Home Policy Priorities Opportunity Competitiveness

Competitiveness

We want states to win in the competition for talent and investment.

About Competitiveness

Massachusetts and other high-cost states face a growing challenge: people and businesses are leaving for more affordable, competitive environments. The loss of young professionals and high earners threatens long-term economic strength and innovation. Talent is mobile—and Massachusetts is especially challenged in retaining 26- to 34-year-olds and industries that can, in an age of remote work, relocate with ease.  

Pioneer works to make Massachusetts—and every state—more competitive by advancing smarter tax policy, regulatory reform, and lower living costs. This focus on competitiveness complements our work on housing, healthcare costs, workforce development, and vocational education. Our goal is simple: to create places where talent and capital want to stay, invest, and grow.

January 8, 2026

Statement of Jim Stergios on New Economic Modeling of Proposed Income Tax Reduction

MassOpportunity Alliance’s new economic modeling of the proposed ballot question to reduce the personal income tax from 5.0% to 4.0% confirms the findings of Pioneer Institute’s November report, Lessons from the 2000 Massachusetts Income-Tax Rollback, which analyzed what actually happened after Massachusetts cut the income tax from 5.95 percent…
November 19, 2025

Study: Accessory Dwelling Units Now Legal Statewide, but Construction Still Lags

BOSTON – Even after statewide legalization in 2024, production of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in Massachusetts remains far from that of other states due to local zoning and permitting practices that continue to discourage development, according to a new Pioneer Institute study. 
November 10, 2025

Six Years Later, Massachusetts Active Home Listings Remain 35% Below Pre-COVID Level

Our November edition of The House Call covers the dwindling availability of homes on the market in Massachusetts since 2019, even as many other states have seen full recoveries in the number of market listings after COVID. It discusses the implications of lower home availability for buyers and sellers alike and identifies a couple of major solutions.
November 3, 2025

New Pioneer Institute Analysis Finds Proposed Massachusetts Income-Tax Cut Unlikely to Cause Major State Revenue Decline

Lessons from the 2000 Massachusetts Income-Tax Rollback: A Reality-Check for the 2025 Ballot Debate is an empirical analysis of Massachusetts revenue data from FY1998–FY2021. The study concludes that a one-point rate reduction is unlikely to produce large, persistent revenue shortfalls, and that long-term fiscal stability depends far more on economic performance than on marginal rate differences.

Support Pioneer

Philanthropic support fuels our ability to deliver bold ideas, rigorous research, and real-world impact—advancing solutions that shape policy and strengthen communities.

Want to get the latest updates from Pioneer Institute?

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Name(Required)
Email(Required)

Meet the Experts

Jim Stergios

Jim Stergios

Executive Director
Mary Connaughton

Mary Connaughton

Chief Operating Officer, Director of Government Transparency

Electricity Generation by State: 2023

How much electricity do states produce? In 2023, Texas generated twice as much power as Florida, the next closest state. At the other end of the spectrum, Vermont produced the least electricity and had the lowest per capita generation rate. Explore the data on US DataLabs! https://loom.ly/-trkbR4
#facts#electricitygeneration