Middlesex County, MA

County

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2024 Population

1.64M

US Senator

Elizabeth Warren

Democratic Party

US Senator

Ed Markey

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

7.74%

3% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$130,847

3.21% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$727,800

5.91% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

905,785

0.926% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Middlesex 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.

88.6% of the residents in Middlesex County, MA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Middlesex County, MA are Harvard University (11,095 degrees awarded in 2023), Boston College (5,118 degrees), and University of Massachusetts-Lowell (4,932 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Middlesex County, MA was $727,800, and the homeownership rate was 61.3%.

Most people in Middlesex County, MA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Middlesex County, MA was 2 cars per household.

Middlesex County, MA borders Essex County, MA, Norfolk County, MA, Suffolk County, MA, Worcester County, MA, and Hillsborough County, NH.

About the photo: Evening traffic on I-93, north of Boston

Photo by Robbie Shade

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

Population & Diversity

Middlesex County, MA is home to a population of 1.64M people, from which 88.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 23% of Middlesex County, MA residents were born outside of the country (377k people).

In 2024, there were 4.79 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.07M people) in Middlesex County, MA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 223k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 77.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

88.6%

2024 Citizenship

88.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 88.6% of Middlesex County, MA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Middlesex County, MA was 88.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Middlesex County, MA

White (Non-Hispanic)
1.07M ± 3.35k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
223k ± 1.76k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
77.2k ± 1.97k

9.26%

Hispanic Population

152k people

9.26% of the people in Middlesex County, MA are hispanic (152k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Middlesex 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

23%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

377k people

22.6%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

366k people

As of 2024, 23% of Middlesex County, MA residents (377k 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 Middlesex County, MA was 22.6%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
15,294 ± 815
Gulf War (2001-)
8,785 ± 800
Gulf War (1990s)
5,195 ± 679

Middlesex County, MA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.74 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Middlesex County, MA employs 906k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Middlesex County, MA were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (159,296 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (127,654 people), and Educational Services (121,624 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($146,750), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($120,971), and Finance & Insurance ($115,327).

Employment

Occupations

906k

2024 Value

± 7,797

0.926%

1 Year growth

± 1.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Middlesex County, MA grew at a rate of 0.926%, from 897k employees to 906k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Middlesex County, MA, are Management Occupations (134,041 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (76,292 people), and Business & Financial Operations Occupations (73,168 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Middlesex 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

906k

2024 Value

± 7,797

0.926%

1 Year growth

± 1.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Middlesex County, MA grew at a rate of 0.926%, from 897k employees to 906k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Middlesex County, MA, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (159,296 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (127,654 people), and Educational Services (121,624 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Middlesex County, MA, though some of these residents may live in Middlesex County, MA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$85,213

Median earning men ± $1,043

$63,016

Median earning women ± $1,138

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($123,156), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($122,674), and Information ($121,517).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($93,240), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($90,040), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($88,452).

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

4,334
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
3,368
Construction
2,826
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

$24.2M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$11.7M
Information
$9.09M
Management of Companies and Enterprises

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 Middlesex 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 Middlesex County, MA awarded 41,700 degrees. The student population of Middlesex County, MA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 56,445 male students and 66,110 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Middlesex County, MA are White (18,000 and 54%), Asian (4,989 and 15%), Hispanic or Latino (3,824 and 11.5%), and Unknown (2,742 and 8.22%).

The largest universities in Middlesex County, MA by number of degrees awarded are Harvard University (11,095 and 26.6%), Boston College (5,118 and 12.3%), and University of Massachusetts-Lowell (4,932 and 11.8%).

The most popular majors in Middlesex County, MA are General Business Administration & Management (3,321 and 7.96%), Computer Science (1,829 and 4.39%), and Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (1,380 and 3.31%).

The median tuition costs in Middlesex County, MA are $52,997 for private four year colleges, and $8,410 and $20,863 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 Middlesex County, MA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 21.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 27.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 122,555 (46.1% men and 53.9% 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 122,555 students enrolled in Middlesex County, MA, 46.1% men and 53.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 51,185 records, of which 54.1% were women and 45.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Computer Science
481 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
2,228 degrees awarded
Management Science
852 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Middlesex County, MA was Computer Science with 481 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Harvard University
11,095 degrees awarded
Boston College
5,118 degrees awarded
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
4,932 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Harvard University with 11,095 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 18,706 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Middlesex County, MA, which is 0.814 times less than the 22,994 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 18,000 degrees mean that there were 3.61 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 4,989 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 ($52,997) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($5,690) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,200) 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 Middlesex County, MA was $727,800 in 2024, which is 2.19 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $687,200 to $727,800, a 5.91% increase. The homeownership rate in Middlesex County, MA is 61.3%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Middlesex County, MA have an average commute time of 29.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Middlesex County, MA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Middlesex County, MA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.98%.

Housing

Property

$727,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$3,891

$388,893

Median Property Taxes

±$4,139

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 Middlesex County, MA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

61.3%

Homeownership

2024

61.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 61.3% of the housing units in Middlesex County, MA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 61.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Middlesex 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.

$130,847

Median Household Income

± $1,164

634k

Number of Households

± 6,052

In 2024, the median household income of the 634k households in Middlesex County, MA grew to $130,847 from the previous year's value of $126,779.

The following chart displays the households in Middlesex 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 Middlesex 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 (54.2%)
Worked At Home (24.7%)
Public Transit (7.22%)

In 2024, 54.2% of workers in Middlesex County, MA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (24.7%) and those who used public transit to get to work (7.22%).

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

29.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Middlesex County, MA have a longer commute time (29.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.31% of the workforce in Middlesex County, MA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Middlesex 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 Middlesex County, MA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Middlesex County, MA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Middlesex County, MA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.98%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

7.74% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Middlesex County, MA (123k out of 1.58M 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 18 - 24.

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

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, 7.6% of the children was living in poverty in Middlesex County, MA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.9%.

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 185 in Middlesex County, MA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 92.8 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

97.6% of the population of Middlesex County, MA has health coverage, with 60.3% on employee plans, 13.5% on Medicaid, 11% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 0.527% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Middlesex County, MA see 803 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (803 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 951 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 139 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

803 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Middlesex County, MA

Primary care physicians in Middlesex County, MA see an average of 803 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (803 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.1% under 18 years, 23.4% between 18 and 34 years, 39.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 16% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.3% were men and 50.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

2.36%

Uninsured

60.3%

Employer Coverage

13.5%

Medicaid

11%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

0.527%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Middlesex County, MA declined by 2.79% from 2.43% to 2.36%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Middlesex 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 24.1 in Middlesex County, MA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Middlesex 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 22.1% in Middlesex County, MA.

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