Essex County Demographics

A map of Essex County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	524,651	536,424	64.5%	66.2%
Hispanic	195,593	182,847	24.1%	22.6%
Multiracial	28,781	26,475	3.5%	3.3%
Asian	28,724	29,302	3.5%	3.6%
Black	28,297	27,081	3.5%	3.3%
Native American/Other	7,008	7,700	0.9%	1.0%

Essex County, Massachusetts has an estimated population of 813,054, a less than 1% change from the 809,829 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 64.5% White, 24.1% Hispanic, 3.5% Black, 3.5% Asian, 3.5% Multiracial, and 0.9% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Essex County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Essex has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is about as diverse as Massachusetts overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Essex County, that probability was 50.7% in 2020 and 52.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Essex County is ranked the 3rd most populous county in Massachusetts, out of 14 counties. Essex County was ranked the 3rd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Essex County's White Population

524,651 residents of Essex County, or 64.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Essex County is slightly lower than in Massachusetts overall, where 66.6% of the population is White. Essex County ranks 12th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 14 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Essex County's White population has declined by an estimated 2.2%. White residents' share of Essex County's population has decreased from 66.2% to 64.5%.

Essex County is more White than neighboring Suffolk County (43.6% White). Essex County is less White than neighboring Rockingham County (89.5% White), Middlesex County (65.1% White), Norfolk County (68.7% White), and Plymouth County (76.1% White).

Essex County's Black Population

28,297 residents of Essex County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Essex County is slightly lower than in Massachusetts overall, where 6.4% of the population is Black. Essex County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 14 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Essex County's Black population has grown by an estimated 4.5%. Black residents' share of Essex County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.5%.

Essex County is more Black than neighboring Rockingham County (0.7% Black). Essex County is less Black than neighboring Suffolk County (17.1% Black), Middlesex County (4.7% Black), Norfolk County (7.1% Black), and Plymouth County (7.8% Black).

Essex County's Asian Population

28,724 residents of Essex County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Essex County is slightly lower than in Massachusetts overall, where 7.3% of the population is Asian. Essex County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 14 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Essex County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 2.0%. Asian residents' share of Essex County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.5%.

Essex County is more Asian than neighboring Rockingham County (1.9% Asian), and Plymouth County (1.7% Asian). Essex County is less Asian than neighboring Suffolk County (9.2% Asian), Middlesex County (13.6% Asian), and Norfolk County (12.4% Asian).

Essex County's Hispanic Population

195,593 residents of Essex County, or 24.1% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Essex County is considerably higher than in Massachusetts overall, where 13.3% of the population is Hispanic. Essex County ranks 2nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 14 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Essex County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 7.0%. Hispanic residents' share of Essex County's population has increased from 22.6% to 24.1%.

Essex County is more Hispanic than neighboring Suffolk County (23.2% Hispanic), Rockingham County (3.7% Hispanic), Middlesex County (9.3% Hispanic), Norfolk County (5.8% Hispanic), and Plymouth County (4.9% Hispanic).

Essex County's Native American/Other Population

7,008 residents of Essex County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Essex County is comparable to the share in Massachusetts overall, where 1.3% of the population is Native American/Other. Essex County ranks 10th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 14 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Essex County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 9.0%. Native American/Other residents' share of Essex County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Essex County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Rockingham County (0.6% Native American/Other). Essex County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Suffolk County (1.2% Native American/Other), Middlesex County (1.5% Native American/Other), Norfolk County (1.2% Native American/Other), and Plymouth County (2.8% Native American/Other).

Essex County's Multiracial Population

28,781 residents of Essex County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Essex County is comparable to the share in Massachusetts overall, where 5.1% of the population is Multiracial. Essex County ranks 13th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 14 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Essex County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 8.7%. Multiracial residents' share of Essex County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.5%.

Essex County is less Multiracial than neighboring Suffolk County (5.6% Multiracial), Rockingham County (3.6% Multiracial), Middlesex County (5.8% Multiracial), Norfolk County (4.8% Multiracial), and Plymouth County (6.8% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.