CensusEasy
COUNTY

Middlesex County

Massachusetts · 1,669,979 residents (2025 est.) · 817.866 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Boston metro area
Compare
Notable rankings
#19Highest median rentof 3,137$2,201#20Largest by populationof 3,1441,669,979#27Most educatedof 3,14459.5%#29Highest median household incomeof 3,143$130,847
The short version

Middlesex County is significantly wealthier than the US average, with a median household income of $130,847. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. 60% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $727,800. It ranks in the top 1% of US counties for household income. Households here earn about 26% more than the Massachusetts median.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.9
US median: 38.9
More educated
60% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 63%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,638,365
+12%since 2000
from 1,465,396 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,003 / sq mi
+11%since 2009
from 1,810 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
38.9
+7%since 2000
from 36.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:1,669,979 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
1.4M1.4M1.5M1.6M1.7M1990201020202024Middlesex County
20241.6M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(82,536)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.4%(87,979)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.5%(90,804)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.4%(104,503)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.9%(112,423)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.1%(247,263)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414%(228,933)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.6%(206,285)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.9%(210,632)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.4%(154,624)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.8%(79,267)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(33,116)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$130,847
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $60,821 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$69,556
+123%since 2000
from $31,199 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
70.4%
+19.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
7.7%
+1.2 ptssince 2000
from 6.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.475
+3%since 2010
from 0.461 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade10.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Information8%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services6.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade5.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration5.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance2.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$727,800
+63%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $244,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,201
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $835 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
61.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2000
from 61.7% in 2000
38.7% rent
Vacancy rate
4.5%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 5.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
24.4%
−10.0 ptssince 2009
from 34.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
44.9%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 44.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.6
Unchangedsince 2009
from 5.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
77
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Middlesex County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic83.6%(1,224,771)
Black3.2%(46,598)
Hispanic / Latino4.6%(66,707)
Asian6.2%(91,368)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic65.1%(1,066,504)
Black4.7%(77,245)
Hispanic / Latino9.3%(151,761)
Asian13.6%(222,642)
Other7.3%(120,213)
Diversity Score
68
+56%since 2009
from 43 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
31
Unchangedsince 2020
from 31 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
Central American2.5%(41,557)
Puerto Rican2.3%(38,185)
South American1.7%(27,647)
Salvadoran1.3%(21,120)
Mexican0.9%(13,952)
Guatemalan0.8%(13,736)
Dominican0.7%(12,215)
Colombian0.6%(10,287)
Ecuadorian0.3%(5,181)
Spaniard0.2%(3,652)
Peruvian0.2%(3,498)
Honduran0.2%(3,456)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Cuban0.2%(3,257)
Venezuelan0.2%(2,879)
Argentine0.1%(2,300)
Chilean0.1%(1,774)
Nicaraguan0.1%(903)
Panamanian0.1%(871)
Costa Rican0.1%(866)
Bolivian0%(699)
Uruguayan0%(501)
Paraguayan0%(176)
Asian origin
Chinese4.6%(76,161)
Asian Indian4%(66,311)
Cambodian1.1%(18,712)
Vietnamese0.9%(14,087)
Korean0.8%(12,632)
Taiwanese0.3%(4,215)
Nepalese0.3%(4,123)
Pakistani0.2%(4,009)
Japanese0.2%(3,905)
Filipino0.2%(3,403)
Bangladeshi0.1%(2,060)
Thai0.1%(1,636)
+ 11 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0.1%(1,496)
Indonesian0.1%(978)
Sri Lankan0%(629)
Malaysian0%(595)
Burmese0%(391)
Uzbek0%(267)
Kazakh0%(128)
Mongolian0%(105)
Hmong0%(59)
Bhutanese0%(32)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(299)
Samoan0%(173)
Tongan0%(73)
Fijian0%(18)
Ancestry
Irish18.3%(300,318)
Italian12.1%(198,782)
English9.7%(159,073)
German6.3%(102,787)
French3.2%(53,079)
Polish3.1%(51,594)
American3.1%(50,116)
Brazilian2.6%(43,190)
French Canadian2.3%(37,058)
Portuguese2.1%(34,113)
Scottish2%(32,530)
Russian1.8%(29,212)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Subsaharan African1.6%(25,617)
West Indian1.4%(22,196)
Greek1.3%(21,170)
Arab1.2%(19,733)
Swedish1.2%(18,986)
Haitian0.9%(14,783)
Armenian0.7%(11,042)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(10,375)
Canadian0.6%(9,765)
Dutch0.6%(9,315)
Norwegian0.5%(8,737)
Ukrainian0.5%(8,707)
Lithuanian0.5%(8,282)
British0.5%(7,548)
Welsh0.4%(6,188)
Lebanese0.4%(5,849)
Hungarian0.3%(5,174)
Iranian0.3%(5,027)
Finnish0.3%(4,254)
Danish0.3%(4,117)
Austrian0.2%(3,894)
Jamaican0.2%(3,889)
Swiss0.2%(3,495)
Moroccan0.2%(3,440)
Nigerian0.2%(3,419)
Romanian0.2%(3,198)
Ethiopian0.2%(3,165)
Czech0.2%(3,136)
Turkish0.2%(2,962)
Egyptian0.2%(2,480)
Kenyan0.1%(2,319)
Israeli0.1%(2,224)
Slovak0.1%(1,904)
Syrian0.1%(1,758)
Bulgarian0.1%(1,735)
Belgian0.1%(1,665)
Cape Verdean0.1%(1,456)
Barbadian0.1%(1,275)
Croatian0.1%(1,209)
Latvian0.1%(1,140)
Ghanaian0.1%(996)
Iraqi0.1%(940)
Serbian0.1%(907)
Palestinian0.1%(864)
Australian0%(556)
Guyanese0%(494)
Slovene0%(479)
Macedonian0%(438)
Jordanian0%(400)
Somali0%(90)
RANKED:Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Chinese population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
59.5%
+15.9 ptssince 2000
from 43.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.2%
+4.8 ptssince 2000
from 88.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
30.5%
+10.5 ptssince 2000
from 20.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
29.9 min
+58%since 2000
from 19.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
54.2%
−16.1 ptssince 2009
from 70.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.3%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 8.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
7.2%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
24.7%
+20.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
10.3%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.4%
−2.2 ptssince 2011
from 6.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2011
from 70.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
14.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 13.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
61.1%
−12.4 ptssince 2009
from 73.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 48.8% in 2009
Female
50.6%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 51.2% in 2009
Foreign born
23.1%
+5.5 ptssince 2009
from 17.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.3%
−44.8 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.9%
+1.0 ptssince 2012
from 8.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.4%
−93.9 ptssince 2013
from 96.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.7%
+8.0 ptssince 2017
from 86.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
70.9%
−3.7 ptssince 2016
from 74.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
6.6%
+0.7 ptssince 2016
from 5.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married39.5%(266,465)
Married52.4%(353,587)
Widowed2.1%(13,850)
Divorced6.1%(41,393)
Women 15+
Never married35%(245,272)
Married49.1%(344,329)
Widowed6.8%(47,972)
Divorced9.1%(64,178)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Middlesex County

Alameda County
Pop 1,636,630
Suffolk County
Pop 1,546,090
Collin County
Pop 1,297,179
Contra Costa County
Pop 1,170,070
Places similar to Middlesex County
Head to head

Compare Middlesex County to nearby counties

MIDDLESEX COUNTY VS
Suffolk County
Income$95,631−27%
Home value$705,800−3%
Population791,891−53%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MIDDLESEX COUNTY VS
Norfolk County
Income$130,739same
Home value$683,900−6%
Population739,749−56%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MIDDLESEX COUNTY VS
Essex County
Income$101,883−22%
Home value$619,100−15%
Population826,653−50%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MIDDLESEX COUNTY VS
Worcester County
Income$95,939−27%
Home value$423,700−42%
Population888,502−47%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?

Middlesex County, Massachusetts has about 1,638,365 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Middlesex County, Massachusetts earns about $130,847 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Middlesex County, Massachusetts expensive?

In Middlesex County, Massachusetts, the median home is worth about $727,800, and the typical rent is about $2,201 a month.

How educated are people in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?

About 59.5% of adults age 25 and over in Middlesex County, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?

About 7.7% of people in Middlesex County, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.

Has Middlesex County, Massachusetts grown since 1990?

Yes, Middlesex County, Massachusetts has grown since 1990. The population has added about 239,897 residents, a change of about 17 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

357 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 3684Census Tract 3143.01Census Tract 3152Census Tract 3163Census Tract 3183Census Tract 3651Census Tract 3593.03Census Tract 3564Census Tract 3419.03Census Tract 3215Census Tract 3343Census Tract 3155Census Tract 3216Census Tract 3331Census Tract 3212Census Tract 3102Census Tract 3336.02Census Tract 3311.02Census Tract 3565Census Tract 3594
81 ZIP codes (top 30 by population)
ZIP 02148ZIP 02155ZIP 02149ZIP 01801ZIP 01752ZIP 02139ZIP 01702ZIP 02138ZIP 01852ZIP 01760ZIP 02472ZIP 01851ZIP 01826ZIP 01701ZIP 02453ZIP 01876ZIP 01821ZIP 01854ZIP 02176ZIP 02474ZIP 01880ZIP 02145ZIP 02478ZIP 01824ZIP 01803ZIP 01867ZIP 02143ZIP 02144ZIP 01886ZIP 01720
Up the hierarchy
All counties in Massachusetts
Rankings
Highest income countiesLowest poverty counties

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →