County · Massachusetts

Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Middlesex County, Massachusetts has a quality-of-life score of 95 out of 100 (very high), ranking #168 of 3,143 US counties. Within Massachusetts it ranks #4 of 14 counties. It ranks best on homicide rate (low), firearm deaths (low) and uninsured residents (under 65) (low). It ranks worst on home price to income ratio (high), time spent in the emergency room (high) and cost of buying a home today (high).

95Very high

Quality-of-life score: #168 of 3,143 counties
Massachusetts: #4 of 14 in MA
Population: 1,669,979 (2025)
Land area: 818 mi²
Density: 2,041.8 /mi²
FIPS code: 25017

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.

Safety88#357/3,096
Economy90#327/3,143
Housing10#2,818/3,140
Health99#30/3,144
Healthcare99#30/3,143
Environment77#713/3,108
Education99#22/3,144
Infrastructure96#125/3,144
Community75#801/3,144
Leisure & amenities71#898/3,143

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Homicide rate · low0.9 /100k
100/100Massachusetts 1.8 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional data
Firearm deaths · low2.0 /100k
100/100Massachusetts 3.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional data
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low2.9%
100/100Massachusetts 3.3%United States 9.8%2024U.S. Census BureauModel-based estimate
Flu vaccinations · high60.0%
100/100Massachusetts 55.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Average weekly wage · high$2,278
100/100Massachusetts $1,925United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Median household income · high$132,599
100/100Massachusetts $104,569United States $81,6042024U.S. Census BureauModel-based estimate

Weaknesses

Home price to income ratio · high5.6×
5/100Massachusetts 5.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Time spent in the emergency room · high217 min
5/100Massachusetts 216 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Cost of buying a home today · high44.8%
6/100Massachusetts 47.2%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Average commute time · high29.9 min
14/100Massachusetts 29.1 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.475
16/100Massachusetts 0.489United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Severe housing problems · high16.0%
17/100Massachusetts 17.3%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
3% (2021) → 70% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+68 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Drinking water violationsImproving
1 (2020) → 0 (2024)
−100%4 years
High ozone daysImproving
3 days (2017) → 1 days (2022)
−67%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
34.3% (Dec 2021) → 44.8% (Aug 2026)
+11 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
24.3 /100k (2021) → 12.6 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−48%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
New homes permittedWorsening
2.9 /1k (2021) → 1.9 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−36%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, Middlesex County, Massachusetts improved on 10 of 33 measures with a comparison and declined on 9. 12 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

Commute−1.4 min31.4 min → 29.9 min
Unemployment−3.5 points7.6% → 4.1%
Overdose deaths−35%19.5 /100k → 12.6 /100k
Bachelor's++3.2 points56.3% → 59.5%
Real income+32%$78,401 → $103,459

Declined9

Transit use−5.3 points12.5% → 7.2%
Property crime+10%881 /100k → 970 /100k
Violent crime+22%163 /100k → 199 /100k
Price / income+0.7×4.9× → 5.6×
Poverty+0.9 points6.9% → 7.8%

All 33 measures

Change of every measure of Middlesex County, Massachusetts between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	5.2 /10k2020	5.3 /10k2025	+1.4%	Within the margin of error	41%
Average commute time	31.4 min2015-2019	29.9 min2020-2024	−1.4 min	Improved	84%
Average weekly wage	$1,9152020	$2,2782025	+19%	Improved	18%
Bachelor's degree or higher	56.3%2015-2019	59.5%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Improved	58%
Broadband subscriptions	89.7%2015-2019	94.7%2020-2024	+5 points	Improved	11%
Child poverty rate	7.1%2019	8.2%2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Distance to an airport	15 mi2020	15 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	19.5 /100k2020	12.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−35%	Improved	59%
Effective property tax rate	1.15%2015-2019	1.01%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	60%
Firearm deaths	2.0 /100k2020	2.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	0%	Within the margin of error	49%
Grocery stores	1.2 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+3.7%	Within the margin of error	68%
Gyms and fitness centers	2.3 /10k2020	2.2 /10k2025	−6.1%	Within the margin of error	30%
High school diploma or higher	93.4%2015-2019	93.2%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Home price to income ratio	4.9×2015-2019	5.6×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	23%
Homicide rate	1.4 /100k2020	0.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−36%	Within the margin of error	59%
Income adjusted for local prices	$78,4012019	$103,4592024	+32%	Improved	52%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4642015-2019	0.4752020-2024	+0.011	Declined	34%
Median household income	$106,5432019	$132,5992024	+24%	Improved	48%
New business applications	9.4 /1k2020	11.5 /1k2025	+22%	Improved	24%
Pharmacies	2.1 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	36%
Poverty rate	6.9%2019	7.8%2024	+0.9 points	Declined	22%
Property crime rate	881 /100k2020	970 /100k2025	+10%	Declined	7%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−3.2%	Within the margin of error	35%
Public transit commuters	12.5%2015-2019	7.2%2020-2024	−5.3 points	Declined	3%
Rent as share of income	28.0%2015-2019	28.8%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Declined	42%
Rent-burdened households	44.9%2015-2019	47.1%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Declined	40%
Restaurants and bars	8.3 /10k2020	8.2 /10k2025	−1.2%	Within the margin of error	45%
Students per teacher	12.4×2019	11.7×2024	−0.7×	Improved	52%
Suicide rate	7.7 /100k2020	7.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−3.9%	Within the margin of error	65%
Traffic deaths	3.0 /100k2015-2019	3.4 /100k2020-2024	+14%	Within the margin of error	38%
Unemployment rate	7.6%2020	4.1%2025	−3.5 points	Improved	73%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.1%2019	2.9%2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Violent crime rate	163 /100k2020	199 /100k2025	+22%	Declined	18%

“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 Middlesex County, Massachusetts five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Middlesex 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, Middlesex County, Massachusetts itself moved −2.2 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

1,638,365 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: 50–59 women (−0.6 points).

Table view

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

Race and Hispanic origin

1,638,365 residents

Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

White65%1,066,504
Black4.7%77,245
Hispanic or Latino9.3%151,761
Asian14%222,642
American Indian and Alaska Native0.1%878
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%553
Other or two or more races7.2%118,782

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−6.8 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

1,160,120 residents (±60)

Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

No high school diploma6.8%78,596
High school or GED17%199,441
Some college11%126,519
Associate degree5.6%65,183
Bachelor's degree29%336,025
Graduate degree31%354,356

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: High school or GED (−1.9 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View 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.

Income

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

Household income

634,215 households (±1,681)

Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $25k10%63,736
$25k–50k9.4%59,746
$50k–75k10%64,236
$75k–100k9.3%58,831
$100k–150k17%108,289
$150k–200k13%81,879
$200k or more31%197,498

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+11.7 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

634,215 households (±1,681)

Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Own61%388,893
Rent39%245,322

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−1.0 points).

Table view

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

Rent paid

237,764 households (±2,442)

Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $75010%24,597
$750–1,0003.2%7,710
$1,000–1,5009.8%23,390

Home values

388,893 homes (±2,870)

Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under $150k2.6%10,278
$150k–250k2.2%8,672
$250k–400k7.4%28,891

Age of homes

664,267 homes (±238)

Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

2010 or later8.6%56,818
2000–20096.8%45,343
1980–199917%109,852

Size of homes

664,267 homes (±238)

Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Studio2.7%17,612
1 bedroom15%97,634
2 bedrooms28%184,760

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

888,792 workers (±3,966)

Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Drive alone54%481,891
Carpool6.3%56,299
Public transit7.2%64,166
Walk4.2%37,519
Bike1.6%13,799
Work from home25%219,412
Other1.8%15,706

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+18.9 points).

Table view

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

Time to get to work

669,380 workers (±4,945)

Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Massachusetts share

Under 15 min19%125,677
15–29 min32%215,655
30–44 min27%178,095

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.

Middlesex County has 44,624 employer establishments, 271 for every 10,000 residents (1.09× the US rate of 248; 1.04× Massachusetts's), with 963,417 paid employees at an average annual pay of $101,547. The Census Bureau also counts 163,384 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 44,624; 163,384 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 271; US 248 · Massachusetts 260
Paid employees: 963,417
Average annual pay: $101,547; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	3,345	20.3	0.98×About typical	54,229	$78,195	9,843
Restaurants and other eating places	3,288	20	1.09×About typical	53,034	$30,255	556
Specialty trade contractors	3,215	19.6	1.26×More than typical	32,766	$92,189	9,701
Lessors of real estate	1,820	11.1	0.90×About typical	12,934	$87,409	15,838
Construction of buildings	1,598	9.7	1.29×More than typical	9,781	$103,966	3,732
Services to buildings and dwellings	1,574	9.6	1.42×More than typical	14,990	$51,670	6,561
Building equipment contractors	1,425	8.7	1.44×More than typical	17,938	$95,525	1,843
Full-service restaurants	1,425	8.7	1.13×About typical	29,101	$33,485	197
Management, scientific and technical consulting	1,390	8.5	1.26×More than typical	15,370	$124,172	11,798
Computer systems design and related services	1,269	7.7	1.78×More than typical	24,757	$146,568	2,806
Limited-service restaurants	1,226	7.5	0.93×About typical	15,276	$27,504	258
Personal care services	1,198	7.3	1.53×More than typical	5,809	$33,392	3,649

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 1,644,193 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $8.3B on contracts performed in Middlesex County, Massachusetts: $4,990 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $8.3B; −14% vs FY2025
Per resident: $4,990; US $1,994
Sole-source: 62%; US 30%
Single offer: 5.1%; US 8.8%

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 Air Force$3.2B38%
Department of the Navy$1.1B13%
Department of the Army$1B12%
Federal Aviation Administration$674.8M8.1%
Department of Veterans Affairs$531.9M6.4%
Missile Defense Agency$442.5M5.3%
Defense Logistics Agency$298M3.6%
Office of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response$291.1M3.5%

Top recipients

RAYTHEON COMPANY$1.2B14%
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY$1.2B14%
RAYTHEON COMPANY$969.6M12%
THE CHARLES STARK DRAPER LABORATORY, INC.$585.6M7.0%
RAYTHEON COMPANY$507.6M6.1%

Spending by fiscal year

7.1BFY2017
7BFY2018
8.2BFY2019
12.7BFY2020
14.7BFY2021
9.4BFY2022
8.6BFY2023
8.2B

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$2.4B28%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$1.3B16%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$991.1M12%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$919M11%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$515.4M6.2%

Largest awards

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTS, ENGINEERING SERVICES. MOD ISSUED TO TRANSFER GFP FROM THIS CONTRACT TO N0002422C5501.$5.7B
RAYTHEON COMPANY· Middlesex County, MA· Research & development· Nov 10, 2016 – Apr 16, 2026· N0002405C5346
KSA FMS ARMY NAVY TRANSPORTABLE RADAR SURVEILLANCE AND CONTROL MODEL 2 (AN/TPY-2) PRODUCTION$2.7B
RAYTHEON COMPANY· Middlesex County, MA· Other equipment & supplies· Jun 26, 2020 – Mar 5, 2026· HQ086220C0002
AMDR BASIC CONTRACT AWARD FOR EMD AND EXERCISE OF ENHANCED DATA RIGHTS CLIN$1.7B
RAYTHEON COMPANY· Middlesex County, MA· Other equipment & supplies· Oct 6, 2016 – May 29, 2026· N0002414C5315
TRANSITION OF PROGRAMS FROM MIT LL CONTRACT FA8721-05-C-0002 TO MIT LL CONTRACT FA8702-15-D-0001

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Explore contracts in Middlesex 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 $17.2B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Middlesex County, Massachusetts: $10,320 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $17.2B; +16% vs FY2025
Per resident: $10,320; US $12,955
Loan face value: $201.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$5.9B34%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$3.8B22%
93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$2.4B14%
93.770 · Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage$1.4B8.1%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$510.6M3.0%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$390.9M2.3%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$385.8M2.2%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$335.1M1.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY$347.2M2.0%
CAMBRIDGE, MA
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$299.9M1.7%
BOSTON, MA
CAMBRIDGE HOUSING AUTHORITY$176.6M1.0%
CAMBRIDGE, MA
PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE$174.8M1.0%
CAMBRIDGE, MA
THE BROAD INSTITUTE, INC

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

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$7.5B44%
Department of Health and Human Services
Social Security Administration$7B41%
National Institutes of Health$681.2M4.0%
Department of Health and Human Services
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$436.8M2.5%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

10.8BFY2021
11.1BFY2022
12.4BFY2023
14.5BFY2024
14.9BFY2025
17.2BFY2026

County aggregates

87%

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 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Explore grants in Middlesex 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 Middlesex 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.

Middlesex County, Massachusetts
United States
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2017	$4,455	$1,436
FY2018	$4,381	$1,552
FY2019	$5,062	$1,654
FY2020	$7,828	$1,880
FY2021	$9,095	$1,810
FY2022	$5,768	$1,917
FY2023	$5,248	$2,079
FY2024	$4,926	$2,047
FY2025	$5,773	$2,165
FY2026	$4,990 (partial year)	$1,911

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2017	$59.01	$93.28
FY2018	$111	$105
FY2019	$73.47	$128
FY2020	$94.89	$145
FY2021	$67.31	$117

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2021	$10,098	$5,748
FY2022	$6,393	$5,221
FY2023	$5,991	$5,364
FY2024	$5,955	$5,501
FY2025	$6,657	$5,732
FY2026

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2021	$95.95	$298
FY2022	$132	$357
FY2023	$180	$301
FY2024	$193	$319
FY2025	$164	$360
FY2026

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2021	$353	$239
FY2022	$342	$185
FY2023	$389	$229
FY2024	$382	$229
FY2025	$407	$249
FY2026	$371

HHS grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2021	$392	$2,304
FY2022	$75.38	$2,197
FY2023	$133	$2,274
FY2024	$349	$2,267
FY2025	$276	$2,397
FY2026	$384

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
FY2021	$1,330	$1,186
FY2022	$441	$465
FY2023	$54.68	$76.52
FY2024	$77.29	$120
FY2025	$98.88	$148
FY2026

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.

Middlesex County, Massachusetts
United States
Years with money loaded

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and the United States, by year
Calendar years	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	2.0%	2.0%
2015

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.

No jump in federal money met the criteria in the years loaded, so there is no comparison for this place.

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/25017

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.

Middlesex 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 Middlesex County belongs to. A county is in at most one.

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH89Central county

Cities and towns in Middlesex County

Places whose residents live mostly in Middlesex 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 2026-10-03
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 2026-09-29
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/25017

Calendar years	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	−5.3%	−4.2%
2015	−0.5%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+3.7%	+3.3%
2018	+7.4%	+6.8%
2019	+12.4%	+10.5%
2020	+25.1%	+19.4%
2021	+33.2%	+26.1%
2022	+32.8%	+30.6%
2023	+34.6%	+35.0%
2024	+42.8%	+41.0%
2025	+48.8%	+46.8%

Calendar years	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	−7.8%	−5.5%
2015	−2.0%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+4.3%	+4.1%
2018	+9.9%	+8.9%
2019	+16.2%	+13.5%
2020	+22.1%	+20.8%
2021	+35.3%	+32.1%
2022	+37.8%	+35.4%
2023	+45.1%	+42.9%
2024	+51.0%	+49.5%

Calendar years	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	2.1/1k	3.3/1k
2015	2.9/1k	3.7/1k
2016	2.7/1k	3.7/1k
2017	2.3/1k	3.9/1k
2018	2.7/1k	4.1/1k
2019	3.5/1k	4.2/1k
2020	2.7/1k	4.4/1k
2021	2.9/1k	5.2/1k
2022	2.0/1k	5.0/1k
2023	2.4/1k	4.5/1k
2024	2.1/1k	4.3/1k
2025	1.4/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	−11.5%	−6.9%
2015	−5.2%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+3.0%	+4.7%
2018	+5.7%	+7.5%
2019	+12.2%	+14.0%
2020	+17.0%	+16.9%
2021	+18.3%	+21.0%
2022	+24.8%	+29.7%
2023	+29.8%	+34.9%
2024	+39.6%	+41.6%

Calendar years	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	−12.5% (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	+7.1% (Dec 2017)	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+13.0% (Dec 2018)	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	+14.1% (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+23.0% (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	+34.0% (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+42.1% (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	+53.0% (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	+60.5% (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+62.8% (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	4.7%	6.2%
2015	3.9%	5.3%
2016	3.3%	4.9%
2017	3.1%	4.4%
2018	2.8%	3.9%
2019	2.4%	3.7%
2020	7.6%	8.1%
2021	4.3%	5.4%
2022	3.0%	3.7%
2023	3.0%	3.6%
2024	3.5%	4.0%
2025	4.1%	4.3%

Calendar years	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	8.9%	15.5%
2015	7.6%	14.7%
2016	7.7%	14.0%
2017	8.0%	13.4%
2018	7.3%	13.1%
2019	6.9%	12.3%
2020	7.1%	11.9%
2021	7.7%	12.8%
2022	8.2%	12.6%
2023	7.7%	12.5%
2024	7.8%	12.1%

Calendar years	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
2015	−3.9% (Dec 2015)	−3.3% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+3.1% (Dec 2017)	+4.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+6.7% (Dec 2018)	+8.8% (Dec 2018)
2019	+10.4% (Dec 2019)	+13.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+4.1% (Dec 2020)	+15.2% (Dec 2020)
2021	+18.4% (Dec 2021)	+32.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+28.3% (Dec 2022)	+42.1% (Dec 2022)
2023	+34.1% (Dec 2023)	+46.3% (Dec 2023)
2024	+37.3% (Dec 2024)	+50.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+39.9% (Dec 2025)	+53.5% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	3.2%	13.5%
2015	2.9%	10.9%
2016	2.7%	10.0%
2017	3.0%	10.2%
2018	2.8%	10.4%
2019	3.1%	10.8%
2020	2.9%	10.4%
2021	2.4%	10.2%
2022	2.4%	9.5%
2023	2.4%	9.5%
2024	2.9%	9.8%

Calendar years	Middlesex County, Massachusetts	United States
2014	8.7/1k	8.5/1k
2015	8.6/1k	8.7/1k
2016	8.8/1k	9.1/1k
2017	9.1/1k	9.8/1k
2018	9.4/1k	10.7/1k
2019	8.9/1k	10.6/1k
2020	9.4/1k	13.1/1k
2021	11.1/1k	16.2/1k
2022	10.5/1k	15.1/1k
2023	11.4/1k	16.2/1k
2024	11.3/1k	15.4/1k
2025	11.5/1k	16.6/1k

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined9

Counties like Middlesex 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

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Metro area

Cities and towns in Middlesex County

Neighboring counties

Similar counties

Data and sources

Improved10

Declined9

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Household income

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

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)

Largest awards

What was bought