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COUNTY

Suffolk County

Massachusetts · 791,891 residents (2025 est.) · 58.3 sq mi
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Part of the Boston metro area
The short version

Suffolk County is home to 785,121 people in Massachusetts. Owners hold 36% of the housing stock. The typical home is worth $705,800, having more than tripled since 2000. That puts it in the top 2% of US counties for household income. This is an unusually credentialed place: 51% of adults have a four-year degree. There are 13,478 people per square mile.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.9
US median: 38.9
More educated
51% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 92%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
785,121
+14%since 2000
from 689,807 in 2000
791,891 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
13,478 / sq mi
+7%since 2009
from 12,542 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
33.9
+7%since 2000
from 31.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
58.3 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
651K691K731K771K811K19902000201020202024Suffolk County
2024785K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.8%(37,885)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94%(31,533)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.5%(35,292)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.2%(56,176)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 249.2%(72,134)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3422.3%(174,752)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.7%(107,941)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.5%(82,372)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.6%(82,877)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.8%(61,365)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.8%(29,457)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(13,337)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$95,631
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,355 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$58,636
+158%since 2000
from $22,766 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
58.4%
+23.7 ptssince 2009
from 34.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
16.2%
−2.8 ptssince 2000
from 19.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.525
+1%since 2010
from 0.518 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Other services8.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Information7.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Public administration6.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Retail trade5.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance4.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade4.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$705,800
+92%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $201,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,129
+48%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $791 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
36.5%
+2.5 ptssince 2000
from 33.9% in 2000
63.5% rent
Vacancy rate
8.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.25 people
−10%since 2009
from 2.51 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
28.2%
−14.1 ptssince 2009
from 42.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
49.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
7.4
−2%since 2009
from 7.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
86
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic52.1%(359,535)
Black20.8%(143,817)
Hispanic / Latino15.5%(107,031)
Asian7%(47,970)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic43.6%(342,378)
Black17.1%(134,542)
Hispanic / Latino23.2%(182,283)
Asian9.2%(71,965)
Other6.9%(53,953)
Diversity Score
89
+9%since 2009
from 81 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
46
−5%since 2020
from 49 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 American6.8%(53,123)
Dominican5.6%(43,611)
Puerto Rican4.1%(32,388)
Salvadoran3.6%(28,111)
South American3.5%(27,119)
Colombian2.4%(18,462)
Guatemalan1.5%(11,635)
Mexican1.2%(9,299)
Honduran1.1%(8,771)
Cuban0.3%(2,474)
Venezuelan0.3%(2,389)
Peruvian0.3%(1,990)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.2%(1,800)
Costa Rican0.2%(1,740)
Spaniard0.2%(1,713)
Nicaraguan0.1%(877)
Chilean0.1%(854)
Panamanian0.1%(851)
Argentine0.1%(596)
Uruguayan0%(278)
Bolivian0%(253)
Paraguayan0%(173)
Asian origin
Chinese4%(31,268)
Vietnamese1.6%(12,296)
Asian Indian1.6%(12,220)
Korean0.6%(4,546)
Filipino0.3%(2,049)
Cambodian0.2%(1,431)
Taiwanese0.2%(1,193)
Japanese0.1%(1,029)
Pakistani0.1%(982)
Bangladeshi0.1%(748)
Thai0.1%(595)
Nepalese0.1%(490)
+ 10 more asian origin groups with data
Burmese0%(340)
Indonesian0%(245)
Sri Lankan0%(222)
Kazakh0%(197)
Laotian0%(86)
Malaysian0%(67)
Uzbek0%(46)
Hmong0%(18)
Mongolian0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(376)
Tongan0%(75)
Chamorro0%(58)
Guamanian0%(41)
Fijian0%(29)
Ancestry
Irish12.5%(97,778)
Italian8.2%(64,187)
West Indian5.8%(45,431)
English5.3%(41,270)
German4.5%(35,108)
Subsaharan African3.7%(29,382)
Haitian2.8%(21,729)
American2.3%(17,920)
Polish2.2%(17,004)
Cape Verdean1.6%(12,652)
French1.6%(12,625)
Jamaican1.5%(11,453)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Arab1.4%(10,691)
Russian1.1%(8,319)
Scottish1.1%(8,316)
Portuguese0.9%(7,457)
Greek0.8%(5,936)
Brazilian0.8%(5,894)
Swedish0.7%(5,675)
Nigerian0.6%(4,714)
Norwegian0.4%(3,421)
Moroccan0.4%(3,226)
Barbadian0.4%(3,164)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(2,907)
Dutch0.4%(2,761)
Lebanese0.3%(2,727)
Ethiopian0.3%(2,594)
Ukrainian0.3%(2,585)
Canadian0.3%(2,567)
British0.3%(2,336)
Lithuanian0.3%(2,333)
Iranian0.2%(1,942)
Welsh0.2%(1,858)
Hungarian0.2%(1,810)
Swiss0.2%(1,432)
Armenian0.2%(1,428)
Turkish0.2%(1,405)
Danish0.2%(1,256)
Czech0.2%(1,203)
Somali0.1%(1,152)
Guyanese0.1%(1,076)
Austrian0.1%(971)
Ghanaian0.1%(930)
Egyptian0.1%(880)
Belgian0.1%(846)
Syrian0.1%(824)
Finnish0.1%(812)
Kenyan0.1%(788)
Croatian0.1%(774)
Romanian0.1%(733)
Slovak0.1%(727)
Israeli0.1%(493)
Latvian0.1%(488)
Palestinian0.1%(421)
Serbian0.1%(401)
Australian0%(347)
Bulgarian0%(334)
Iraqi0%(271)
Jordanian0%(255)
Slovene0%(150)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
50.6%
+18.2 ptssince 2000
from 32.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
87.5%
+9.4 ptssince 2000
from 78.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
23.5%
+9.8 ptssince 2000
from 13.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.9 min
+58%since 2000
from 19.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
35.4%
−7.0 ptssince 2009
from 42.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.1%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
22.4%
−9.1 ptssince 2009
from 31.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
19.9%
+17.0 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
12.0%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.9%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
31.6%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 32.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.3%
−3.8 ptssince 2011
from 10.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.8%
+1.3 ptssince 2011
from 68.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
81.0%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 79.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
53.6%
+11.7 ptssince 2009
from 41.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.3% in 2009
Female
51.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.7% in 2009
Foreign born
29.8%
+2.9 ptssince 2009
from 26.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
2.2%
−2.6 ptssince 2009
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.6%
+0.8 ptssince 2012
from 11.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.1%
−2.6 ptssince 2013
from 5.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.6%
+10.9 ptssince 2017
from 80.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.4%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 92.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
81.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 81.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
61.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 60.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
19.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2016
from 19.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married54.8%(178,636)
Married37.1%(120,841)
Widowed1.6%(5,275)
Divorced6.5%(21,144)
Women 15+
Never married52.7%(186,796)
Married32.3%(114,444)
Widowed5.9%(20,820)
Divorced9.2%(32,455)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.1%
−2.6 ptssince 2013
from 5.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
57.6%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 56.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 12.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
13.8%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 12.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
29.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 29.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.8%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 0.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
67.6%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 66.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 37.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)31.6%(4,510)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)14.2%(2,033)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era27.3%(3,902)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.6%(655)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.3%(192)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 14,271 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Suffolk County to nearby counties

SUFFOLK COUNTY VS
Norfolk County
Income$130,739+37%
Home value$683,900−3%
Population739,749−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SUFFOLK COUNTY VS
Middlesex County
Income$130,847+37%
Home value$727,800+3%
Population1,669,979+111%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SUFFOLK COUNTY VS
Essex County
Income$101,883+7%
Home value$619,100−12%
Population826,653+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SUFFOLK COUNTY VS
Plymouth County
Income$114,201+19%
Home value$556,000−21%
Population546,829−31%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?

Suffolk County, Massachusetts has about 785,121 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Suffolk County, Massachusetts earns about $95,631 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Suffolk County, Massachusetts expensive?

In Suffolk County, Massachusetts, the median home is worth about $705,800, and the typical rent is about $2,129 a month.

How educated are people in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?

About 50.6% of adults age 25 and over in Suffolk County, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?

About 16.2% of people in Suffolk County, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.

Has Suffolk County, Massachusetts grown since 1990?

Yes, Suffolk County, Massachusetts has grown since 1990. The population has added about 121,215 residents, a change of about 18 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →