What does this measure?
The percent change in number of residents of a geographic area since 2000.
Why is this important?
Population measures provide insight on the changing size and face of communities. Changes in total population are a measure of the overall health of a community and its ability to attract and retain residents.
How is our county doing?
Since 2000, the overall population in Essex County has grown over 9%, similar to the state increase but much lower than the nation's increase of 17%. From 2000 to 2010, the county's population increased from about 723,000 to 743,000, and since 2010, growth has picked up, with the total population increasing to 789,000 in 2019.
The largest localities in Essex County are the cities of Lynn and Lawrence, with 94,000 and 80,000 residents in 2019, respectively. Other population centers are Haverhill (64,000), Peabody (53,000) and Methuen (51,000). The fastest growing places since 2000 were Middleton (which grew 31%), Salisbury (22%) and Georgetown (19%). The population fell in three places: Rockport (-6%), Nahant (-3%), and Hamilton (-3%).
How do we compare to similar counties?
Westchester, NY (5%) was the only county with a lesser overall rate of growth than Essex County since 2000 while Lake, IL was similar. Middlesex, MA had a rate of 10%. Lake's total population was lower than Essex County's at 697,000, while Westchester and Middlesex are larger at 968,000 and 1.6 million, respectively.
Notes about the data
Rate is percentage change from 2000. Data for this indicator are released annually in July.