Suffolk County, Massachusetts

MA · FIPS 25025 Democrat

Located in Massachusetts, Suffolk County has a population of 785,121 residents and a median age of 33.9 years, making it the #83 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.2%. The median home value is $705,800, and the median household income is $95,631, which is 27% above the national median.

785,121
Population
#83 of 3,222
$95,631
Median Income
+27.3% #213 of 3,222
33.9 years
Median Age
-12.9% #3,036 of 3,222
16.2%
Poverty Rate
+28.5% #2,156 of 3,222

Demographics

Suffolk County has a population of 785,121, making it the #83 most populous county in the US. The median age is 33.9 years, which is 12.9% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

70.2%
Native Born
29.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Suffolk County is $95,631, ranking #213 out of 3,222 counties — 27.3% above the national median. The poverty rate is 16.2% and unemployment stands at 6.3%.

Income#213
$95,631
+27.3%
vs nation
93th percentile
Per Capita#82
$58,636
+42.1%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poverty#2,156
16.2%
+28.5%
vs nation
33th percentile
Unemployment#2,625
6.3%
+18.7%
vs nation
19th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Suffolk County is $705,800 (+150.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $2,129/mo and the homeownership rate is 36.5%.

Home Value#51
$705,800
+150.4%
vs nation
98th percentile
Rent#29
$2,129
+83.1%
vs nation
99th percentile
Homeownership#3,215
36.5%
-43.4%
vs nation
0th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Suffolk County, 50.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 50.2% above the national average, ranking #93 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
50.6% +50.2% vs nation
Rank #93 of 3,222
97th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Suffolk County is 80.1 years. 17.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 3.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#206
80.1
+6.6%
vs nation
93th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,070
17.0%
-13.1%
vs nation
66th percentile
Diabetes#1,262
10.2%
-8.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#871
34.7%
-7.0%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,017
5.4
-4.6%
vs nation
68th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#529
3.8
-15.0%
vs nation
83th percentile
Uninsured Rate#10
3.1%
-70.8%
vs nation
100th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,247
24.7%
-6.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Food Insecurity#867
12.2%
-15.3%
vs nation
72th percentile

Substance Use

12.5% of adults in Suffolk County smoke , 28.0% are obese , and 21.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 42.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#237
12.5%
-30.4%
vs nation
93th percentile
Adult Obesity#110
28.0%
-26.1%
vs nation
97th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,021
21.1%
+6.0%
vs nation
36th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,656
42.1
+30.1%
vs nation
22th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Suffolk County is 5.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 6.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 4.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#746
5.9
-26.8%
vs nation
52th percentile
Suicide Rate#12
6.3
-68.1%
vs nation
100th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#77
5.8
-67.4%
vs nation
97th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#16
4.4
-78.1%
vs nation
100th percentile

Families & Children

20.3% of children in Suffolk County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#129
4.3
-37.3%
vs nation
91th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#206
7.3
-66.8%
vs nation
93th percentile
Child Poverty#1,949
20.3%
+6.9%
vs nation
38th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Suffolk County is 60.8%. The mean commute time is 34.3 min, which is 24.4% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
60.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
34.3 min +24.4% vs nation
Rank #336 of 3,222
90th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Suffolk County voted Democratic with a margin of 52.4%. The vote was 74.8% Dem / 22.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 10.7 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +52.4%
74.8% 22.4%
Dem 297,041 votes Rep
2020 DEM +63.1%
80.6% 17.5%
Dem 335,462 votes Rep
2016 DEM +63.0%
79.5% 16.5%
Dem 303,517 votes Rep
2012 DEM +56.8%
77.6% 20.8%
Dem 282,649 votes Rep
2008 DEM +55.7%
76.9% 21.2%
Dem 269,221 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Suffolk County, Massachusetts

Suffolk County, Massachusetts has a total population of 785,121, making it the 83rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Suffolk County is 33.9 years, which is 12.9% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Suffolk County is $95,631, which ranks #213 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 27.3% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.3%.

The median home value in Suffolk County is $705,800, 150.4% above the national median. Renters in Suffolk County pay a median gross rent of $2,129 per month. The homeownership rate is 36.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Suffolk County, 50.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50.2% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 34.3 min.

Suffolk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 43.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (23.2%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (17.1%).

All data for Suffolk 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.