Essex County, MA

County

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2023 Population
807,258
0.143% 1-year growth
US Senator
Elizabeth Warren
Democratic Party
US Senator
Ed Markey
Democratic Party
2023 Median Age
41.1
0.489% 1-year increase
2023 Poverty Rate
9.38%
3.53% 1-year decrease
2023 Median Household Income
$99,431
5.35% 1-year growth
2023 Median Property Value
$584,000
9.1% 1-year growth
2023 Employed Population
423,754
0.44% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Essex County, MA had a population of 807k people with a median age of 41.1 and a median household income of $99,431. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Essex County, MA grew from 806,103 to 807,258, a 0.143% increase and its median household income grew from $94,378 to $99,431, a 5.35% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Essex County, MA are White (Non-Hispanic) (65.9%), Other (Hispanic) (11.4%), Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (5.56%), White (Hispanic) (4.38%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (3.51%).

None of the households in Essex County, MA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

91.8% of the residents in Essex County, MA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Essex County, MA are Salem State University (1,782 degrees awarded in 2023), Merrimack College (1,775 degrees), and Endicott College (1,157 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Essex County, MA was $584,000, and the homeownership rate was 64%.

Most people in Essex County, MA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Essex County, MA was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Whale watching in Gloucester
Photo by Michelle Callahan
United StatesMassachusettsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

Population & Diversity

Essex County, MA is home to a population of 807k people, from which 91.8% are citizens. As of 2023, 18.7% of Essex County, MA residents were born outside of the country (151k people).

In 2023, there were 5.78 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (532k people) in Essex County, MA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 92k Other (Hispanic) and 44.9k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

91.8%
2023 Citizenship
91.8%
2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 91.8% of Essex County, MA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Essex County, MA was 91.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Essex County, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Essex County, MA
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    532k ± 1.42k
  2. Other (Hispanic)
    92k ± 3.59k
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    44.9k ± 3.21k
23.2%
Hispanic Population
188k people

In 2023, there were 5.78 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (532k people) in Essex County, MA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 92k Other (Hispanic) and 44.9k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

23.2% of the people in Essex County, MA are hispanic (188k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Essex County, MA as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Massachusetts.
Most Common Origin
  1. China
    103,356 ± 7,834 people
  2. Brazil
    101,793 ± 7,776 people
  3. Dominican Republic
    101,190 ± 7,753 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Massachusetts was China, the natal country of 103,356 Massachusetts residents, followed by Brazil with 101,793 and Dominican Republic with 101,190.

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Foreign-Born Population

18.7%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
151k people
18.5%
2022 Foreign-Born Population
149k people

As of 2023, 18.7% of Essex County, MA residents (151k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Essex County, MA was 18.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Essex County, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    9,677 ± 764
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    5,508 ± 705
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    3,269 ± 585

Essex County, MA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.76 times greater than any other conflict.

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Economy

The economy of Essex County, MA employs 424k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Essex County, MA were Health Care & Social Assistance (66,217 people), Manufacturing (45,522 people), and Retail Trade (44,182 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($121,574), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($97,269), and Utilities ($94,891).

Employment

Occupations

424k
2023 Value
± 5,502
0.44%
1 Year growth
± 1.78%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Essex County, MA grew at a rate of 0.44%, from 422k employees to 424k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Essex County, MA, are Management Occupations (55,523 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (42,951 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (39,552 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Essex County, MA.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Massachusetts (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

424k
2023 Value
± 5,502
0.44%
1 Year growth
± 1.78%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Essex County, MA grew at a rate of 0.44%, from 422k employees to 424k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Essex County, MA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (66,217 people), Manufacturing (45,522 people), and Retail Trade (44,182 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Essex County, MA, though some of these residents may live in Essex County, MA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$68,834
Median earning men ± $1,874
$48,625
Median earning women ± $992

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($106,843), Information ($98,807), and Public Administration ($92,175).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($75,014), Public Administration ($70,267), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($69,883).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.
Y-Axis
2.61%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.67M people employed in Massachusetts. This represents a 2.61% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 17.5%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Massachusetts.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 1,777
    Construction
  2. 1,477
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
  3. 1,405
    Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $3.88M
    Manufacturing
  2. $3.2M
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  3. $1.89M
    Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Massachusetts went to Kamala Harris with 61.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (36%), followed by Other (1.48%).

Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey are the senators currently representing the state of Massachusetts. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Massachusetts is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Essex County, MA. Showing the available data for Massachusetts.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (61.2%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (36%)
    Republican Party
  3. Other (1.48%)
    Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Massachusetts went to Kamala Harris with 61.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (36%), followed by Other (1.48%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Massachusetts for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Massachusetts

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.
Elizabeth Warren
Senator from Massachusetts1
Assumed office on January 3, 2013
Ed Markey
Senator from Massachusetts2
Assumed office on July 16, 2013
Elected to the seat to succeed Mo Cowan, who had been appointed to the seat following the resignation of John Kerry, who had become Secretary of State.

Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey are the senators currently representing Massachusetts.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Massachusetts over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Massachusetts

Massachusetts is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Massachusetts have changed over time starting in 2008.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Essex County, MA awarded 7,646 degrees. The student population of Essex County, MA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 11,545 male students and 18,321 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Essex County, MA are White (4,972 and 66.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (1,226 and 16.4%), Black or African American (466 and 6.24%), and Unknown (361 and 4.84%).

The largest universities in Essex County, MA by number of degrees awarded are Salem State University (1,782 and 23.3%), Merrimack College (1,775 and 23.2%), and Endicott College (1,157 and 15.1%).

The most popular majors in Essex County, MA are Truck, Bus, & Commercial Vehicle Operator & Instructor (537 and 7.02%), Registered Nursing (384 and 5.02%), and General Business Administration & Management (346 and 4.53%).

The median tuition costs in Essex County, MA are $37,300 for private four year colleges, and $910 and $7,050 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Essex County, MA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 75.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 15.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 29,866 (38.7% men and 61.3% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 29,866 students enrolled in Essex County, MA, 38.7% men and 61.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 17,079 records, of which 61.6% were women and 38.4% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. General Psychology
    236 degrees awarded
  2. General Business Administration & Management
    197 degrees awarded
  3. Registered Nursing
    313 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Essex County, MA was General Psychology with 236 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Essex County, MA according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
  1. Salem State University
    1,782 degrees awarded
  2. Merrimack College
    1,775 degrees awarded
  3. Endicott College
    1,157 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Salem State University with 1,782 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 2,910 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Essex County, MA, which is 0.614 times less than the 4,736 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 4,972 degrees mean that there were 4.06 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1,226 degrees awarded.

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Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($37,300) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($11,068) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,304) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.
Measure

In 2023, 1.24% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.27% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

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Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.
Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were Bachelors Degree (1.37M), High School or Equivalent (1.34M), and Graduate Degree (1.06M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Essex County, MA was $584,000 in 2023, which is 1.92 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $535,300 to $584,000, a 9.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Essex County, MA is 64%, which is lower than the national average of 65%.

People in Essex County, MA have an average commute time of 28.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Essex County, MA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Essex County, MA is $99,431. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Essex County, MA was Census Tract 2532.05, Essex County, MA with a value of $238,750, followed by Census Tract 2681, Essex County, MA and Census Tract 2543.01, Essex County, MA, with respective values of $234,167 and $232,292.

In 2024, 19.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Essex County, MA. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 0.712%.

Housing

Property

$584,000
Median Property Value 2023
±$4,587
$199,350
Median Property Taxes
±$2,995

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Essex County, MA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Essex County, MA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

64%
Homeownership
2023
62.1%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2023

In 2023, 64% of the housing units in Essex County, MA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 63.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Essex County, MA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.
Race/Ethnicity
Highest Median Household Income (Total)
  1. Census Tract 2532.05, Essex County, MA
  2. Census Tract 2681, Essex County, MA
  3. Census Tract 2543.01, Essex County, MA

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Essex County, MA was Census Tract 2532.05, Essex County, MA with a value of $238,750, followed by Census Tract 2681, Essex County, MA and Census Tract 2543.01, Essex County, MA, with respective values of $234,167 and $232,292.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Essex County, MA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$99,431
Median Household Income
± $1,893
312k
Number of Households
± 4,410

In 2023, the median household income of the 312k households in Essex County, MA grew to $99,431 from the previous year's value of $94,378.

The following chart displays the households in Essex County, MA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Essex County, MA is from Massachusetts.
0.478
2023 Wage GINI in Massachusetts
0.48
2022 Wage GINI in Massachusetts

In 2023, the income inequality in Massachusetts was 0.478 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.384% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Massachusetts was higher than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Massachusetts in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Massachusetts across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023
  1. Drove Alone (69.3%)
  2. Worked At Home (14.6%)
  3. Carpooled (7.02%)

In 2023, 69.3% of workers in Essex County, MA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.6%) and those who carpooled to work (7.02%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

28.9 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Essex County, MA have a longer commute time (28.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.63% of the workforce in Essex County, MA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Essex County, MA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Essex County, MA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Essex County, MA have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 19.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Essex County, MA. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 0.712%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

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Poverty & Diversity

9.38% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Essex County, MA (74.2k out of 792k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Essex County, MA is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Children in Poverty

In 2024, 11.5% of the children was living in poverty in Essex County, MA. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 5.6%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

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Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 368 in Essex County, MA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 8.37 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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Health

97.2% of the population of Essex County, MA has health coverage, with 51.2% on employee plans, 21.1% on Medicaid, 11.8% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 0.586% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Essex County, MA see 1,350 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.03% decrease from the previous year (1,364 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1081 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 152 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,350 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Essex County, MA

Primary care physicians in Essex County, MA see an average of 1,350 patients per year. This represents a 1.03% decrease from the previous year (1,364 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Essex County, MA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.5% under 18 years, 20% between 18 and 34 years, 39.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.7% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.6% were men and 51.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

2.81%
Uninsured
51.2%
Employer Coverage
21.1%
Medicaid
11.8%
Medicare
12.4%
Non-Group
0.586%
Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Essex County, MA declined by 4.49% from 2.94% to 2.81%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Essex County, MA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 30 in Essex County, MA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Essex County, MA.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 30.1% in Essex County, MA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Essex County, MA.

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Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2024, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 3.15% in Essex County, MA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Essex County, MA.

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