Norfolk County, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Norfolk 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.
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A+
Health Top gradeAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Massachusetts
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A
Income Above averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in Massachusetts
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A+
Education Top gradeAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Massachusetts
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Norfolk County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 729,949 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1642.7 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.68% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.4 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 283,246 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Norfolk County grew by 10.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 729,949 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Norfolk County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.0% of residents. That is 0.9 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 147,204 20.2% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 158,053 21.7% -0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 160,728 22.0% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 124,990 17.1% -0.2 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 51.5% of the people living in Norfolk County and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 48.5% Massachusetts 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Norfolk County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Norfolk County has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Norfolk County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $131,149 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.74% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Norfolk County is about 26% higher than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Norfolk County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $597,016 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,149 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.7% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Norfolk County is about 23.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,149 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Norfolk County spend about 62 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 258 hours, about 10.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Norfolk County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.0 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 61.9 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 258 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,001 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 22.8% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 19,980 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,256 | 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 Norfolk County is 31 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
Norfolk County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Norfolk County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53.4% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.51 | 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
Norfolk County has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Norfolk County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.5 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.0% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.9% | 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).
Norfolk County, MA Compared With Nearby Counties
Norfolk County, MA is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 729,949 residents against a local median of 582,104. The measure that sets Norfolk County, MA apart most is median home price: $597,016, 29% above the local median of $463,963.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $131,149 against a local median of $112,759, 16% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 16% above the local median it puts Norfolk County, MA at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $478,443 on median home price, so Norfolk County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Norfolk County, MA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk County, MA | 729,949 | $131,149 #2/6 | $597,016 #3/6 | 31.0 min #6/6 |
| Suffolk County, MA | 779,263 | $95,719 | $753,442 | 30.4 min |
| Middlesex County, MA | 1,636,094 | $131,269 | $718,434 | 28.4 min |
| Bristol County, MA | 582,104 | $85,695 | $367,046 | 23.2 min |
| Bristol County, RI | 50,443 | $112,759 | $275,000 | 23.2 min |
| Plymouth County, MA | 534,586 | $114,939 | $463,963 | 28.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
What is the population of Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
About 729,949 people live in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, in 283,246 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Norfolk County, Massachusetts mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Norfolk County, Massachusetts has 1,643 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 19 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
The median home costs 4.6 times the median household income ($597,016 against $131,149), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,149 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
53.4% of adults in Norfolk 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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