Suffolk County, Massachusetts Income Statistics
Suffolk County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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B
Suffolk County Around averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in Massachusetts
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $95,719 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $78,108 | $80,230 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 6.5% | 4.9% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 20.1% | 20.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 21.0% | 22.3% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Suffolk County is about 8% lower than in Massachusetts. Income has been growing faster in Suffolk County (6.5%/yr) than in Massachusetts (4.9%/yr).
About 20% of adults in Suffolk County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, about the same as the Massachusetts average of 21%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Suffolk County, Massachusetts grew by 82.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $95,719 in 2024. That's an average of about 6.5% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Suffolk County
| Metric | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.551 | 0.531 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $86,375 | $90,842 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $79,416 | $75,629 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 8.1% | 16.7% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Suffolk County, it is 0.551, higher than Massachusetts's 0.531, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and about the same as the US's 0.552, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there.
Men's income is about 9% more than women's income in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Over a 35-year career, a 9% wage gap accumulates to roughly $243,565 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Suffolk County, Massachusetts has widened from about 7% to 8% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 11% in 2010, and was narrowest at 6% in 2021. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,527 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Suffolk County widened by 1.0 points while Massachusetts's narrowed by 5.5 points.
Employment
| Metric | Suffolk County | Massachusetts Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 6.3% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 19.9% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 30 | 25 | 22 |
Approximately 29,483 people are unemployed in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
The average commute time in Suffolk County is 30 minutes, longer than the 25 minutes in Massachusetts.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Suffolk County, Massachusetts has fallen from 10.1% to 6.3% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 10.5% in 2013 and fell as low as 6.2% in 2023.
Suffolk County, MA Wealth 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 income growth, sitting 38% above the local median of 4.7%/yr at 6.5%/yr. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 6.3% against a local median of 5.1%, 24% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Suffolk County, MA is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 0.3%/yr of each other on income growth, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Suffolk County, MA, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Suffolk County, MA has the highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk County, MA | 779,263 | $95,719 #5/6 | 6.5%/yr #1/6 | 6.3% #6/6 | 0.551 #6/6 |
| Norfolk County, MA | 729,949 | $131,149 | 4.7%/yr | 4.9% | 0.513 |
| Essex County, MA | 810,585 | $102,063 | 4.7%/yr | 5.1% | 0.527 |
| Middlesex County, MA | 1,636,094 | $131,269 | 4.9%/yr | 4.3% | 0.515 |
| Plymouth County, MA | 534,586 | $114,939 | 4.9%/yr | 5.1% | 0.520 |
| Bristol County, MA | 582,104 | $85,695 | 4.7%/yr | 5.5% | 0.523 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Suffolk County, Massachusetts has an overall wealth index grade of B, making it somewhat worse than Massachusetts, and somewhat better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
How Rich Is Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
Suffolk County has a wealth index grade of B. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a B grade means residents are quite well off compared to the U.S. average. The median household income is $95,719, about 8% lower than the Massachusetts average of $104,336.
How fast is household income rising in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Suffolk County, Massachusetts rose 83%, from $52,362 to $95,719. Over the same years, income here outpaced Massachusetts as a whole: +83% against +61%.
What was the median household income in Suffolk County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Suffolk County, Massachusetts was $93,057, up 6% from $87,800 in 2022. The Massachusetts median that year was $101,513.
What was the median household income in Suffolk County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Suffolk County, Massachusetts was $74,851. By 2024 it had risen 28% to $95,719.
What is the Gini coefficient in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
The Gini coefficient in Suffolk County is 0.551. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is almost the same as the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed about as equally as in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Suffolk County, Massachusetts has widened from about 7% to 8% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 11% in 2010, and was narrowest at 6% in 2021. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,527 since 2009.
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