Middlesex County, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Middlesex County, MA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A+
Health Top gradeHealthiest county in Massachusetts
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A
Income Above averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in Massachusetts
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A+
Education Top gradeBest educated county in Massachusetts
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,636,094 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1931.4 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.54% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.2 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 633,326 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Middlesex County grew by 10.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,636,094 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Middlesex County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.4% of residents. That is 1.4 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 356,701 21.8% +0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 382,100 23.4% +1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 341,353 20.9% -0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 262,550 16.0% -1.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Massachusetts, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.5% of the people living in Middlesex County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 49.5% Massachusetts 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Middlesex County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Middlesex County has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $131,269 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.94% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Middlesex County is about 26% higher than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $718,434 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,200 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.3% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Middlesex County is about 27.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,200 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Middlesex County spend about 57 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 237 hours, about 9.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.4 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 56.9 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 237 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,347 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 24.7% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 20,590 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,884 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Massachusetts:
Nantucket County (12.8 min), Dukes County (15.4 min), Berkshire County (16.8 min).
Slowest:
Norfolk County (31.0 min), Suffolk County (30.4 min), Middlesex County (28.4 min).
The average commute time in Middlesex County is 28 minutes, longer than the 26 minutes in Massachusetts.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Middlesex County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54.7% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Massachusetts:
Middlesex County (0.5), Norfolk County (0.4), Nantucket County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hampden County (0.3), Bristol County (0.3), Berkshire County (0.3).
Health
Middlesex County has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Middlesex County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.7 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 8.6% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.1% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Massachusetts:
Middlesex County (0.8), Hampshire County (0.8), Norfolk County (0.8).
Lowest:
Hampden County (0.8), Bristol County (0.8), Worcester County (0.8).
Middlesex County, MA Compared With Nearby Counties
Middlesex County, MA is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 1,636,094 residents against a local median of 779,263. The measure that sets Middlesex County, MA apart most is median home price: $718,434, 30% above the local median of $550,714.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $131,269 against a local median of $102,063, 29% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: median household income runs ahead of the neighbourhood while commute runs behind it, so Middlesex County, MA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread $466,840 on median home price, so Middlesex County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Middlesex County, MA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County, MA | 1,636,094 | $131,269 #1/6 | $718,434 #2/6 | 28.4 min #4/6 |
| Norfolk County, MA | 729,949 | $131,149 | $597,016 | 31.0 min |
| Suffolk County, MA | 779,263 | $95,719 | $753,442 | 30.4 min |
| Worcester County, MA | 867,628 | $95,680 | $351,801 | 24.0 min |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 426,152 | $103,775 | $286,603 | 22.8 min |
| Essex County, MA | 810,585 | $102,063 | $550,714 | 23.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
How many people live in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
About 1,636,094 people live in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in 633,326 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
Averaged over its land area, Middlesex County, Massachusetts has 1,931 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 22 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
The median home costs 5.5 times the median household income ($718,434 against $131,269), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,200 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Middlesex County, Massachusetts have a college degree?
54.7% of adults in Middlesex County, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 5 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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