County · Massachusetts

Essex County, Massachusetts

Essex County, Massachusetts has a quality-of-life score of 85 out of 100 (very high), ranking #469 of 3,143 US counties. Within Massachusetts it ranks #8 of 14 counties. It ranks best on firearm deaths (low), suicide rate (low) and uninsured residents (under 65) (low). It ranks worst on cost of buying a home today (high), child care cost burden (high) and rent-burdened households (high).

85Very high

Quality-of-life score: #469 of 3,143 counties
Massachusetts: #8 of 14 in MA
Population: 826,653 (2025)
Land area: 493 mi²
Density: 1,678.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 25009

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 80 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map Federal contracts here

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US counties.

Safety87#413/3,096
Economy75#791/3,143
Housing0#3,133/3,140
Health95#170/3,144
Healthcare97#104/3,143
Environment58#1,299/3,108
Education87#395/3,144
Infrastructure89#340/3,144
Community70#941/3,144
Leisure & amenities72#870/3,143

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Essex County, Massachusetts ranks highest and lowest among US counties (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Firearm deaths · low3.2 /100k
100/100Massachusetts 3.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional data
Suicide rate · low7.2 /100k
100/100Massachusetts 8.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional data
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low3.7%
100/100Massachusetts 3.3%United States 9.8%2024U.S. Census BureauModel-based estimate
Flu vaccinations · high56.0%
98/100Massachusetts 55.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Traffic deaths · low4.3 /100k
98/100Massachusetts 5.4 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional data
Public transit commuters · high3.5%
97/100Massachusetts 6.5%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301

Weaknesses

Cost of buying a home today · high51.6%
3/100Massachusetts 47.2%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Child care cost burden · high42.5%
3/100Massachusetts 39.7%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Rent-burdened households · high56.8%
4/100Massachusetts 51.8%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Home price to income ratio · high6.1×
4/100Massachusetts 5.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Time spent in the emergency room · high226 min
4/100Massachusetts 216 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
High ozone days · high5 days
4/100Massachusetts 2 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 76% (Nov 2025–Oct 2026)
+75 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
38.0% (Dec 2021) → 51.6% (Aug 2026)
+14 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Firearm deathsWorsening
2.1 /100k (2021) → 3.2 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+52%5 yearsUS 14.7 /100k → 12.1 /100k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
37.5 /100k (2021) → 19.9 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−47%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
34.5% (2020 & 2021) → 42.5% (2023 & 2024)
+8 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
New homes permittedWorsening
2.1 /1k (2021) → 1.4 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−34%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Essex County, Massachusetts improved on 10 of 33 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 17 moved within the margin of error and 2 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among counties: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved10

Unemployment−5.4 points10.0% → 4.6%
Commute−1.9 min30.4 min → 28.5 min
Overdose deaths−40%33.1 /100k → 19.9 /100k
Bachelor's++3.2 points39.9% → 43.0%
Students / teacher−0.8×12.6× → 11.8×

Declined4

Transit use−2.2 points5.7% → 3.5%
Price / income+0.9×5.2× → 6.1×
Rent / income+1 points32.3% → 33.3%
Rent burden+2.1 points54.7% → 56.8%

All 33 measures

Change of every measure of Essex County, Massachusetts between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.4 /10k2020	5.8 /10k2025	+8.3%	Within the margin of error	56%
Average commute time	30.4 min2015-2019	28.5 min2020-2024	−1.9 min	Improved	88%
Average weekly wage	$1,3002020	$1,5012025	+15%	Improved	7%
Bachelor's degree or higher	39.9%2015-2019	43.0%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Improved	58%
Broadband subscriptions	85.8%2015-2019	92.4%2020-2024	+6.6 points	Improved	19%
Child poverty rate	11.9%2019	11.9%2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Distance to an airport	17 mi2020	17 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	33.1 /100k2020	19.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−40%	Improved	65%
Effective property tax rate	1.21%2015-2019	1.02%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	73%
Firearm deaths	3.3 /100k2020	3.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−3%	Within the margin of error	54%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−7.6%	Within the margin of error	31%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.6 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	+14%	Within the margin of error	68%
High school diploma or higher	89.3%2015-2019	90.1%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Home price to income ratio	5.2×2015-2019	6.1×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	13%
Homicide rate	2.1 /100k2020	1.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−19%	Within the margin of error	41%
Income adjusted for local prices	$61,8572019	$80,2212024	+30%	Improved	37%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4822015-2019	0.4822020-2024	+0.000	Within the margin of error	54%
Median household income	$83,2532019	$102,0442024	+23%	Improved	37%
New business applications	8.3 /1k2020	10.4 /1k2025	+26%	Improved	28%
Pharmacies	2.3 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	−11%	Within the margin of error	38%
Poverty rate	8.8%2019	9.3%2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Property crime rate	758 /100k2020	758 /100k2025	+0.1%	Within the margin of error	11%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−6.9%	Within the margin of error	18%
Public transit commuters	5.7%2015-2019	3.5%2020-2024	−2.2 points	Declined	8%
Rent as share of income	32.3%2015-2019	33.3%2020-2024	+1 points	Declined	40%
Rent-burdened households	54.7%2015-2019	56.8%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Declined	41%
Restaurants and bars	8.2 /10k2020	8.2 /10k2025	+0.1%	Within the margin of error	49%
Students per teacher	12.6×2019	11.8×2024	−0.8×	Improved	54%
Suicide rate	7.7 /100k2020	7.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−6.5%	Within the margin of error	70%
Traffic deaths	4.0 /100k2015-2019	4.3 /100k2020-2024	+10%	Within the margin of error	43%
Unemployment rate	10.0%2020	4.6%2025	−5.4 points	Improved	96%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.9%2019	3.7%2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Violent crime rate	236 /100k2020	233 /100k2025	−1.2%	Within the margin of error	34%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 2303 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Common Core of Data; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 3144 counties that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Counties like Essex County, Massachusetts five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Essex County, Massachusetts in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Essex County, Massachusetts itself moved −1.1 points in standing on average over the same 32 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

813,054 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 70–79 men (+0.8 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

813,054 residents

Essex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

White65%524,651
Black3.5%28,297
Hispanic or Latino24%195,593

Education

572,037 residents (±111)

Essex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

No high school diploma9.9%56,876
High school or GED24%137,705
Some college15%84,716

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

313,147 households (±1,080)

Essex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $25k13%41,761
$25k–50k13%39,738
$50k–75k12%38,084
$75k–100k11%34,458
$100k–150k18%55,575
$150k–200k12%37,681
$200k or more21%65,850

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+7.9 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

313,147 households (±1,080)

Essex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Own63%198,838
Rent37%114,309

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

110,387 households (±2,126)

Essex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $75015%17,009
$750–1,0004.0%4,438
$1,000–1,50017%19,133

Home values

198,838 homes (±2,170)

Essex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $150k3.1%6,078
$150k–250k3.0%5,952
$250k–400k12%23,657

Age of homes

329,776 homes (±224)

Essex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

2010 or later5.9%19,395
2000–20097.0%22,982
1980–199918%59,301

Size of homes

329,776 homes (±224)

Essex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Studio3.0%9,823
1 bedroom13%44,079
2 bedrooms28%91,818

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

415,471 workers (±3,166)

Essex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Drive alone68%280,866
Carpool7.3%30,137
Public transit3.5%14,739
Walk2.7%11,123
Bike0.2%743
Work from home16%68,236
Other2.3%9,627

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+11.0 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

347,235 workers (±3,493)

Essex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under 15 min25%87,734
15–29 min33%114,466
30–44 min20%70,654

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Essex County has 19,988 employer establishments, 244 for every 10,000 residents (0.98× the US rate of 248; 0.94× Massachusetts's), with 287,960 paid employees at an average annual pay of $67,758. The Census Bureau also counts 84,040 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 19,988; 84,040 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 244; US 248 · Massachusetts 260
Paid employees: 287,960
Average annual pay: $67,758; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Essex County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	1,596	19.5	1.06×About typical	25,636	$29,565	373
Specialty trade contractors	1,573	19.2	1.24×About typical	10,172	$85,137	5,457
Ambulatory health care services	1,379	16.9	0.81×About typical	20,027	$73,287	3,480
Services to buildings and dwellings	902	11	1.64×More than typical	5,669	$47,400	3,728
Construction of buildings	842	10.3	1.36×More than typical	3,307	$78,115	2,251
Full-service restaurants	696	8.5	1.11×About typical	14,003	$32,568	172
Lessors of real estate	683	8.4	0.68×Fewer than typical	2,258	$68,868	7,096
Building equipment contractors	638	7.8	1.30×More than typical	4,627	$84,368	1,195
Limited-service restaurants	630	7.7	0.96×About typical	8,371	$26,580	132
Personal care services	616	7.5	1.58×More than typical	2,832	$32,437	3,077
Landscaping services	611	7.5	2.13×More than typical	1,956	$70,851	922
Automotive repair and maintenance	450	5.5	1.09×About typical	1,964	$52,384	696

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $5.2B on contracts performed in Essex County, Massachusetts: $6,275 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: $5.2B; −16% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,275; US $2,007
Sole-source: 92%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.7%; US 8.7%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Army$2.9B56%
Department of the Navy$1.1B21%
Defense Logistics Agency$760.3M15%
Transportation Security Administration$118M2.3%
U.S. Coast Guard$88.7M1.7%
Department of Veterans Affairs$56.6M1.1%
Department of the Air Force$46.6M0.9%
Office of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response$38.4M0.7%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

3BFY2017
4.5BFY2018
4.1BFY2019
4BFY2020
4.1BFY2021
3.5BFY2022
4.9BFY2023
5.4B

Top industries (NAICS)

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$2.7B52%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$1.8B35%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$255.6M4.9%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$127.7M2.5%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$83.2M1.6%

Largest awards

AN/SPY-6(V) HARDWARE PRODUCTION$5.1B
RAYTHEON COMPANY· Essex County, MA· Other equipment & supplies· Mar 31, 2022 – Apr 21, 2026· N0002422C5500
UNDEFINITIZED CONTRACT ACTION (UCA) FOR LOWER TIER AIR AND MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM (LTAMDS)$1.8B
RAYTHEON COMPANY· Essex County, MA· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jul 31, 2024 – May 29, 2026· W31P4Q24C0024
THIS REQUIREMENT IS FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF FIVE (5) PATRIOT FIRING UNITS IN SUPPORT OF THE COUNTRY OF SWITZERLAND.$1.2B
RAYTHEON COMPANY· Essex County, MA· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Mar 28, 2023 – Jun 4, 2026· W31P4Q23C0021
REQUIREMENT IS TO DESIGN, DEVELOP, QUALIFY AND INTEGRATE AN IMPROVED TURBINE ENGINE (ITE) FOR THE EMD PHASE.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 2026.

Explore contracts in Essex County, Massachusetts

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $4.9B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Essex County, Massachusetts: $5,929 per resident (US $12,975).

Assistance · FY2026: $4.9B; −2.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,929; US $12,975
Loan face value: $322.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$3.2B66%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$368.7M7.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$243.5M5.0%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$192.3M3.9%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$168.9M3.4%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$154.6M3.2%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$138.9M2.8%
14.195 · Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)$64M1.3%

Top recipients (organizations)

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$206.5M4.2%
BOSTON, MA
LYNN HOUSING AUTHORITY$36M0.7%
LYNN, MA
SALEM HOUSING AUTHORITY$27.5M0.6%
SALEM, MA
LAWRENCE HOUSING AUTHORITY$23M0.5%
LAWRENCE, MA
NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE$14.8M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$4B82%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$232.5M4.7%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$208.3M4.3%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$157.7M3.2%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Assistance by fiscal year

4.1BFY2021
3.9BFY2022
4.4BFY2023
4.8BFY2024
5BFY2025
4.9BFY2026

County aggregates

89%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 8, 2026, loaded Oct 8, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Explore grants in Essex County, Massachusetts

Public money & outcomes

Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.

How Essex County, Massachusetts compares: the federal money it received per resident, and how jobs, income, housing and other outcomes moved, each next to the United States.

Money per resident

By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.

Essex County, Massachusetts
United States
Year its money jumped
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Essex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2017	$3,818	$1,436
FY2018	$5,721	$1,552
FY2019	$5,152	$1,654
FY2020	$4,915	$1,880
FY2021	$5,114	$1,810
FY2022	$4,361	$1,917
FY2023	$5,961	$2,079
FY2024	$6,511	$2,047
FY2025	$7,491	$2,165
FY2026	$6,275 (partial year)	$1,925
FY2027	— (partial year)	—

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Essex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2017	$24.22	$93.28
FY2018	$33.95	$105
FY2019	$36.51	$128
FY2020	$16.55	$145
FY2021	$4.67	$117

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Essex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2021	$5,557	$5,748
FY2022	$4,548	$5,221
FY2023	$6,435	$5,364
FY2024	$7,093	$5,501
FY2025	$7,882	$5,732
FY2026

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Essex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2021	$111	$298
FY2022	$59.80	$357
FY2023	$230	$301
FY2024	$418	$319
FY2025	$223	$360
FY2026

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Essex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2021	$274	$239
FY2022	$256	$185
FY2023	$302	$229
FY2024	$319	$229
FY2025	$306	$249
FY2026	$292

HHS grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Essex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2021	$90.28	$2,304
FY2022	$51.85	$2,197
FY2023	$62.03	$2,274
FY2024	$69.59	$2,267
FY2025	$57.55	$2,397
FY2026

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Essex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2021	$1,285	$1,186
FY2022	$442	$465
FY2023	$141	$76.52
FY2024	$106	$120
FY2025	$83.30	$148
FY2026	$166

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)

How outcomes moved

Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.

Essex County, Massachusetts
United States
Years with money loaded
Year its money jumped

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, Essex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by year
Calendar years	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	1.3%

When its money jumped

A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.

Jumps not compared

FY2024, Transportation grants: one recipient accounted for most of the increase.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/25009

See all comparisons

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Essex County, Massachusetts is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

Metro area

The metro or micro area Essex County belongs to. A county is in at most one.

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH89Central county

Cities and towns in Essex County

Places whose residents live mostly in Essex County, largest first.

Neighboring counties

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar counties

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency · release v1.20.0
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-09
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-10-06
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/25009

Calendar years	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	−3.8%	−4.2%
2015	−1.7%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+3.9%	+3.3%
2018	+7.6%	+6.8%
2019	+10.4%	+10.5%
2020	+20.7%	+19.4%
2021	+27.1%	+26.1%
2022	+30.6%	+30.6%
2023	+32.4%	+35.0%
2024	+34.9%	+41.0%
2025	+39.4%	+46.8%

Calendar years	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	−7.8%	−5.5%
2015	−2.5%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+4.1%	+4.1%
2018	+8.4%	+8.9%
2019	+12.8%	+13.5%
2020	+20.4%	+20.8%
2021	+30.8%	+32.1%
2022	+32.0%	+35.4%
2023	+38.7%	+42.9%
2024	+44.1%	+49.5%

Calendar years	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	1.8/1k	3.3/1k
2015	1.4/1k	3.7/1k
2016	1.4/1k	3.7/1k
2017	1.5/1k	3.9/1k
2018	1.1/1k	4.1/1k
2019	1.4/1k	4.2/1k
2020	1.7/1k	4.4/1k
2021	2.1/1k	5.2/1k
2022	1.1/1k	5.0/1k
2023	1.4/1k	4.5/1k
2024	1.2/1k	4.3/1k
2025	1.1/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	−4.7%	−6.9%
2015	−7.2%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+2.5%	+4.7%
2018	+3.9%	+7.5%
2019	+13.3%	+14.0%
2020	+20.1%	+16.9%
2021	+18.6%	+21.0%
2022	+25.3%	+29.7%
2023	+31.0%	+34.9%
2024	+38.8%	+41.6%

Calendar years	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	−12.1% (Dec 2014)	−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015	−6.0% (Dec 2015)	−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+7.0% (Dec 2017)	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+12.9% (Dec 2018)	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	+16.0% (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+29.0% (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	+42.3% (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+52.4% (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	+63.5% (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	+72.2% (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+75.9% (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	6.0%	6.2%
2015	5.0%	5.3%
2016	4.1%	4.9%
2017	3.9%	4.4%
2018	3.5%	3.9%
2019	3.1%	3.7%
2020	10.0%	8.1%
2021	5.7%	5.4%
2022	3.7%	3.7%
2023	3.5%	3.6%
2024	4.1%	4.0%
2025	4.6%	4.3%

Calendar years	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	10.7%	15.5%
2015	11.5%	14.7%
2016	10.7%	14.0%
2017	10.2%	13.4%
2018	10.7%	13.1%
2019	8.8%	12.3%
2020	9.0%	11.9%
2021	9.6%	12.8%
2022	9.8%	12.6%
2023	9.6%	12.5%
2024	9.3%	12.1%

Calendar years	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
2015	−5.9% (Dec 2015)	−3.3% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+5.9% (Dec 2017)	+4.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+10.6% (Dec 2018)	+8.8% (Dec 2018)
2019	+14.0% (Dec 2019)	+13.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+21.5% (Dec 2020)	+15.2% (Dec 2020)
2021	+33.3% (Dec 2021)	+32.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+43.2% (Dec 2022)	+42.1% (Dec 2022)
2023	+50.8% (Dec 2023)	+46.3% (Dec 2023)
2024	+58.6% (Dec 2024)	+50.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+62.8% (Dec 2025)	+53.5% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	4.0%	13.5%
2015	3.4%	10.9%
2016	3.3%	10.0%
2017	3.8%	10.2%
2018	3.8%	10.4%
2019	3.9%	10.8%
2020	3.6%	10.4%
2021	3.1%	10.2%
2022	3.5%	9.5%
2023	3.6%	9.5%
2024	3.7%	9.8%

Calendar years	Essex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	7.1/1k	8.5/1k
2015	7.2/1k	8.7/1k
2016	7.5/1k	9.1/1k
2017	7.7/1k	9.8/1k
2018	8.0/1k	10.7/1k
2019	7.9/1k	10.6/1k
2020	8.3/1k	13.1/1k
2021	10.0/1k	16.2/1k
2022	9.8/1k	15.1/1k
2023	10.2/1k	16.2/1k
2024	9.9/1k	15.4/1k
2025	10.4/1k	16.6/1k

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined4

Counties like Essex County, Massachusetts five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Public money & outcomes

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Jumps not compared

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Metro area

Cities and towns in Essex County

Neighboring counties

Similar counties

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined4

Household income

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

House

Senate

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Jumps not compared

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)