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COUNTY

Essex County

Massachusetts · 826,653 residents (2025 est.) · 492.513 sq mi
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Part of the Boston metro area
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Notable rankings
#76Most expensive homesof 3,139$619,100#78Largest by populationof 3,144826,653#89Most densely populatedof 3,1441,678#114Highest median rentof 3,137$1,756
The short version

Essex County is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $101,883. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $619,100. It ranks in the top 1% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
43% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 64%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
813,054
+12%since 2000
from 723,419 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,651 / sq mi
+11%since 2009
from 1,492 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
41.2
+10%since 2000
from 37.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:826,653 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
656K699K742K784K827K1990201020202024Essex County
2024813K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(43,619)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.6%(45,340)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.1%(49,553)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.4%(51,779)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.2%(50,726)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.5%(101,254)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.8%(104,252)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.5%(101,635)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.1%(114,790)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.9%(88,287)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.4%(43,540)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.2%(18,279)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$101,883
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $51,576 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$54,665
+107%since 2000
from $26,358 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
61.8%
+18.7 ptssince 2009
from 43.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
9.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 8.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.482
+2%since 2010
from 0.471 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade10.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services7%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade6.4%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration5.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance5.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$619,100
+64%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $206,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,756
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $665 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
63.5%
Unchangedsince 2000
from 63.5% in 2000
36.5% rent
Vacancy rate
5.0%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
29.2%
−8.5 ptssince 2009
from 37.7% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
53.9%
+4.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
6.1
+3%since 2009
from 5.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
59
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Essex County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic83.1%(601,340)
Black2%(14,399)
Hispanic / Latino11%(79,871)
Asian2.3%(16,737)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic64.5%(524,651)
Black3.5%(28,297)
Hispanic / Latino24.1%(195,593)
Asian3.5%(28,724)
Other4.4%(35,789)
Diversity Score
65
+47%since 2009
from 44 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
51
−7%since 2020
from 55 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Dominican11.5%(93,235)
Puerto Rican4.6%(37,051)
Central American4.4%(35,433)
Guatemalan2.3%(18,411)
Salvadoran1.5%(11,925)
South American1.3%(10,602)
Mexican0.7%(5,509)
Colombian0.6%(5,083)
Honduran0.3%(2,722)
Cuban0.3%(2,702)
Ecuadorian0.3%(2,416)
Peruvian0.2%(1,595)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.2%(1,404)
Nicaraguan0.1%(932)
Costa Rican0.1%(904)
Venezuelan0.1%(536)
Chilean0%(334)
Argentine0%(210)
Bolivian0%(187)
Paraguayan0%(115)
Uruguayan0%(61)
Asian origin
Chinese0.8%(6,646)
Asian Indian0.7%(5,722)
Cambodian0.6%(5,149)
Vietnamese0.4%(3,631)
Korean0.2%(1,884)
Filipino0.2%(1,229)
Bangladeshi0.1%(753)
Japanese0.1%(742)
Laotian0.1%(585)
Nepalese0.1%(490)
Pakistani0%(359)
Taiwanese0%(356)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(294)
Sri Lankan0%(154)
Burmese0%(129)
Kazakh0%(97)
Hmong0%(2)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(73)
Samoan0%(72)
Guamanian0%(22)
Ancestry
Irish18.7%(152,156)
Italian13.6%(110,498)
English9.6%(77,666)
French4.7%(38,069)
German4.4%(35,985)
Polish3.1%(24,967)
French Canadian3%(24,210)
American2.7%(21,839)
Portuguese2.2%(17,865)
Scottish2%(16,541)
Greek1.6%(13,234)
Subsaharan African1.3%(10,837)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1.2%(9,470)
West Indian1.1%(9,214)
Swedish1.1%(8,897)
Arab1%(8,281)
Brazilian0.9%(7,340)
Haitian0.7%(5,801)
Canadian0.7%(5,352)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(4,253)
Lebanese0.5%(4,076)
Lithuanian0.5%(4,002)
Norwegian0.5%(3,997)
Armenian0.4%(3,091)
Ukrainian0.3%(2,844)
Dutch0.3%(2,362)
Welsh0.3%(2,312)
British0.3%(2,304)
Finnish0.2%(1,869)
Moroccan0.2%(1,815)
Nigerian0.2%(1,759)
Danish0.2%(1,650)
Hungarian0.2%(1,624)
Kenyan0.2%(1,290)
Cape Verdean0.2%(1,229)
Austrian0.2%(1,225)
Romanian0.1%(1,216)
Jamaican0.1%(1,119)
Czech0.1%(1,064)
Swiss0.1%(1,040)
Iranian0.1%(758)
Barbadian0.1%(744)
Syrian0.1%(696)
Turkish0.1%(683)
Slovene0.1%(537)
Belgian0.1%(536)
Slovak0.1%(530)
Iraqi0.1%(435)
Egyptian0%(395)
Latvian0%(316)
Serbian0%(288)
Ethiopian0%(251)
Australian0%(250)
Bulgarian0%(179)
Ghanaian0%(165)
Croatian0%(153)
Macedonian0%(143)
Israeli0%(113)
Guyanese0%(107)
Jordanian0%(103)
RANKED:Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population · Largest Dominican population · Largest English population · Largest French population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
43.0%
+11.8 ptssince 2000
from 31.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.1%
+5.4 ptssince 2000
from 84.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
17.9%
+6.2 ptssince 2000
from 11.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
28.5 min
+43%since 2000
from 19.9 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
67.6%
−9.8 ptssince 2009
from 77.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.3%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
3.5%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
16.4%
+12.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
9.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.1%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 7.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
67.5%
+0.2 ptssince 2011
from 67.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
12.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
46.2%
−21.5 ptssince 2009
from 67.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 48.4% in 2009
Female
51.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.6% in 2009
Foreign born
19.1%
+5.5 ptssince 2009
from 13.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.3%
−43.2 ptssince 2009
from 47.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.3%
+1.0 ptssince 2012
from 11.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.8%
−92.9 ptssince 2013
from 95.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.4%
+9.8 ptssince 2017
from 82.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
71.3%
−3.5 ptssince 2016
from 74.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
19.1%
+3.2 ptssince 2016
from 15.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married37.1%(120,131)
Married52.3%(169,594)
Widowed2.4%(7,616)
Divorced8.2%(26,658)
Women 15+
Never married33%(115,566)
Married46.7%(163,854)
Widowed8%(28,105)
Divorced12.3%(43,018)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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Head to head

Compare Essex County to nearby counties

ESSEX COUNTY VS
Suffolk County
Income$95,631−6%
Home value$705,800+14%
Population791,891−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ESSEX COUNTY VS
Rockingham County
Income$118,331+16%
Home value$497,500−20%
Population324,077−61%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ESSEX COUNTY VS
Middlesex County
Income$130,847+28%
Home value$727,800+18%
Population1,669,979+102%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
ESSEX COUNTY VS
Norfolk County
Income$130,739+28%
Home value$683,900+10%
Population739,749−11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Essex County, Massachusetts?

Essex County, Massachusetts has about 813,054 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Essex County, Massachusetts?

The typical household in Essex County, Massachusetts earns about $101,883 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Essex County, Massachusetts expensive?

In Essex County, Massachusetts, the median home is worth about $619,100, and the typical rent is about $1,756 a month.

How educated are people in Essex County, Massachusetts?

About 43.0% of adults age 25 and over in Essex County, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Essex County, Massachusetts?

About 9.4% of people in Essex County, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.

Has Essex County, Massachusetts grown since 1990?

Yes, Essex County, Massachusetts has grown since 1990. The population has added about 142,974 residents, a change of about 21 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

174 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 2508Census Tract 2131Census Tract 2544.02Census Tract 2518Census Tract 2532.02Census Tract 2523Census Tract 2105Census Tract 2091Census Tract 2113Census Tract 2031Census Tract 2526.01Census Tract 2682Census Tract 2047.01Census Tract 2515Census Tract 2604.02Census Tract 2516Census Tract 2101Census Tract 2064Census Tract 2641Census Tract 2691
44 ZIP codes (top 30 by population)
ZIP 01960ZIP 01844ZIP 01841ZIP 01902ZIP 01970ZIP 01915ZIP 01810ZIP 01845ZIP 01930ZIP 01906ZIP 01905ZIP 01923ZIP 01843ZIP 01830ZIP 01832ZIP 01904ZIP 01945ZIP 01950ZIP 01913ZIP 01907ZIP 01835ZIP 01938ZIP 01940ZIP 01949ZIP 01952ZIP 01840ZIP 01833ZIP 01921ZIP 01982ZIP 01966
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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