Essex County, Massachusetts
Among the top 12% of US counties for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 4% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 31% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 47% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 88% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 57% of US counties
- top 3% for walkability
- top 5% for school quality
- bottom 2% for monthly owner costs
Essex County is a county in Massachusetts with about 806,000 residents. It grades A for getting around and F for affordability. Standout strengths include walkability, school quality, and airport distance. It rates lower on monthly rent and monthly owner costs.
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Heavy snow
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
cold
v.cold
60%47%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.2 in3.7 in
humid 89%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$94k95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$63kbetter than 4% of US counties
Home Value$535k98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 4% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 2% of US counties
Property Tax Rate1.14%better than 30% of US counties
Income Tax8.98%better than 9% of US counties
Sales Tax6.25%better than 77% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden17.51%better than 5% of US counties
Unemployment5.3%better than 39% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)28°F31st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)73°F25th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation48.3 in67th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall51.6 inbetter than 11% of US counties
Sunny Days193 daysbetter than 12% of US counties
Summer Humidity61°Fbetter than 70% of US counties
Comfortable Days94 daysbetter than 85% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk95.6better than 4% of US counties
Air Quality44 AQIbetter than 41% of US counties
School Quality100.0better than 96% of US counties
Violent Crime878/100kbetter than 44% of US counties
Property Crime773/100kbetter than 57% of US counties
Community
Population806,10398th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age40.945th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4573rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9515th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+306th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)66.9%31st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)3.4%59th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)22.7%86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)3.4%91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.6%54th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time29 minbetter than 20% of US counties
Walkability11.8/20better than 97% of US counties
Airport Distance20 mibetter than 95% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access90.2%better than 89% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.58better than 31% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 47% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Essex County an affordable place to live?
- Essex County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $63k, better than 4% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Essex County?
- The median home value in Essex County is $535k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Essex County?
- Median household income in Essex County is $94k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Essex County?
- Median gross rent in Essex County is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Essex County safe?
- Essex County is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 878/100k (better than 44%). Property crime is 773/100k.
- What is the weather like in Essex County?
- Essex County averages 73°F in July and 28°F in January, with 48.3 in of annual precipitation and about 193 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Essex County?
- Public-school quality in Essex County is above average, scoring better than 96% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Essex County?
- The average one-way commute in Essex County is 29 min.
Other counties in Massachusetts
Explore Massachusetts
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)