Middlesex County, Massachusetts
CountyPopulation: 1,622,896 (2023 estimate)
Located in Massachusetts
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 — Middlesex County
- What is the median household income in Middlesex County?
- The median household income in Middlesex County is $126,779 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in Middlesex County?
- The poverty rate in Middlesex County is 4.7% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in Middlesex County?
- $687,200 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in Middlesex County?
- The median gross rent in Middlesex County is $2,126 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of Middlesex County residents have a college degree?
- 59.0% of adults in Middlesex County hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
1,622,896
Median Income
$126,779
Median Home Value
$687,200
Poverty Rate
4.7%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
4.2%
Median Age
38.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$24,176 (+23.6%)
Home Value:
+$186,500 (+37.2%)
Poverty Rate:
+0.1 pp (+2.2%)
Bachelor's+:
+2.7 pp (+4.8%)
Unemployment:
+0.4 pp (+10.5%)
Demographics
Total Population
1,622,896
Median Age
38.0
Female
50.6%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
White (non-Hisp.) 66.7%
Black 5.0%
Asian 13.2%
Two or More 8.4%
Other 4.2%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Chinese
4.8%
Indian
3.9%
Vietnamese
0.8%
Korean
0.7%
Japanese
0.3%
Filipino
0.2%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Puerto Rican
2.3%
Mexican
0.8%
Cuban
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$126,779
±$1,428
+$25,438 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$175,710
Median Family Income
$160,640
Poverty Rate
4.7%
-1.9 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
6.5%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
8.6%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
20.9%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
3.6%
$10–15k
2.5%
$15–25k
4.1%
$25–35k
3.9%
$35–50k
5.8%
$50–75k
10.5%
$75–100k
9.7%
$100–150k
17.4%
$150–200k
13.0%
$200k+
29.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
660,814
Owner-Occupied
61.6%
Renter-Occupied
38.4%
Vacancy Rate
4.5%
Median Home Value
$687,200
+$161,400 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$2,126
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
20.7%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
37.4%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
1.3%
$50–100k
0.7%
$100–200k
0.6%
$200–300k
3.8%
$300–500k
18.4%
$500k–$1M
52.8%
$1M+
21.6%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
7.3%
$500–1k
6.8%
$1–1.5k
10.7%
$1.5–2k
19.8%
$2–2.5k
21.3%
$2.5–3.5k
14.7%
$3.5k+
19.3%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
10.4%
1 vehicle
36.5%
2 vehicles
37.8%
3+
15.3%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
46.9%
Single-fam. att.
6.9%
2–4 units
12.2%
5–19 units
4.7%
20+ units
15.3%
Mobile home
0.4%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
32.4%
1940–1969
4.8%
1970–1999
10.1%
2000–2009
6.7%
2010+
7.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
93.4%
Bachelor's or Higher
59.0%
+12.4 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
30.2%
Some College / Associate
11.2%
Less Than High School
3.3%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
69.9%
Unemployment Rate
4.2%
-0.9 pp vs. state
Work from Home
22.2%
Self-Employed
5.5%
Government Workers
10.7%
Private For-Profit
83.6%
Industry
Edu/Health
27.3%
Prof. Services
20.9%
Manufacturing
10.4%
Retail
8.2%
Finance
6.8%
Arts/Entmt.
6.4%
Construction
5.3%
Public Admin
3.2%
Transportation
3.0%
Information
2.8%
Wholesale
1.5%
Agriculture
0.3%
Occupation
Management
60.6%
Sales
15.2%
Food Prep
12.4%
Production
6.5%
Construction
5.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
30.0 min
Drove Alone
56.0%
Carpool
6.4%
Public Transit
8.0%
Work from Home
22.2%
Walked
4.2%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
630,939
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
50.2%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
21.8%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
5.1%
5–9
5.4%
10–14
5.6%
15–19
6.3%
20–24
6.8%
25–34
15.1%
35–44
13.8%
45–54
12.8%
55–64
6.8%
65–74
6.2%
75–84
9.3%
85+
4.6%
Under 18: 19.6%
Working age (18–64): 80.4%
65 and over: 16.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
22.6%
Naturalized Citizen
51.0%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
9.9%
Foreign-Born Origin
Asia
42.9%
Latin America
29.7%
Europe
16.9%
Africa
7.6%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
3.5%
With a Disability
9.8%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
97.6%
Uninsured
2.4%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
94.2%
Has a Computer
96.5%
Same House 1 Year Ago
86.9%
Moved from Abroad
1.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Compare Middlesex County
Compare to another county →Where People Move From (IRS Migration Data)
Top origins of people who moved to Middlesex County in 2023, by number of tax returns filed (IRS SOI Migration Data).
| Origin | Tax Returns | People (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| Suffolk County | 9,674 | 13,242 |
| Essex County | 4,184 | 6,252 |
| Norfolk County | 3,372 | 5,010 |
| Worcester County | 2,927 | 4,356 |
| Other flows - South | 1,468 | 2,248 |
| Hillsborough County | 1,149 | 1,666 |
| Other flows - Midwest | 835 | 1,159 |
| Other flows - Northeast | 692 | 886 |
| Plymouth County | 669 | 894 |
| New York County | 641 | 795 |