County-level Census Bureau data covering income, housing, demographics, education, employment, and more. Counties are the primary administrative division in the U.S. and the most common unit for comparing local conditions across a state.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — Essex County
- What is the median household income in Essex County?
- The median household income in Essex County is $90,393 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Essex County?
- The poverty rate in Essex County is 3.7% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Essex County?
- $261,800 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Essex County?
- The median gross rent in Essex County is $1,201 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Essex County residents have a college degree?
- 33.2% of adults in Essex County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
21,992
Median Income
$90,393
Median Home Value
$261,800
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
6.3%
Median Age
36.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$9,829 (+12.2%)
Home Value:
+$59,800 (+29.6%)
Poverty Rate:
-1.5 pp (-28.8%)
Bachelor's+:
+1.2 pp (+3.8%)
Unemployment:
+4.9 pp (+350%)
Demographics
Total Population
21,992
Median Age
36.0
Female
51.4%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
White (non-Hisp.) 84.5%
Black 3.3%
Asian 1.5%
Two or More 5.0%
Other 0.6%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Korean
0.4%
Indian
0.2%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
5.6%
Puerto Rican
0.1%
Cuban
0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$90,393
±$9,625
+$12,369 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$108,370
Median Family Income
$101,353
Poverty Rate
3.7%
-2.0 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
5.3%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
4.9%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
28.3%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
2.2%
$10–15k
1.6%
$15–25k
1.8%
$25–35k
7.1%
$35–50k
10.4%
$50–75k
19.4%
$75–100k
13.9%
$100–150k
21.3%
$150–200k
11.5%
$200k+
10.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
8,829
Owner-Occupied
70.3%
Renter-Occupied
29.7%
Vacancy Rate
4.2%
Median Home Value
$261,800
-$28,700 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,201
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
12.1%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
30.7%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
3.7%
$50–100k
2.0%
$100–200k
6.4%
$200–300k
41.2%
$300–500k
29.5%
$500k–$1M
6.2%
$1M+
0.2%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
0.8%
$500–1k
27.9%
$1–1.5k
40.5%
$1.5–2k
22.6%
$2–2.5k
8.1%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
2.2%
1 vehicle
29.5%
2 vehicles
44.4%
3+
24.0%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
62.7%
Single-fam. att.
10.1%
2–4 units
0.9%
5–19 units
2.1%
20+ units
12.9%
Mobile home
3.8%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
2.4%
1940–1969
1.0%
1970–1999
16.0%
2000–2009
19.3%
2010+
21.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
95.9%
Bachelor's or Higher
33.2%
-9.4 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
8.6%
Some College / Associate
21.2%
Less Than High School
1.4%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
71.5%
Unemployment Rate
6.3%
+2.6 pp vs. state
Work from Home
13.1%
Self-Employed
2.1%
Government Workers
16.8%
Private For-Profit
81.0%
Industry
Edu/Health
18.5%
Retail
15.8%
Finance
13.5%
Prof. Services
9.7%
Manufacturing
9.0%
Public Admin
7.4%
Transportation
6.5%
Construction
6.0%
Arts/Entmt.
5.4%
Wholesale
3.7%
Information
1.5%
Agriculture
0.5%
Occupation
Management
42.5%
Sales
23.1%
Production
14.3%
Food Prep
13.7%
Construction
6.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
23.5 min
Drove Alone
78.8%
Carpool
5.0%
Public Transit
0.4%
Work from Home
13.1%
Walked
0.2%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
8,458
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
51.6%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
20.4%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
6.2%
5–9
7.6%
10–14
8.0%
15–19
5.5%
20–24
6.0%
25–34
14.3%
35–44
13.6%
45–54
11.6%
55–64
5.8%
65–74
6.0%
75–84
9.8%
85+
4.1%
Under 18: 25.5%
Working age (18–64): 74.5%
65 and over: 15.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
5.1%
Naturalized Citizen
59.0%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
1.2%
Foreign-Born Origin
Asia
39.7%
Africa
25.6%
Latin America
20.6%
Europe
12.5%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
8.5%
With a Disability
12.6%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
98.1%
Uninsured
1.9%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
94.2%
Has a Computer
99.3%
Same House 1 Year Ago
90.0%
Moved from Abroad
0.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Essex County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Essex County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Other flows - Northeast | 56 | 93 |
| Caledonia County | 48 | 79 |
| Coos County | 33 | 62 |
| Orleans County | 23 | 37 |