Essex County, Massachusetts Demographics 2026

Name: Essex County, Massachusetts Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Essex County, Massachusetts has a population of 813,054, the 3rd most populous county in Massachusetts. The median household income is $101,883 and the median home value is $619,100. The poverty rate is 9.4%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Essex County Quick Facts

Population 813,054

Median Household Income $101,883

Median Home Value $619,100

Poverty Rate 9.4%

Unemployment Rate 5.1%

Median Age 41.2 years

Homeownership Rate 63.5%

Affordability Ratio 6.1x

Bachelor's Degree+ 43.0%

High School Graduation 90.1%

Cities/Places 22

Population 813,054 3rd of 14

Median Income $101,883 2% lower than state

Poverty Rate 9.4%

Unemployment 5.1%

How Essex County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	807,258	813,054	+0.7%
Median household income	$99,431	$101,883	+2.5%
Median home value	$584,000	$619,100	+6.0%

Median Household Income

Essex

$101,883

$103,960

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Essex

$619,100

$562,100

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 13.3%

$25K-$50K 12.7%

$50K-$100K 23.2%

$100K+ 50.8%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

4.0%

$10K-$15K

3.6%

$15K-$20K

2.9%

$20K-$25K

2.9%

$25K-$30K

2.6%

$30K-$35K

2.4%

$35K-$40K

2.5%

$40K-$45K

2.7%

$45K-$50K

2.5%

$50K-$60K

4.9%

$60K-$75K

7.2%

$75K-$100K

11.0%

$100K-$125K

9.4%

$125K-$150K

8.3%

$150K-$200K

12.0%

$200K+

21.0%

Employment

5.1% Unemployment Rate State: 5.1%|National: 5.2%

67.5% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 63.5%

Renter 36.5%

Affordability Index Expensive

6.1x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,756/mo 20.7% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

20.8%

18-34

21.3%

35-54

25.3%

55-74

25.0%

75+

7.6%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 53 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Essex County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Lynn	101,709	$75,043	13.8%	$510,100
Lawrence	88,736	$60,433	17.6%	$415,200
Haverhill	67,698	$88,326	11.3%	$453,900
Peabody	54,695	$96,657	7.6%	$596,200
Salem	44,795	$85,153	12.1%	$542,800
Beverly	42,665	$106,044	9.4%	$650,300
Gloucester	30,075	$83,883	9.6%	$600,600
Saugus	28,773	$101,539	6.0%	$603,400
Danvers	28,098	$125,395	4.8%	$644,200
Marblehead	20,413	$182,132	4.4%	$943,900
Newburyport	18,652	$139,625	5.0%	$834,000
Swampscott	15,277	$134,386	7.1%	$771,100
Lynnfield	13,064	$175,265	6.0%	$917,600
Andover	9,451	$126,563	6.2%	$726,100
Salisbury	5,656	$92,469	5.6%	$465,900
Ipswich	4,924	$104,102	5.6%	$598,400
Rockport	4,704	$86,250	4.2%	$748,200
Nahant	3,325	$112,762	8.9%	$748,800
Topsfield	2,624	$191,146	4.9%	$836,600
Boxford	2,284	$188,482	5.1%	$979,100
Rowley	1,708	$109,622	6.2%	$614,800
Essex	1,688	$161,250	7.5%	$797,100

Explore Massachusetts Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Essex County is located in Massachusetts with a total population of 813,054. It is the 3rd most populous county out of 14 in Massachusetts. The county encompasses 22 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Essex County is 41.2 years. This is 3% higher than the state median of 40.0 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Essex County is $101,883. This is 2% lower than the state median of $103,960. It is also 26% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 9.4%. This is 7% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.0%. The unemployment rate is 5.1%. The median home value is $619,100. Housing costs are 10% higher than the state median of $562,100. The home-value-to-income ratio of 6.1x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 63.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% higher than the state average of 62.5%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Essex County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 64.5% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 24.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (24.1% vs 13.3%). The Asian population (3.5%) is well below the state average of 7.2%.

Education

43.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 9% lower than the state rate of 47.3%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 90.1%. Notably, 17.9% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Essex County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Massachusetts and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Essex County, Massachusetts?

Essex County has a population of 813,054, making it the 3rd most populous county in Massachusetts.

What is the median income in Essex County?

The median household income in Essex County is $101,883 with a poverty rate of 9.4%.

How many cities are in Essex County, Massachusetts?

Essex County contains 22 Census-designated places.