Suffolk
Massachusetts

What stands out

Three things set Suffolk County apart from the other 3,142 counties: the uninsured rate is among the lowest in America (3.7%), homeownership is among the lowest in America (36%), and the typical two-bedroom rent is among the highest in America ($1,981 a month). Within Massachusetts it ranks 10th of 14 counties for the uninsured rate, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. 785,443 people live here with you. The population held steady at 0.1% 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 $87,669 a year, higher than 93% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $131,280. Unemployment runs 3.6%, higher than 58% of American counties. 15% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 26 minutes each way.

Massachusetts takes 5.0% of that median income in state income tax, about $4,383 a year.

Home

The median home costs $760K, pricier than 98% of American counties, about 6.3 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $1,981 a month. Property tax is 0.67% of home value, roughly $4,341 a year on that median home, lower than 69% of American counties. 36% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.1 per 1,000 residents, lower than 90% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 31 people per 100,000 in 2024, one of the harder-hit counties in the country.

A child born here can expect to live 80.4 years, longer than 93% of American counties. There are 14,627 active physicians in the county, about 186.2 per 10,000 people. Medicare rates the local hospitals 3.9 of 5 stars. 3.7% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 2.98 where 3.0 is national grade level, lower than 59% of American counties. 87% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Democratic by 49 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 61% 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 51°F, highs near 61 and lows near 42, colder than 71% of American counties. About 43 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 93 out of 100, riskier than 93% of American counties; the county has had 38 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 269 Mbps down, faster than 83% of American counties. There is 1 airport in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 1.2 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people, 11 breweries, 40 museums, 2 National Park Service sites.