Middlesex County, Massachusetts

MA · FIPS 25017 Democrat

Located in Massachusetts, Middlesex County has a population of 1,638,365 residents and a median age of 38.9 years, making it the #21 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.7%. The median home value is $727,800, and the median household income is $130,847, which is 74% above the national median.

1,638,365
Population
#21 of 3,222
$130,847
Median Income
+74.1% #29 of 3,222
38.9 years
Median Age
0.0% #2,402 of 3,222
7.7%
Poverty Rate
-38.6% #329 of 3,222

Demographics

Middlesex County has a population of 1,638,365, making it the #21 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.9 years, which is 0.0% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

76.9%
Native Born
23.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Middlesex County is $130,847, ranking #29 out of 3,222 counties — 74.1% above the national median. The poverty rate is 7.7% and unemployment stands at 4.3%.

Income#29
$130,847
+74.1%
vs nation
99th percentile
Per Capita#29
$69,556
+68.6%
vs nation
99th percentile
Poverty#329
7.7%
-38.6%
vs nation
90th percentile
Unemployment#1,537
4.3%
-18.1%
vs nation
52th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Middlesex County is $727,800 (+158.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $2,201/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.3%.

Home Value#45
$727,800
+158.2%
vs nation
99th percentile
Rent#19
$2,201
+89.3%
vs nation
99th percentile
Homeownership#2,956
61.3%
-4.8%
vs nation
8th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Middlesex County, 59.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 76.6% above the national average, ranking #27 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
59.5% +76.6% vs nation
Rank #27 of 3,222
99th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Middlesex County is 81.5 years. 11.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 2.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#83
81.5
+8.5%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#26
11.2%
-42.7%
vs nation
99th percentile
Diabetes#34
7.1%
-36.2%
vs nation
99th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#244
31.3%
-16.1%
vs nation
92th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#279
4.8
-14.7%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#52
3.3
-26.6%
vs nation
98th percentile
Uninsured Rate#4
2.4%
-77.2%
vs nation
100th percentile
Physical Inactivity#38
15.6%
-40.9%
vs nation
99th percentile
Food Insecurity#84
8.3%
-42.4%
vs nation
97th percentile

Substance Use

8.5% of adults in Middlesex County smoke , 22.1% are obese , and 20.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 24.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#13
8.5%
-52.7%
vs nation
100th percentile
Adult Obesity#10
22.1%
-41.7%
vs nation
100th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,869
20.7%
+4.2%
vs nation
41th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#844
24.3
-24.8%
vs nation
60th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Middlesex County is 1.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 7.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 4.0 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#11
1.0
-87.6%
vs nation
99th percentile
Suicide Rate#30
7.3
-63.0%
vs nation
99th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1
1.9
-89.6%
vs nation
100th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#8
4.0
-80.1%
vs nation
100th percentile

Families & Children

7.6% of children in Middlesex County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 2.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 3.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#7
2.8
-59.3%
vs nation
100th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#35
3.8
-82.6%
vs nation
99th percentile
Child Poverty#123
7.6%
-60.0%
vs nation
96th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Middlesex County is 76.7%. The mean commute time is 33.2 min, which is 20.3% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
76.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
33.2 min +20.3% vs nation
Rank #452 of 3,222
86th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Middlesex County voted Democratic with a margin of 39.5%. The vote was 68.5% Dem / 29% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.7 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +39.5%
68.5% 29%
Dem 809,513 votes Rep
2020 DEM +45.2%
71.5% 26.3%
Dem 863,577 votes Rep
2016 DEM +38.1%
66.3% 28.2%
Dem 767,337 votes Rep
2012 DEM +26.9%
62.6% 35.7%
Dem 746,856 votes Rep
2008 DEM +30.1%
64% 33.9%
Dem 726,031 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Middlesex County, Massachusetts has a total population of 1,638,365, making it the 21st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Middlesex County is 38.9 years.

The median household income in Middlesex County is $130,847, which ranks #29 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 74.1% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.3%.

The median home value in Middlesex County is $727,800, 158.2% above the national median. Renters in Middlesex County pay a median gross rent of $2,201 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Middlesex County, 59.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 76.6% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 97.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.2 min.

Middlesex County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 65.1% of the population, followed by Asian (non-Hispanic) (13.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (9.3%).

All data for Middlesex 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.