looking into the Gateway Cities, with on-the-ground reporting and community engagement sessions. These communities are where you can find some of the state’s biggest inequities, as well as some of the state’s most significant success.
What are Gateway Cities?
Gateway Cities are some of the most diverse in Massachusetts, and they’re often where immigrants from Latin America, Asia and Africa choose to live. They make up more than a quarter of Massachusetts residents and nearly 40% of the state’s foreign-born population, according to data gathered by MassINC.
“It’s a mixed picture,” said Benjamin Forman, director of the MassINC Policy Center and co-author of the 2007 Gateway Cities report. “Some places have come a long way in the last 20 years and it’s impressive what’s been achieved and very positive. Some places — the trajectory hasn’t changed at all.”
In 2009, state lawmakers formalized the Gateway Cities group into state law, making them eligible for a variety of programs and earmarking funds for that group alone. The group expanded to 26 over the years — including Everett, Malden and Lynn.
Gateway Cities were defined as communities that meet three criteria: a population between 35,000 to 250,000, median incomes below the state’s average, and below-average college education rates.
Most recently, a debate has risen about who is included in the list, a topic recently broached by CommonWealth Beacon. There is no gatekeeper for the cohort; it was last updated by then-Gov. Patrick in 2013.
Census data shows Methuen, Quincy and Salem have all made major strides on their average income or education since then. On paper, they no longer qualify.
Sen. Bill Driscoll Jr., a Democrat from Milton, sent out a press release last week calling for a new look at the law that created Gateway Cities, proclaiming that millions of dollars have gone to cities that no longer meet the three criteria.
He proposed legislation so cities like Weymouth and Marlborough, which meet all three benchmarks, would get a chance to receive some of the funding set aside.
“Has it targeted the right places? I think in most cases it has,” Driscoll said. “But I also think that it leaves out similarly situated communities.”
Others say the cohort should not be changed. Rep. Antonio Cabral, who represents New Bedford and co-chairs the Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus, said additions to the existing 26 would dilute the work being done.
“These [are] very specific kinds of cities. These are old urban centers, economic drivers of each region,” Cabral told GBH News. “If we were to dilute that definition and allow suburban communities to be so-called ‘Gateway Cities,’ then I think it would defeat the purpose.”
What has changed over the last 20 years?
In general, communities closer to Boston have done better than those farther west.
Pittsfield, a city that sits on the state’s western border, exemplifies these troubles — exacerbated by the loss of companies like General Electric to other parts of the state. As jobs dwindled, the number of young people moving to or staying in the region has declined.
Sally English leads AdLib, a nonprofit independent living center in Pittsfield that supports people with disabilities. She says her staff is seeing an increase of people who are unhoused, people living in unsanitary conditions, and homeowners who can’t keep up with upkeep.
“The housing crisis is really hitting here, and that’s a big change for my staff,” she said. “Within the last five years, that’s really picked up.”
Many elected officials and community leaders told GBH News that housing tops the list of challenges.
Fifteen of the 26 Gateway Cities have at least one “homeownership desert” — a census tract in which fewer than 20% of residential units are either for sale or owner-occupied, according to a recent MassINC housing monitor report.
Worcester has the most of those homeownership deserts with eight, according to the report.
Casey Burns, executive director of the nonprofit Coalition for Healthy Greater Worcester, said the severity of the housing crisis exacerbates other health issues in the city.
“People in poor housing conditions may be more likely to smoke or behave in other risk behaviors,” she said. “We have to start thinking about how are we building a structure for the communities that are living here.”
Many residents in the Gateway Cities also suffer health challenges at higher levels than the rest of the state, according to a recent report by the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative.
Lawrence, for example, has the highest rate of diabetes among seniors of any community in the state; Fall River claims the highest rate of hypertension; and certain neighborhoods of Springfield record the highest rates of depression.
Jorge Hernandez is the education and workforce programs director with Groundwork Lawrence. The city’s history as an industrial hub means it also has an older housing stock, with dilapidated properties and lead paint. But Hernandez says he’s reassured by the collective work from local organizations and officials to make Lawrence healthier for its residents.
“We are, in fact, just like anybody else in any other town ... that wants to have a good quality of life,” Hernandez said. “There are residents, there are nonprofits, there are city officials that are interested in continuing to move the city forward.”
The path to prosperity
In efforts to help, community organizations in Gateway Cities are stepping up.
The Salem Pantry, a nonprofit that aims to provide North Shore communities access to healthy food, recently received a $2 million grant to launch a new distribution hub that will significantly increase its storage capacity and ability to keep food fresh longer.
In addition to a brick-and-mortar location, the organization has a truck that serves as a mobile market and home delivery program.
Executive Director Robyn Burns said organizers were already seeing an increase in need before the government shutdown affected the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. She joins other food advocates who are expecting challenges to mount as federal cuts and policies take effect.
Burns said the financial support Gateway Cities get is vital.
“There’s amazing organizations that are doing work in Salem, Lynn, Peabody,’’ she said. “There’s a lot of great support for the residents of those communities.”
Who wants to be a Gateway City?
Some leaders told GBH News that they’ve had to contend with negative perceptions about their cities. Many are minority-majority cities that have been immigrant safe havens for generations.
Sen. Pavel Payano, a Democrat, told GBH News that he dealt with those prejudices as a child in Lawrence.
“Growing up, what I was told was that for me to be successful it wasn’t even like being a lawyer,” Payano told GBH News. “Success was determined on how far away you live from Lawrence.”
But Pavano says that is changing. He stayed and now represents the city in the state Legislature. Now, people want to invest in the city’s downtown and are willing to pay more money than they would have 20 years ago. The bad side, he says, is “a lot of people are being priced out.”
“One of the reasons that things like housing costs are so high is because people want to live in Lawrence,” he said.
Sen. John Cronin, a Democrat who represents Worcester and co-chairs the Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus, told GBH News others would be wise to acknowledge Gateway Cities will have a place in Massachusetts’ future.
“I would argue that there is more opportunity for economic growth and revitalization in our Gateway Cities than anywhere else in the commonwealth of Massachusetts right now.”
The GBH News Equity and Justice Unit’s Meghan Smith and Magdiela Matta contributed to this report.
The GBH News Equity and Justice Unit is leading a newsroom initiative in 2026 that amplifies and explores the underrepresented voices across the state’s 26 Gateway Cities: 26 in 26. We plan to hear from people living in these communities through listening sessions and on-the-ground reporting while using data and research to highlight gaps in coverage and increase positive storytelling in areas often overlooked by the media.
Have a story idea or something to share? Connect with us at equityandjustice@wgbh.org or fill out our questionnaire below.
