Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is Massachusetts a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best places to live in Massachusetts.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Bay State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Massachusetts, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 14 counties in the state.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Bay State for 2021.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Massachusetts For 2021
Norfolk County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Massachusetts. And you might want to avoid Hampden County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Massachusetts, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Massachusetts and the cheapest places to live in Massachusetts.
The Best Counties To Live In Massachusetts For 2021
1. Norfolk County
Biggest Place: Quincy
Population: 700,437
Median Income: $103,291 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $470,800.0 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (5th best)
More on Norfolk County: Photos | Data
2. Nantucket County
Biggest Place: Nantucket
Population: 11,168
Median Income: $107,717 (best)
Median Home Price: $1,084,700.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (best)
More on Nantucket County: Photos | Data
3. Middlesex County
Biggest Place: Cambridge
Population: 1,600,842
Median Income: $102,603 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $500,700.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (3rd best)
More on Middlesex County: Photos | Data
4. Essex County
Biggest Place: Lynn
Population: 783,676
Median Income: $79,263 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $409,900.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.9% (7th best)
More on Essex County: Photos | Data
5. Plymouth County
Biggest Place: Brockton
Population: 515,303
Median Income: $89,489 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $370,300.0 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (9th best)
More on Plymouth County: Photos | Data
6. Barnstable County
Biggest Place: Barnstable Town
Population: 213,496
Median Income: $74,336 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $393,500.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (4th best)
More on Barnstable County: Photos | Data
7. Hampshire County
Biggest Place: Northampton
Population: 161,032
Median Income: $70,876 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $283,100.0 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (12th best)
More on Hampshire County: Photos | Data
8. Dukes County
Biggest Place: Vineyard Haven
Population: 17,312
Median Income: $71,811 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $699,500.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (2nd best)
More on Dukes County: Photos | Data
9. Franklin County
Biggest Place: Greenfield Town
Population: 70,577
Median Income: $60,950 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $232,100.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.9% (8th best)
More on Franklin County: Photos | Data
10. Worcester County
Biggest Place: Worcester
Population: 824,772
Median Income: $74,679 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $280,600.0 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (10th best)
More on Worcester County: Photos | Data
How do you determine which Massachusetts county is the best?
To give you the best county in Massachusetts, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Massachusetts across each of the criteria from one to 14, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Massachusetts”.
The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Bay State.
Read on to see why Norfolk County is the best county, while Hampden County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Massachusetts.
There You Have It – The Best Counties In Massachusetts To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Massachusetts can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Massachusetts according to the data:
- Hampden County
- Suffolk County
- Bristol County
For more Massachusetts reading, check out:
- Best Places To Retire In Massachusetts
- Best Counties To Live In Massachusetts
- Safest Places In Massachusetts
- Best Places To Buy A House In Massachusetts
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Massachusetts
| County | Rank |
|---|---|
| Norfolk County | 1 |
| Nantucket County | 2 |
| Middlesex County | 3 |
| Essex County | 4 |
| Plymouth County | 5 |
| Barnstable County | 6 |
| Hampshire County | 7 |
| Dukes County | 8 |
| Franklin County | 9 |
| Worcester County | 10 |
| Berkshire County | 11 |
| Bristol County | 12 |
| Suffolk County | 13 |
| Hampden County | 14 |
