Middlesex
Massachusetts

What stands out

Against every county in America, Middlesex County is unusual in three ways: the typical two-bedroom rent is among the highest in America ($2,164 a month), the uninsured rate is among the lowest in America (2.9%), and the median household income is among the highest in America ($121,304). Within Massachusetts it ranks 1st of 14 counties for the typical two-bedroom rent.

Where you are

You live in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. 1,623,109 people live here with you, which makes it one of the country's big urban counties. The population grew 0.4% last year.

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 $121,304 a year, higher than almost every county in America. Employers pay an average wage of $113,704. Unemployment runs 3.1%, lower than 63% of American counties. 19% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 25 minutes each way.

Massachusetts takes 5.0% of that median income in state income tax, about $6,065 a year.

Home

The median home costs $831K, pricier than almost every county in America, about 4.3 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $2,164 a month. Property tax is 1.08% of home value, roughly $7,037 a year on that median home, higher than 65% of American counties. 61% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 2.9 per 1,000 residents, lower than 96% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 14 people per 100,000 in 2024.

A child born here can expect to live 81.7 years, longer than 97% of American counties. There are 9,743 active physicians in the county, about 60.0 per 10,000 people. Medicare rates the local hospitals 3.2 of 5 stars. 2.9% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 3.50 where 3.0 is national grade level, higher than 94% of American counties. 93% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Democratic by 32 points. 77% 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 50°F, highs near 61 and lows near 39, colder than 75% of American counties. About 40 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 96 out of 100, riskier than 96% of American counties; the county has had 35 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 271 Mbps down, faster than 84% of American counties. There are 5 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.8 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 23 breweries, 53 museums, 3 National Park Service sites.