- county
- FIPS 25009
- Largest town: Lynn
Essex County, Massachusetts
Essex County had 823,938 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 492.5 square miles of land. It ranks 3rd of 14 in Massachusetts by population and 9th by land area.
- Population
- 823,938
- #3 of 14 in Massachusetts · #79 in US
- Area
- 492.5 sq mi
- #9 of 14 in Massachusetts · #2,111 in US
- Density
- 1,673 / sq mi
- #4 of 14 in Massachusetts · #91 in US
- Median household income
- $96,303
- #5 of 14 in Massachusetts · #171 in US
Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area
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Essex County population, land area and income
Essex County had 823,938 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 492.5 square miles of land. It ranks 3rd of 14 in Massachusetts by population and 9th by land area. That works out to 1,672.9 people per square mile, 17.4 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top tenth nationally.
The median county-equivalent in Massachusetts has 503,121 residents; Essex County is somewhat larger.
Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $96,303 is in the top tenth among 3,143 counties with an estimate.
National rank among 3,144
Population
823,938
79th of 3,144 (US)
Land area
493 sq mi
2111th of 3,144 (US)
Density
1,672.9 / sq mi
91st of 3,144 (US)
Median household income
$96,303
171st of 3,143 (US)
Rank within Massachusetts (14)
Population
823,938
3rd of 14 (MA)
Land area
493 sq mi
9th of 14 (MA)
Density
1,672.9 / sq mi
4th of 14 (MA)
Median household income
$96,303
5th of 14 (MA)
How Essex County's population changed since 2020
Essex County gained 16,157 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 2.0%. That ranks 9th of 14 in Massachusetts for growth. The median Massachusetts county changed by +2.2%, and the state as a whole by +2.0%.
Since the April 2020 estimates base, Essex County recorded 35,726 births and 32,030 deaths, a natural change of +3,696. Net international migration added +28,336 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -18,305. The largest single component was international migration, which added 28,336 people.
Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024
- Births
- 35,726
- Deaths
- 32,030
- Net international migration
- +28,336
- Net domestic migration
- -18,305
- Change, July 2023 to July 2024
- +7,741
Where Essex County is
The Census internal point of Essex County is at 42.642700, -70.864900. It sits in UTM zone 19N. The map shades Massachusetts's 14 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Essex County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.
- < -0.1%
- < +2.0%
- < +2.3%
- < +2.6%
- ≥ +2.6%
Orange pin: Essex County internal point. Dark pin: Boston.
Internal point
- Decimal
- 42.642700, -70.864900
- DMS
- 42°38'33.72"N 70°51'53.64"W
- UTM
- 19N 347115.0E 4722824.3N
- Geohash
- drtde6vg8
- Plus code
- 87JFJ4VP+32
Towns in Essex County
10 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Essex County, 526,973 people together, or 64% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Essex County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Lynn with 103,489.
- 01Lynn103,489
- 02Lawrence89,332
- 03Haverhill68,291
- 04Peabody55,418
- 05Methuen54,272
- 06Salem45,677
- 07Beverly43,223
- 08Gloucester30,491
- 09Newburyport19,163
- 10Amesbury17,617
Counties bordering Essex County
The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 4 neighbors for Essex County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Middlesex County, MA, with 1,668,956 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.
Distance to Boston and the nearest big city
Boston is 22.1 miles SSW of Essex County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Lynn, MA (population 103,489), 12.6 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Beverly, MA (population 43,223), 6.0 miles away.
Essex County FIPS code
The FIPS code of Essex County is 25009: state code 25 for Massachusetts plus county code 009. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $96,303.
Questions people ask
What is the population of Essex County, Massachusetts?
The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 823,938. That is up 16,157 people (2.0%) from the July 2020 estimate of 807,781.
What is the FIPS code of Essex County?
25009. The first two digits (25) are Massachusetts; the last three (009) identify the county.
What is the largest town in Essex County?
Lynn, with 103,489 residents inside Essex County in 2024.
Which counties border Essex County?
4 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Middlesex County, MA; Suffolk County, MA; Hillsborough County, NH; Rockingham County, NH.
Sources and data as of
Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.
- 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
- 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
- 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
- 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
- 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
- 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)
How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.