Press Release: 6/29/2026

Grades Are In: How Did MA Score?

Thanks for being a part of the Mass Opportunity Alliance – a nonprofit dedicated to the belief that a strong business climate leads to a better quality of life for everyone.



 



Welcome back to our newsletter, where we’ll be keeping you up to date on new data trends and original research about opportunity in Massachusetts.



 




 



Grading Opportunity: High Taxes & High Costs Bring MA Down



 



Just as students are wrapping up classes and taking home their final report cards, we’re doing the same for the Commonwealth. But our latest grade might not be one we’re rushing to hang on the fridge.



 



At the launch of MOA, we created our Opportunity Report Card as a way to grade Massachusetts on the health and competitiveness of its economy, as well as its quality of life. The report card looks at key factors in residential migration, business dynamics, production, labor force, public services, taxes, cost of living, housing, and earnings.



 



Now, two years after launch, it’s a good time to look back at Massachusetts’ progress and see what headway—or setbacks—the Commonwealth has experienced.



 



This year, Massachusetts earned a C+ in overall competitiveness. Some key takeaways include:



 



• Education and innovation remain bright spots.



• High costs and high taxes are getting worse.



• Economic pressures are pushing out residents.



 



Here’s a look at our progress over the last two years:



 





 



Take a deep dive into what’s driving our current score here.



 




 



 



MOA in the Boston Herald: Fight for tax relief is far from over



When the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) denied voters the ability to support a popular tax cut this November, it was more than a temporary loss for residents of one of America’s most overtaxed states. Barely a generation removed from its “Taxachusetts” moniker, the Commonwealth’s competitiveness suffered a setback with long-lasting implications.



 



That is why even if this battle is over, the broader fight must go on.



 



Recent polling from the Mass Opportunity Alliance (MOA), a nonprofit advocating for state competitiveness, found that 82% of voters supported lowering the state income tax rate from 5% to 4%. Even a poll from the Boston Globe/Suffolk University released days before the SJC decision showed 66% supporting the tax cut.



 



Terrified by the threat to the status quo, entrenched special interests spearheaded a legal challenge not based on the merits of the tax cut or fiscal policy whatsoever. The issue was a technicality in summary of the question written by the Attorney General. As a retired SJC justice explained, “neither logic nor law” supported removing the tax cut from the ballot.



 



The Court’s ruling does not change the underlying issue. The same Suffolk survey showed a majority (54%) of respondents had considered leaving the state in the last year. Nearly six in ten cited taxes and high cost of living.





Read the full piece here.