Suffolk County, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Suffolk 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 Above average
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B
Income Around averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in Massachusetts
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A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 779,263 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 6482.7 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.24% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.5 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 324,194 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Suffolk County grew by 6.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 779,263 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Suffolk County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 28.1% of residents. That is 6.6 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 219,042 28.1% +6.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 209,049 26.8% +4.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 133,511 17.1% -4.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 101,404 13.0% -4.3 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 51.8% of the people living in Suffolk County and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 48.2% Massachusetts 48.8%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Suffolk County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Suffolk County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $95,719 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.52% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Suffolk County is about 8% lower than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $753,442 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,129 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 36.4% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Suffolk County is about 29.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,129 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Suffolk County spend about 61 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 253 hours, about 10.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.4 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.8 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 253 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,858 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 19.9% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 23,556 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,893 | 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 Suffolk County is 30 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
Suffolk County has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.9% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.25 | 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
Suffolk County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.6 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.9% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.0% | 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).
Suffolk County, MA Compared With Nearby Counties
Suffolk County, MA is typical in size for this group, 779,263 residents against a local median of 729,949, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Suffolk County, MA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 37% above the local median of $550,714 at $753,442.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $95,719 against a local median of $114,939, 17% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 17% below the local median it puts Suffolk County, MA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $351,388 on median home price, so Suffolk County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Suffolk County, MA has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk County, MA | 779,263 | $95,719 #5/6 | $753,442 #1/6 | 30.4 min #5/6 |
| Norfolk County, MA | 729,949 | $131,149 | $597,016 | 31.0 min |
| Essex County, MA | 810,585 | $102,063 | $550,714 | 23.3 min |
| Middlesex County, MA | 1,636,094 | $131,269 | $718,434 | 28.4 min |
| Plymouth County, MA | 534,586 | $114,939 | $463,963 | 28.0 min |
| Bristol County, MA | 582,104 | $85,695 | $367,046 | 23.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
What is the population of Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
About 779,263 people live in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, in 324,194 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 32.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
Averaged over its land area, Suffolk County, Massachusetts has 6,483 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 75 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
The median home costs 7.9 times the median household income ($753,442 against $95,719), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,129 a month takes about 27% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Suffolk County, Massachusetts have a college degree?
44.9% of adults in Suffolk County, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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