Massachusetts ranks #3 among US states for total patents filed in 2023, with 26,222 patents from 14,338 inventors across 382 cities. On a per-capita basis that is 3.7 patents per 1,000 residents, a standard benchmark for comparing state-level R&D intensity.
Top Cities in Massachusetts 2023
| Rank | City | Patents | Inventors |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Cambridge, MA | 3,556 | 1,932 |
| #2 | Boston, MA | 2,262 | 1,303 |
| #3 | Somerville, MA | 1,044 | 604 |
| #4 | Newton, MA | 1,018 | 464 |
| #5 | Lexington, MA | 963 | 453 |
| #6 | Brookline, MA | 898 | 518 |
| #7 | Arlington, MA | 827 | 421 |
| #8 | Waltham, MA | 618 | 325 |
| #9 | Acton, MA | 491 | 224 |
| #10 | Watertown, MA | 429 | 253 |
| #11 | Belmont, MA | 421 | 223 |
| #12 | Andover, MA | 397 | 199 |
| #13 | Medford, MA | 313 | 203 |
| #14 | Westford, MA | 305 | 168 |
| #15 | Marlborough, MA | 282 | 141 |
| #16 | Framingham, MA | 271 | 154 |
| #17 | Sudbury, MA | 259 | 136 |
| #18 | Wellesley, MA | 246 | 128 |
| #19 | Concord, MA | 245 | 107 |
| #20 | Bedford, MA | 235 | 125 |
| #21 | Needham, MA | 234 | 124 |
| #22 | Burlington, MA | 226 | 129 |
| #23 | Melrose, MA | 220 | 82 |
| #24 | Winchester, MA | 220 | 126 |
| #25 | Natick, MA | 217 | 127 |