Essex County vs Worcester County
A side-by-side comparison of Essex County and Worcester County: population, income, housing, and more.
Essex County and Worcester County are counties in Massachusetts. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Worcester County has the higher population (861,664 vs 807,258 in Essex County). Essex County has the higher median household income ($99,431 vs $93,561 in Worcester County). Essex County has the higher median home value ($584,000 vs $390,700 in Worcester County).
Population, income & housing
| Essex County | Worcester County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 807,258 | 861,664 |
| Median age | 41.1 yrs | 40.3 yrs |
| Median household income | $99,431 | $93,561 |
| Median home value | $584,000 | $390,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,673 | $1,347 |
| Housing units | 328,460 | 353,405 |
| Homeownership rate | 64.0% | 65.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.3% | 39.0% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Essex County | Worcester County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 783,676 → 807,258 (+3.0%) | 824,772 → 861,664 (+4.5%) |
| Median household income | $79,263 → $99,431 (+25.4%) | $74,679 → $93,561 (+25.3%) |
| Median home value | $409,900 → $584,000 (+42.5%) | $280,600 → $390,700 (+39.2%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,241 → $1,673 (+34.8%) | $1,060 → $1,347 (+27.1%) |
Essex County
783,676807,258
$79,263$99,431
$409,900$584,000
$1,241$1,673
Worcester County
824,772861,664
$74,679$93,561
$280,600$390,700
$1,060$1,347
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Essex County | Worcester County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.6% | 15.6% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.8% | 9.3% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.5% | 13.0% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.6% | 12.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.8% | 13.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 14.4% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.7% | 10.0% |
| 75 and over | 7.3% | 6.5% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Essex County | Worcester County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 65.9% | 71.8% |
| Black or African American | 3.5% | 4.6% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 3.4% | 5.2% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Two or more races | 3.2% | 4.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 23.2% | 13.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Essex County | Worcester County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 9.9% | 8.7% |
| High school graduate | 24.4% | 26.5% |
| Some college or associate's | 23.4% | 25.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 24.9% | 22.5% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 17.5% | 16.5% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Essex County | Worcester County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 69.3% | 71.8% |
| Carpooled | 7.0% | 7.8% |
| Public transit | 3.7% | 1.5% |
| Walked | 2.8% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 14.6% | 14.3% |
| Other means | 2.4% | 2.1% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Essex County | Worcester County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 50.3% | 57.0% |
| 1-unit, attached | 6.8% | 6.2% |
| 2 to 4 units | 21.5% | 19.4% |
| 5 to 19 units | 9.6% | 9.0% |
| 20 or more units | 11.2% | 7.6% |
| Mobile home & other | 0.5% | 0.8% |
Poverty & households
| Essex County | Worcester County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | 2.50 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 29 | 30 |
| Median year structure built | 1960 | 1966 |
Full profiles
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