CensusEasy
COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Suffolk County

Massachusetts · 797,936 residents · 58.3 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Boston metro area
Compare
The short version

Suffolk County is a county of 797,936 people in Massachusetts. Owners hold 33% of the housing stock. The typical home is worth $547,300, having more than doubled since 2000. This skews young, with a median age of 32.3. This is an unusually credentialed place: 48% of adults have a four-year degree. 30% of residents were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Younger
median age 32.3
US median: 38.8
More educated
48% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 81%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
797,936
+16%since 2000
from 689,807 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
32.3
+2%since 2000
from 31.7 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
58.3 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
651K691K731K771K811K19902000201020202024Suffolk County
2024785K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.7%(37,834)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.2%(33,659)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 144.4%(35,101)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.1%(48,393)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2412.2%(97,154)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3423.3%(186,211)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.4%(98,760)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5410%(79,653)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6410.1%(80,439)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 747.3%(58,378)
US avg: 10%
75 to 843.7%(29,782)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over1.6%(12,572)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$74,881
+27%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,355 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$44,723
+96%since 2000
from $22,766 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
49.9%
+15.2 ptssince 2009
from 34.8% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
17.4%
−1.6 ptssince 2000
from 19.0% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Other services8.9%
US avg: 6.6%
Information8.3%
US avg: 11.1%
Public administration6.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Retail trade4.6%
US avg: 10%
Finance & insurance4.1%
US avg: 5.5%
Wholesale trade3.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.7%
US avg: 4.7%
Arts, entertainment, food2.3%
US avg: 2%
Transportation & warehousing1.6%
US avg: 2.5%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.1%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$547,300
+81%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $201,300 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,657
+39%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $791 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
33.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2000
from 33.9% in 2000
66.8% rent
Persons per household
2.41 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.51 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
7.3
−3%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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic52.1%(359,535)
Black20.8%(143,817)
Hispanic / Latino15.5%(107,031)
Asian7%(47,970)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic44.2%(352,900)
Black17%(135,255)
Hispanic / Latino22.4%(178,527)
Asian10.1%(80,607)
Other3.9%(31,056)
Segregation Score
49
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 American6.6%(52,707)
Puerto Rican5.3%(42,235)
Dominican4.7%(37,653)
Salvadoran3.8%(30,134)
South American2.9%(23,237)
Colombian1.9%(15,253)
Mexican1.3%(10,185)
Guatemalan1.2%(9,728)
Honduran1%(7,910)
Cuban0.4%(3,499)
Peruvian0.3%(2,671)
Spaniard0.3%(2,111)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.2%(1,919)
Costa Rican0.2%(1,699)
Venezuelan0.2%(1,475)
Argentine0.1%(721)
Chilean0.1%(716)
Nicaraguan0.1%(692)
Panamanian0.1%(578)
Bolivian0%(318)
Uruguayan0%(47)
Asian origin
Chinese4.2%(33,577)
Vietnamese1.6%(12,565)
Asian Indian1.4%(10,917)
Korean0.5%(3,626)
Filipino0.3%(2,345)
Japanese0.2%(1,618)
Cambodian0.2%(1,357)
Pakistani0.1%(774)
Taiwanese0.1%(707)
Thai0.1%(685)
Bangladeshi0.1%(414)
Sri Lankan0%(241)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Indonesian0%(211)
Nepalese0%(156)
Burmese0%(85)
Laotian0%(70)
Malaysian0%(43)
Mongolian0%(28)
Hmong0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(160)
Chamorro0%(75)
Ancestry
Irish13%(104,001)
Italian8.5%(67,954)
West Indian5.9%(47,274)
English4.4%(35,168)
German4.4%(35,043)
Subsaharan African3.6%(29,170)
Haitian3.1%(25,132)
American2.3%(18,692)
Polish2.1%(17,030)
Cape Verdean1.7%(13,862)
French1.7%(13,816)
Jamaican1.5%(11,664)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
French Canadian1.2%(9,285)
Russian1.1%(8,586)
Scottish1.1%(8,557)
Brazilian1%(7,700)
Portuguese0.9%(7,405)
Greek0.8%(6,539)
Swedish0.7%(5,260)
British0.5%(3,660)
Norwegian0.4%(3,539)
Nigerian0.4%(3,408)
Dutch0.4%(3,262)
Lithuanian0.4%(3,057)
Ukrainian0.3%(2,711)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(2,701)
Canadian0.3%(2,454)
Barbadian0.3%(2,341)
Lebanese0.3%(2,222)
Moroccan0.3%(2,123)
Hungarian0.3%(2,101)
Welsh0.3%(2,029)
Ethiopian0.2%(1,618)
Armenian0.2%(1,615)
Iranian0.2%(1,576)
Somali0.2%(1,574)
Turkish0.2%(1,506)
Danish0.2%(1,441)
Czech0.2%(1,302)
Swiss0.2%(1,230)
Austrian0.1%(1,033)
Finnish0.1%(1,018)
Arab0.1%(1,015)
Romanian0.1%(950)
Slovak0.1%(720)
Ghanaian0.1%(662)
Belgian0.1%(650)
Egyptian0.1%(642)
Serbian0.1%(625)
Guyanese0.1%(565)
Croatian0.1%(560)
Syrian0.1%(530)
Latvian0.1%(500)
Israeli0.1%(455)
Bulgarian0.1%(430)
Kenyan0.1%(419)
Australian0%(354)
Iraqi0%(192)
Slovene0%(156)
Jordanian0%(81)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
47.7%
+15.2 ptssince 2000
from 32.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
86.9%
+8.7 ptssince 2000
from 78.1% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
21.4%
+7.7 ptssince 2000
from 13.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
31.1 min
+59%since 2000
from 19.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
39.6%
−2.9 ptssince 2009
from 42.5% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
31.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 32.8% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.8%
−3.3 ptssince 2011
from 10.1% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
69.8%
+1.3 ptssince 2011
from 68.4% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.1%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
49.3%
+7.5 ptssince 2009
from 41.9% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
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
29.7%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 26.9% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
3.8%
−1.9 ptssince 2013
from 5.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
92.2%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
81.0%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
3.8%
−1.9 ptssince 2013
from 5.7% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
56.8%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.6%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
12.8%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
29.8%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
0.8%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
66.5%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
37.9%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)25.9%(4,665)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)14.3%(2,567)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era30.6%(5,507)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War9%(1,612)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.6%(644)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 18,002 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

Places similar to Suffolk County

Montgomery County
Pop 781,194
Denver County
Pop 740,613
San Joaquin County
Pop 823,815
Worcester County
Pop 888,502
Places similar to Suffolk County
Head to head

Compare Suffolk County to nearby counties

SUFFOLK COUNTY VS
Norfolk County
Income$130,739+75%
Home value$683,900+25%
Population739,749−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SUFFOLK COUNTY VS
Middlesex County
Income$130,847+75%
Home value$727,800+33%
Population1,669,979+111%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SUFFOLK COUNTY VS
Essex County
Income$101,883+36%
Home value$619,100+13%
Population826,653+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SUFFOLK COUNTY VS
Plymouth County
Income$114,201+53%
Home value$556,000+2%
Population546,829−31%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?

Suffolk County, Massachusetts has about 797,936 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Suffolk County, Massachusetts earns about $74,881 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 $547,300, and the typical rent is about $1,657 a month.

How educated are people in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?

About 47.7% 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 17.4% 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 134,030 residents, a change of about 20 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

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

How we source and harmonize this data →