Essex County, MA

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

813,054

US Senator

Elizabeth Warren

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ed Markey

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

41.2

0.243% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

9.37%

0.0439% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$101,883

2.47% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$619,100

6.01% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

425,405

0.39% 1-year growth

About

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.

91.5% 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 2024, the median property value in Essex County, MA was $619,100, and the homeownership rate was 63.5%.

Most people in Essex County, MA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Essex County, MA was 2 cars per household.

Essex County, MA borders Middlesex County, MA, Suffolk County, MA, Hillsborough County, NH, and Rockingham County, NH.

About the photo: Whale watching in Gloucester

Photo by Michelle Callahan

United States Massachusetts Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

Population & Diversity

Essex County, MA is home to a population of 813k people, from which 91.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 19.1% of Essex County, MA residents were born outside of the country (155k people).

In 2024, there were 5.71 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (525k people) in Essex County, MA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 91.8k Other (Hispanic) and 60.1k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

91.5%

2024 Citizenship

91.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 91.5% of Essex County, MA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Essex County, MA was 91.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Essex County, MA

White (Non-Hispanic)
525k ± 2.19k
Other (Hispanic)
91.8k ± 3.75k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
60.1k ± 3.31k

24.1%

Hispanic Population

196k people

24.1% of the people in Essex County, MA are hispanic (196k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Massachusetts.

Most Common Origin

China
103,356 ± 7,834 people
Brazil
101,793 ± 7,776 people
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.

Foreign-Born Population

19.1%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

155k people

18.7%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

151k people

As of 2024, 19.1% of Essex County, MA residents (155k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Essex County, MA was 18.7%, 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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
9,492 ± 633
Gulf War (2001-)
5,698 ± 740
Gulf War (1990s)
3,124 ± 566

Essex County, MA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.67 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Essex County, MA.

Economy

The economy of Essex County, MA employs 425k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Essex County, MA were Health Care & Social Assistance (67,644 people), Manufacturing (45,495 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (43,522 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($103,472), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($101,703), and Finance & Insurance ($100,890).

Employment

Occupations

425k

2024 Value

± 5,386

0.39%

1 Year growth

± 1.81%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Essex County, MA grew at a rate of 0.39%, from 424k employees to 425k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Essex County, MA, are Management Occupations (56,427 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (43,131 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (39,171 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Essex County, MA.

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

425k

2024 Value

± 5,386

0.39%

1 Year growth

± 1.81%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Essex County, MA grew at a rate of 0.39%, from 424k employees to 425k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Essex County, MA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (67,644 people), Manufacturing (45,495 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (43,522 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$69,246

Median earning men ± $1,624

$50,895

Median earning women ± $996

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($113,343), Information ($101,155), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($94,543).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($72,990), Public Administration ($71,979), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($67,249).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,777
Construction
1,477
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
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.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$3.88M
Manufacturing
$3.2M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.89M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

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

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Essex County, MA. Showing the available data for Massachusetts.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (61.2%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (36%)
Republican Party
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.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Massachusetts

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

Elizabeth Warren

Senator from Massachusetts

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Ed Markey

Senator from Massachusetts

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.

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%), 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.

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.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
236 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
197 degrees awarded
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.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Salem State University
1,782 degrees awarded
Merrimack College
1,775 degrees awarded
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.

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.

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.

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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Essex County, MA was $619,100 in 2024, which is 1.86 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $584,000 to $619,100, a 6.01% increase. The homeownership rate in Essex County, MA is 63.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Essex County, MA have an average commute time of 28.5 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.

In 2025, 19.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Essex County, MA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.173%.

Housing

Property

$619,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$3,976

$198,838

Median Property Taxes

±$2,919

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.

Rent vs Own

63.5%

Homeownership

2024

61.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 63.5% of the housing units in Essex County, MA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 64%.

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

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$101,883

Median Household Income

± $1,515

313k

Number of Households

± 4,538

In 2024, the median household income of the 313k households in Essex County, MA grew to $101,883 from the previous year's value of $99,431.

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.

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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (67.6%)
Worked At Home (16.4%)
Carpooled (7.25%)

In 2024, 67.6% of workers in Essex County, MA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (16.4%) and those who carpooled to work (7.25%).

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.

Commute Time

28.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Essex County, MA have a longer commute time (28.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.47% 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.

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.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 19.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Essex County, MA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.173%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

9.37% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Essex County, MA (74.7k out of 797k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 75+ and then Females 55 - 64.

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 12.5% of the children was living in poverty in Essex County, MA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.6%.

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

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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.

Health

97.2% of the population of Essex County, MA has health coverage, with 50.8% on employee plans, 21.5% on Medicaid, 12.1% on Medicare, 12.3% on non-group plans, and 0.597% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Essex County, MA see 1,350 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,350 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1081 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 146 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.5% were men and 51.5% 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 0% change from the previous year (1,350 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.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.3% under 18 years, 20% between 18 and 34 years, 39.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.5% were men and 51.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

2.78%

Uninsured

50.8%

Employer Coverage

21.5%

Medicaid

12.1%

Medicare

12.3%

Non-Group

0.597%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Essex County, MA declined by 0.889% from 2.81% to 2.78%.

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.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 29.8 in Essex County, MA.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 30.8% in Essex County, MA.

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