Suffolk County Demographics

A map of Suffolk County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	342,378	352,900	43.6%	44.2%
Hispanic	182,283	178,527	23.2%	22.4%
Black	134,542	135,255	17.1%	17.0%
Asian	71,965	80,607	9.2%	10.1%
Multiracial	44,270	37,517	5.6%	4.7%
Native American/Other	9,683	13,130	1.2%	1.6%

Suffolk County, Massachusetts has an estimated population of 785,121, a slight decrease from the 797,936 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 43.6% White, 23.2% Hispanic, 17.1% Black, 9.2% Asian, 5.6% Multiracial, and 1.2% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Suffolk County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Suffolk is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than Massachusetts overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Suffolk County, that probability was 71.3% in 2020 and 71.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Suffolk County is ranked the 4th most populous county in Massachusetts, out of 14 counties. Suffolk County was ranked the 4th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Suffolk County's White Population

342,378 residents of Suffolk County, or 43.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Suffolk County is significantly lower than in Massachusetts overall, where 66.6% of the population is White. Suffolk County ranks 14th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 14 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Suffolk County's White population has declined by an estimated 3.0%. White residents' share of Suffolk County's population has decreased from 44.2% to 43.6%.

Suffolk County is less White than neighboring Norfolk County (68.7% White), Essex County (64.5% White), Middlesex County (65.1% White), Plymouth County (76.1% White), and Bristol County (75.3% White).

Suffolk County's Black Population

134,542 residents of Suffolk County, or 17.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Suffolk County is considerably higher than in Massachusetts overall, where 6.4% of the population is Black. Suffolk County ranks 1st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 14 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Suffolk County's Black population has remained roughly the same. Black residents' share of Suffolk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 17.1%.

Suffolk County is more Black than neighboring Norfolk County (7.1% Black), Essex County (3.5% Black), Middlesex County (4.7% Black), Plymouth County (7.8% Black), and Bristol County (4% Black).

Suffolk County's Asian Population

71,965 residents of Suffolk County, or 9.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Suffolk County is comparable to the share in Massachusetts overall, where 7.3% of the population is Asian. Suffolk County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 14 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Suffolk County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 10.7%. Asian residents' share of Suffolk County's population has decreased from 10.1% to 9.2%.

Suffolk County is more Asian than neighboring Essex County (3.5% Asian), Plymouth County (1.7% Asian), and Bristol County (2.4% Asian). Suffolk County is less Asian than neighboring Norfolk County (12.4% Asian), and Middlesex County (13.6% Asian).

Suffolk County's Hispanic Population

182,283 residents of Suffolk County, or 23.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Suffolk County is higher than in Massachusetts overall, where 13.3% of the population is Hispanic. Suffolk County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 14 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Suffolk County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 2.1%. Hispanic residents' share of Suffolk County's population has increased from 22.4% to 23.2%.

Suffolk County is more Hispanic than neighboring Norfolk County (5.8% Hispanic), Middlesex County (9.3% Hispanic), Plymouth County (4.9% Hispanic), and Bristol County (10.2% Hispanic). Suffolk County is less Hispanic than neighboring Essex County (24.1% Hispanic).

Suffolk County's Native American/Other Population

9,683 residents of Suffolk County, or 1.2% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Suffolk County is comparable to the share in Massachusetts overall, where 1.3% of the population is Native American/Other. Suffolk County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 14 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Suffolk County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 26.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Suffolk County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.2%.

Suffolk County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Essex County (0.9% Native American/Other). Suffolk County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Middlesex County (1.5% Native American/Other), Plymouth County (2.8% Native American/Other), and Bristol County (1.8% Native American/Other).

Suffolk County's Multiracial Population

44,270 residents of Suffolk County, or 5.6% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Suffolk County is comparable to the share in Massachusetts overall, where 5.1% of the population is Multiracial. Suffolk County ranks 6th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 14 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Suffolk County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 18.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Suffolk County's population has increased from 4.7% to 5.6%.

Suffolk County is more Multiracial than neighboring Norfolk County (4.8% Multiracial), and Essex County (3.5% Multiracial). Suffolk County is less Multiracial than neighboring Middlesex County (5.8% Multiracial), Plymouth County (6.8% Multiracial), and Bristol County (6.2% 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.