A life in Franklin County, Massachusetts

Where you are

You live in Franklin County, Massachusetts. 70,980 people live here with you. The population held steady at 0.2% last year, and more Americans moved out than in (net -51).

Massachusetts has a flat 5% income tax plus a 4% surtax on income above about $1 million, an estate tax that begins at $2 million, and some of the highest home prices in the country inside Route 128. It does not tax Social Security. Health insurance coverage is the highest of any state, a legacy of the 2006 reform that preceded the federal law.

Money

The typical household here brings in $70,383 a year, higher than 75% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $54,261. Unemployment runs 3.4%, lower than 51% of American counties. 14% of workers work from home.

Massachusetts takes 5.0% of that median income in state income tax, about $3,519 a year.

Home

The median home costs $373K, pricier than 82% of American counties, about 3.1 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $1,257 a month. Property tax is 1.57% of home value, roughly $4,467 a year on that median home, higher than 88% of American counties. 70% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.2 per 1,000 residents, lower than 82% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 18 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 79.7 years, longer than 89% of American counties. There are 110 active physicians in the county, about 15.5 per 10,000 people. Medicare rates the local hospitals 3.0 of 5 stars. 3.2% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.10 where 3.0 is national grade level, lower than 54% of American counties. 94% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Democratic by 33 points. 75% of eligible voters turned out. Under Massachusetts law you need local approval to carry a concealed handgun, abortion is protected by state law, and marijuana is legal for adults.

Weather and risk

The year averages 47°F, highs near 58 and lows near 37, colder than 84% of American counties. About 44 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 53 out of 100, riskier than 53% of American counties; the county has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 239 Mbps down, faster than 68% of American counties. There are 2 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 1.0 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 5 breweries, 7 museums.

Sources for this story

• BLS QCEW 2024
• CDC 2024
• CMS 2024
• Census 2023
• Census ACS
• Census ACS 2022
• Census Population Estimates 2023
• Census SAHIE 2024
• County Health Rankings 2024
• DataSpine derived — ACS 2022 home value / household income
• FAA Airport Database
• FEMA Disaster Declarations 1953–2026
• FEMA National Risk Index 2023 (0–100, all hazards)
• HRSA Area Health Resources File 2023
• IMLS
• NOAA Climate Normals
• National Park Service
• Ookla Speedtest Intelligence
• Open Brewery DB
• OpenElections 2024
• SEDA via County Health Rankings 2024 (3.0 = at grade level; not a Z-score)
• Tax Foundation 2023
• USDA Food Environment Atlas
• Zillow ZHVI 2024
• Massachusetts tax and law data: state revenue department, Tax Foundation, Giffords, Guttmacher (2026)

Percentiles compare this county with every other county that reports the same figure. Missing figures are left out rather than guessed. Share this page: the address is permanent.