Essex County, Massachusetts
Located in Massachusetts, Essex County has a population of 813,054 residents and a median age of 41.2 years, making it the #78 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.4%. The median home value is $619,100, and the median household income is $101,883, which is 36% above the national median.
Demographics
Essex County has a population of 813,054, making it the #78 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.2 years, which is 5.9% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Essex County is $101,883, ranking #154 out of 3,222 counties — 35.6% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.4% and unemployment stands at 5.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Essex County is $619,100 (+119.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,756/mo and the homeownership rate is 63.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Essex County, 43.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 27.7% above the national average, ranking #200 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Essex County is 79.7 years. 14.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 3.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
12.0% of adults in Essex County smoke , 30.8% are obese , and 21.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 37.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Essex County is 1.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 8.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 4.8 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
12.5% of children in Essex County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 3.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 9.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Essex County is 74.7%. The mean commute time is 31.7 min, which is 14.8% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Essex County voted Democratic with a margin of 20.3%. The vote was 59.2% Dem / 38.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 8.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Essex County, Massachusetts
Essex County, Massachusetts has a total population of 813,054, making it the 78th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Essex County is 41.2 years, which is 5.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Essex County is $101,883, which ranks #154 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 35.6% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.1%.
The median home value in Essex County is $619,100, 119.6% above the national median. Renters in Essex County pay a median gross rent of $1,756 per month. The homeownership rate is 63.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Essex County, 43.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27.7% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 97.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.7 min.
Essex County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 64.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (24.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
All data for Essex County, Massachusetts comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.