Town · Massachusetts
Essex, Massachusetts
Essex, town, in Essex County, Massachusetts. Essex had 3,770 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.4% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,675 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 3,701 (±17). GEOID 2500921850.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
3,770
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,675 · ACS 2020-2024: 3,701 ±17
Median household income
$157,147
±$24,136 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $103,960
Median home value
$897,400
±$59,056 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $562,100
Median gross rent
$1,964
±$238 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $1,762
Where is Essex and what county is it in?
Essex is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts. It covers 14.0 square miles of land, 263 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Essex: Essex (CDP, 1,517 in 2020).
Essex is in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 7 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Essex is the same area as Census Tract 2221 of Essex County: the tract's figures are Essex's own.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Essex, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,770 people lived in Essex on July 1, 2025, up 2.4% since 2020, faster than Massachusetts (+1.7%). The 2020 Census counted 3,675 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 3,701 (±17).
| Measure | Essex | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,701±17 | 813,054 | −44 |
| Households | 1,359±122 | 313,147 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.72±0.25 | 2.54 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,549±161 | 329,776 | no clear change |
Essex's population since 2000
From 3,267 in 2000 to 3,770 in 2025: up 15.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Essex as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Essex?
The median resident of Essex is 45.0 years old; 23.9% are under 18 and 16.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.2%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 1.1%. 4.1% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Essex | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.0±3.4 | 41.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 23.9%±5.4 pts | 20.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 16.9%±3.4 pts | 18.5% | – |
| Male | 49.5%±3.0 pts | 48.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.1%±1.0 pts | 24.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.2%±1.5 pts | 64.5% | −1.8 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.8%±1.0 pts | 3.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.9%±0.8 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.1%±2.1 pts | 19.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.5%±2.5 pts | 28.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.8%±2.9 pts | 4.3% | – |
| With a disability | 10.2%±4.8 pts | 12.3% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.6%±2.3 pts | 2.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.2%±1.4 pts | 90.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 69.0%±5.8 pts | 43.0% | +10.7 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 28.9%±6.9 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 83.6%±10.2 pts | 90.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4%±0.7 pts | 1.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Essex earn?
Half of Essex's 1,359 households earn less than $157,147 a year (±$24,136), against $101,883 in Essex County and $103,960 in Massachusetts. In 2015-2019 it was $130,802 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Essex | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $157,147±$24,136 | $101,883 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $211,253±$35,037 | $140,098 | – |
| Per capita income | $78,674±$12,075 | $54,665 | +$18,519 |
| People below the poverty line | 8.1%±4.9 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 14.8%±12.0 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 7.3%±4.7 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.1%±1.7 pts | 95.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 98.7%±1.4 pts | 92.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Essex?
Owners occupy 75.0% of Essex's occupied homes and renters 25.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $897,400 by its owner (±$59,056). The median renter pays $1,964 a month including utilities, and 36.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Essex | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $897,400±$59,056 | $619,100 | +$190,243 |
| Median gross rent | $1,964±$238 | $1,756 | +$568 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.3%±17.7 pts | 46.4% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $3,730±$277 | $2,867 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 75.0%±6.8 pts | 63.5% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.0%±6.8 pts | 36.5% | – |
| Housing units | 1,549±161 | 329,776 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±4.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±11.7 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 71.9%±7.5 pts | 49.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±2.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.5%±1.7 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 8.8%±5.4 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 34.7%±7.2 pts | 34.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.2%±1.4 pts | 9.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Essex building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Essex in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 1.7 across Massachusetts.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Essex work and get to work?
69.1% of Essex's workers drive alone and 23.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.9 minutes.
| Measure | Essex | Essex County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 73.7%±5.5 pts | 67.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.5%±1.2 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 69.1%±6.3 pts | 67.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 1.3%±1.2 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.3%±0.6 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Walked | 5.0%±4.1 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 23.6%±6.3 pts | 16.4% | +15.7 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.9 min±3.3 | 28.5 min | −6.4 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Essex?
1 census tract lies mostly in Essex (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 2221Essex County | 3,701 | $157,147 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Essex) · Census block assignment files
How does Essex compare with other places in Massachusetts?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Essex is the 2,954th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 179th-most populous of 266 in Massachusetts.
Essex ranks 71st of 453 places in Massachusetts with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 179th | 266 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 109th | 292 |
| Residents per square mile | 376th | 461 |
| Median household income | 71st | 453 |
| Per capita income | 71st | 460 |
| Median home value | 50th | 459 |
| Median gross rent | 97th | 410 |
| Poverty rate | 123rd | 338 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59th | 459 |
| Median age | 216th | 461 |
| Owner-occupied share | 289th | 460 |
| Work from home | 121st | 429 |
| Travel time to work | 350th | 459 |
Essex's figures with every place in Massachusetts (CSV)
Every place in Massachusetts, sortable · Compare Essex with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Essex?
20 of the 57 figures for Essex on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Essex are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.