The number of felony and misdemeanor drug arrests per 1,000 residents.
Drug use, sale and other illegal drug-related activity can have immediate as well as long-term negative health, social and economic consequences, both for individuals and for neighborhoods and communities.
In Essex County, almost 900 people were arrested for drug-related crimes in 2021 - a rate of about 1.1 arrests per 1,000 residents. This is slightly higher than the statewide figure of 0.8. Lawrence (3.8), Haverhill (2.4), Salem (1.6) and West Newbury (1.5) had the highest rates in Essex County in 2021. In general, the rate of arrests for drug-related crimes has declined since a peak of 2.0 in 2007.
Essex County had a higher rate compared to Middlesex, MA at 0.4 and Westchester, NY at 0.9.
Comparable national data was not available. The City of Lawrence did not report data prior to 2020. Comparable data for Lake, IL was not available for 2021. Differences in rates may reflect a variety of factors, including differences in laws and law enforcement priorities, in addition the severity of drug activity in an area.
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, MA | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| Amesbury | 3.8 | 4.9 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Beverly | 0.9 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Gloucester | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.4 | |
| Haverhill | 0.7 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.4 | ||||
| Lawrence | 5.0 | 3.8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Lynn | 4.8 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.7 | |||||||
| Methuen | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | ||
| Newburyport | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 4.7 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | |
| Peabody | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Salem | 1.7 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 1.6 | ||||||||||||
| Andover | 4.7 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Boxford | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Danvers | 0.8 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| Essex | 0.3 | 0.5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgetown | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | ||||||||||
| Groveland | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | |||
| Hamilton | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | ||||||||
| Ipswich | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | ||
| Lynnfield | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | ||
| Manchester | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 0.4 | ||||||||
| Marblehead | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | ||
| Merrimac | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.1 | |||||
| Middleton | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | ||||||||||||
| Nahant | 0.6 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | ||||||||
| Newbury | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | |||
| North Andover | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Rockport | 0.1 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | |||||||||||
| Rowley | 0.9 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | |
| Salisbury | 17.6 | 9.7 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Saugus | 2.1 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Swampscott | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| Topsfield | 1.1 | 5.6 | 4.6 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | |||||||
| Wenham | 0.2 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 | |||||||||
| West Newbury | 2.2 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.5 | ||
| Middlesex County, MA | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Lake County, IL | 5.6 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 1.1 | |
| Westchester County, NY | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Massachusetts | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, MA | 722 | 807 | 726 | 550 | 639 | 864 | 907 | 1,450 | 1,431 | 819 | 755 | 731 | 974 | 1,303 | 1,283 | 1,253 | 1,079 | 1,042 | 1,031 | 645 | 814 | 896 |
| Amesbury | 62 | 81 | 45 | 34 | 54 | 58 | 62 | 69 | 41 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 24 | 27 | 14 | 32 | 29 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 7 |
| Beverly | 35 | 84 | 127 | 94 | 110 | 111 | 79 | 115 | 103 | 68 | 136 | 46 | 61 | 50 | 46 | 53 | 29 | 27 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 13 |
| Gloucester | 43 | 66 | 60 | 31 | 22 | 46 | 39 | 22 | 41 | 48 | 46 | 40 | 52 | 42 | 47 | 36 | 24 | 41 | 30 | 14 | 42 | |
| Haverhill | 41 | 170 | 187 | 199 | 177 | 122 | 80 | 120 | 156 | 170 | 215 | 199 | 175 | 162 | 239 | 126 | 130 | 155 | ||||
| Lawrence | 397 | 302 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Lynn | 418 | 297 | 152 | 146 | 180 | 220 | 326 | 237 | 241 | 228 | 175 | 128 | 127 | 98 | 64 | |||||||
| Methuen | 24 | 13 | 5 | 15 | 32 | 65 | 181 | 139 | 50 | 119 | 116 | 226 | 251 | 244 | 206 | 218 | 260 | 92 | 28 | 23 | ||
| Newburyport | 20 | 20 | 12 | 25 | 30 | 41 | 32 | 82 | 6 | 17 | 5 | 30 | 65 | 22 | 19 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| Peabody | 116 | 132 | 133 | 91 | 81 | 99 | 80 | 70 | 90 | 30 | 34 | 65 | 60 | 37 | 67 | 52 | 51 | 49 | 58 | 33 | 12 | 7 |
| Salem | 70 | 162 | 141 | 112 | 76 | 109 | 96 | 98 | 47 | 70 | ||||||||||||
| Andover | 149 | 98 | 61 | 17 | 38 | 65 | 48 | 118 | 137 | 116 | 81 | 44 | 43 | 40 | 110 | 140 | 84 | 74 | 46 | 26 | 7 | 12 |
| Boxford | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Danvers | 19 | 56 | 51 | 43 | 63 | 104 | 121 | 84 | 85 | 34 | 20 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 14 | 10 | 24 | 26 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 |
| Essex | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgetown | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 2 | ||||||||||
| Groveland | 23 | 21 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 35 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Hamilton | 9 | 4 | 13 | 25 | 23 | 15 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ||||||||
| Ipswich | 6 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | ||
| Lynnfield | 4 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Manchester | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | ||||||||
| Marblehead | 34 | 35 | 24 | 17 | 29 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Merrimac | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | |||||
| Middleton | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Nahant | 2 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||
| Newbury | 15 | 12 | 18 | 3 | 18 | 11 | 16 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||
| North Andover | 24 | 37 | 22 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 32 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 31 | 63 | 42 | 22 | 5 | 6 |
| Rockport | 1 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| Rowley | 5 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Salisbury | 138 | 77 | 32 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 10 | 28 | 9 | 31 | 37 | 36 | 33 | 42 | 42 | 29 | 22 | 10 | 12 |
| Saugus | 54 | 57 | 26 | 33 | 29 | 23 | 34 | 36 | 42 | 19 | 26 | 23 | 39 | 19 | 17 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 5 |
| Swampscott | 12 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
| Topsfield | 7 | 35 | 28 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | |||||||
| Wenham | 1 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | |||||||||
| West Newbury | 9 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | ||
| Middlesex County, MA | 829 | 855 | 877 | 953 | 1,170 | 1,129 | 1,273 | 1,442 | 1,784 | 1,095 | 1,263 | 1,307 | 1,393 | 1,245 | 1,160 | 1,168 | 1,040 | 957 | 967 | 903 | 652 | 643 |
| Lake County, IL | 3,632 | 3,370 | 3,277 | 3,241 | 3,624 | 3,718 | 3,848 | 4,076 | 3,316 | 3,453 | 3,544 | 3,743 | 4,139 | 4,445 | 4,447 | 4,399 | 3,789 | 2,572 | 1,884 | 1,367 | 769 | |
| Westchester County, NY | 2,061 | 2,194 | 2,291 | 2,685 | 3,114 | 3,327 | 3,531 | 3,552 | 3,268 | 3,155 | 3,201 | 3,472 | 3,800 | 4,028 | 3,180 | 2,535 | 2,386 | 2,307 | 2,817 | 2,267 | 1,325 | 933 |
| Massachusetts | 7,386 | 8,127 | 7,726 | 7,658 | 10,352 | 11,575 | 12,260 | 13,094 | 13,805 | 7,812 | 8,117 | 8,087 | 8,687 | 8,648 | 8,250 | 7,645 | 7,820 | 7,289 | 6,608 | 6,301 | 5,227 | 5,469 |
| INDICATORS | TREND | ESSEX COUNTY |
|---|
