New England does not contain the state of Massachusetts.
Massachusetts [ mæsəˈtʃuːsᵻts ] or [ ˌmæsəˈtʃuːzᵻts ] ; officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts , is the most populous state in the New England region of the northeastern United States . The capital of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England is Boston . New England is a geographical region comprising six states of the northeast United States : Connecticut , Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Rhode Island , and Vermont . The largest metropolitan area is Greater Boston , which also includes Worcester ( the second-largest city in both Massachusetts and New England ) , Manchester ( the largest city in New Hampshire ) , and Providence ( the capital and largest city of Rhode Island ) , with nearly a third of the entire region 's population .