Suffolk County, Massachusetts
County in Massachusetts, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Suffolk County (/ˈsʌfək/ SUF-ək) is located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 797,936,[1] making it the fourth-most populous county in Massachusetts.[2] The county comprises the cities of Boston, Chelsea, and Revere, and the town of Winthrop.[3] The traditional county seat is Boston, the state capital and the largest city in Massachusetts.[4] The county government was abolished in 1999, resulting in Suffolk County now functioning only as an administrative subdivision of state government and a set of communities grouped together for some statistical purposes. Suffolk County is located at the core of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the greater Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT Combined Statistical Area.
Suffolk County, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates: 42°20′06″N 71°04′25″W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Massachusetts |
| Founded | May 10, 1643 |
| Named after | Suffolk, England |
| Seat | Boston |
| Largest city | Boston |
| Area | |
• Total | 120 sq mi (310 km2) |
| • Land | 58.15 sq mi (150.6 km2) |
| • Water | 62 sq mi (160 km2) 52% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 797,936 |
• Estimate (2025) | 791,891  |
| • Density | 13,698/sq mi (5,289/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 5th, 7th, 8th |
History
The county was created by the Massachusetts General Court on May 10, 1643, when it was ordered "that the whole plantation within this jurisdiction be divided into four shires". Suffolk initially contained Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester, Dedham, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham and Hull.[5] The county was named after Suffolk, England, which means "southern folk."[6]
In 1731, the extreme western portions of Suffolk County, which included Mendon and Uxbridge, were split off to become part of Worcester County. In 1793, most of the original Suffolk County split off and became Norfolk County, leaving only Boston, Chelsea, Hingham, and Hull in Suffolk. Hingham and Hull would leave Suffolk County and join Plymouth County in 1803.[7] Revere was set off from Chelsea and incorporated in 1846 and Winthrop was set off from Revere and incorporated in 1852. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Boston annexed several adjacent cities and towns including Hyde Park, Roxbury, West Roxbury, and Dorchester from Norfolk County and Charlestown and Brighton from Middlesex County, resulting in an enlargement of Suffolk County.
During the early 20th century, County government functions were absorbed by the City of Boston, with Boston City Council becoming the de-facto County Commission, and the City Treasurer similarly becoming the County Treasurer, albeit said government was not formally abolished until 1999.[8]
Government and politics
Like an increasing number of Massachusetts counties, Suffolk County exists today only as a historical geographic region, and has no county government.[9] All former county functions were assumed by state agencies in 1999. The sheriff, district attorney, and some other regional officials with specific duties are still elected locally to perform duties within the county region, but there is no county council, executives or commissioners. Prior to the abolition of county government, the authority of the Suffolk County Commission had for many years been exercised by the Boston City Council, even though three communities in the county are not part of the city. However, communities are now granted the right to form their own regional compacts for sharing services.[10]
Politically speaking, Suffolk County supports the Democratic Party overwhelmingly. No Republican presidential candidate has won there since Calvin Coolidge in 1924. In 2012 Barack Obama received 77.4% of the vote, compared to 20.8% for former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney. In the 2014 gubernatorial election, Martha Coakley carried the county by a 32.4% margin, while losing the election statewide by 48.4 to 46.5%. In 2020, Joe Biden won the county by the largest margin of any presidential candidate since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and was the first candidate since then to win more than 80% of the vote in the county.
| Voter registration and party enrollment as of February 1, 2025[11] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Number of voters | Percentage | |||
| Unenrolled | 276,417 | 57.00% | |||
| Democratic | 183,302 | 37.75% | |||
| Republican | 21,669 | 4.46% | |||
| Minor Parties | 4,084 | 0.84% | |||
| Total | 485,472 | 100% | |||
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1868 | 17,381 | 57.31% | 12,947 | 42.69% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1872 | 17,766 | 61.40% | 11,170 | 38.60% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1876 | 22,832 | 47.49% | 25,101 | 52.21% | 141 | 0.29% |
| 1880 | 28,346 | 49.21% | 28,861 | 50.10% | 396 | 0.69% |
| 1884 | 23,283 | 36.85% | 34,621 | 54.80% | 5,278 | 8.35% |
| 1888 | 31,191 | 44.15% | 38,540 | 54.55% | 921 | 1.30% |
| 1892 | 35,304 | 43.38% | 44,504 | 54.68% | 1,584 | 1.95% |
| 1896 | 53,633 | 59.89% | 31,744 | 35.45% | 4,174 | 4.66% |
| 1900 | 40,951 | 44.82% | 47,534 | 52.03% | 2,880 | 3.15% |
| 1904 | 43,681 | 44.14% | 51,714 | 52.26% | 3,569 | 3.61% |
| 1908 | 46,337 | 48.50% | 43,773 | 45.82% | 5,429 | 5.68% |
| 1912 | 24,179 | 24.71% | 46,059 | 47.07% | 27,613 | 28.22% |
| 1916 | 42,492 | 40.03% | 61,047 | 57.51% | 2,609 | 2.46% |
| 1920 | 108,089 | 58.08% | 67,552 | 36.30% | 10,457 | 5.62% |
| 1924 | 104,658 | 47.14% | 78,702 | 35.45% | 38,633 | 17.40% |
| 1928 | 99,392 | 32.47% | 204,603 | 66.84% | 2,135 | 0.70% |
| 1932 | 88,737 | 29.97% | 198,792 | 67.14% | 8,543 | 2.89% |
| 1936 | 96,418 | 27.55% | 223,732 | 63.92% | 29,860 | 8.53% |
| 1940 | 138,575 | 36.07% | 243,233 | 63.32% | 2,337 | 0.61% |
| 1944 | 139,285 | 37.19% | 234,475 | 62.61% | 727 | 0.19% |
| 1948 | 105,671 | 27.44% | 265,611 | 68.98% | 13,785 | 3.58% |
| 1952 | 162,147 | 40.05% | 240,957 | 59.51% | 1,775 | 0.44% |
| 1956 | 162,836 | 45.78% | 191,245 | 53.77% | 1,605 | 0.45% |
| 1960 | 85,750 | 25.25% | 252,823 | 74.44% | 1,044 | 0.31% |
| 1964 | 40,251 | 13.50% | 257,161 | 86.22% | 842 | 0.28% |
| 1968 | 48,952 | 18.20% | 203,406 | 75.62% | 16,619 | 6.18% |
| 1972 | 85,272 | 33.73% | 166,250 | 65.76% | 1,299 | 0.51% |
| 1976 | 80,623 | 34.70% | 142,010 | 61.11% | 9,739 | 4.19% |
| 1980 | 73,271 | 33.89% | 113,416 | 52.46% | 29,520 | 13.65% |
| 1984 | 91,563 | 37.37% | 152,568 | 62.27% | 866 | 0.35% |
| 1988 | 77,137 | 34.37% | 143,677 | 64.02% | 3,596 | 1.60% |
| 1992 | 51,378 | 23.43% | 132,921 | 60.62% | 34,974 | 15.95% |
| 1996 | 39,753 | 19.94% | 145,586 | 73.01% | 14,053 | 7.05% |
| 2000 | 44,441 | 20.48% | 154,888 | 71.38% | 17,671 | 8.14% |
| 2004 | 54,923 | 22.82% | 182,592 | 75.88% | 3,130 | 1.30% |
| 2008 | 57,194 | 21.24% | 207,128 | 76.94% | 4,900 | 1.82% |
| 2012 | 59,999 | 20.75% | 223,896 | 77.45% | 5,203 | 1.80% |
| 2016 | 50,421 | 16.09% | 245,751 | 78.44% | 17,111 | 5.46% |
| 2020 | 58,613 | 17.47% | 270,522 | 80.64% | 6,327 | 1.89% |
| 2024 | 66,480 | 22.22% | 222,280 | 74.29% | 10,433 | 3.49% |
Sheriff's department
The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department's primary responsibility is oversight of the Nashua Street Jail and the South Bay House of Correction. These were built in the 1990s to replace the historic Charles Street Jail and Deer Island Prison, respectively. The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department was among those named in a 2020 WBUR report about the neglect of inmates with medical conditions in Massachusetts prisons leading to their deaths.[13]
Several notable figures in Massachusetts history were once the sheriff of Suffolk County:[14]
- Joseph Hall (1818–1825)
- Charles Pinckney Sumner (1825–1839)
- John M. Clark (1855–1883)
- John A. Keliher (1917–1938)
- John F. Dowd (1938–1939)
- Frederick R. Sullivan (1939–1968)
- John W. Sears (1968–1969)
- Thomas S. Eisenstadt (1969–1977)
- Dennis J. Kearney (1977–1987)
- Robert Rufo (1987–1996)
- Andrea Cabral (2002–2013)
- Steven W. Tompkins (2013–present)
District Attorneys
| District attorneys of Suffolk County | |
|---|---|
| District attorney | Term |
| James T. Austin | 1812–1832 |
| Samuel D. Parker | 1832–1852 |
| John C. Park | 1852–1853 |
| George P. Sanger | 1853–1854 |
| George W. Cooley | 1854–1861 |
| George P. Sanger | 1861–1869 |
| John Wilder May | 1869–1875 |
| Oliver Stevens | 1875–1905 |
| Michael J. Sughrue | 1905 |
| John B. Moran | 1905–1909 |
| Arthur D. Hill | 1909 |
| Joseph C. Pelletier | 1909–1922 |
| Thomas C. O'Brien | 1922–1927 |
| William J. Foley | 1927–1952 |
| Garrett H. Byrne | 1952–1979 |
| Newman A. Flanagan | 1979–1992 |
| Ralph C. Martin II | 1992–2002 |
| Daniel F. Conley | 2002–2018 |
| John Pappas | 2018–2019 |
| Rachael Rollins | 2019–2022 |
| Kevin Hayden | 2022–present |
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 120 square miles (310 km2), of which 58 square miles (150 km2) is land and 62 square miles (160 km2) (52%) is water.[15] It is the second-smallest county in Massachusetts by land area and smallest by total area.
Adjacent counties
- Essex County (north)
- Norfolk County (south)
- Middlesex County (west)
Suffolk County has no land border with Plymouth County to its southeast, but the two counties share a water boundary in the middle of Massachusetts Bay.
National protected areas
Major highways
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 44,865 | — | |
| 1800 | 28,015 | −37.6% | |
| 1810 | 34,381 | 22.7% | |
| 1820 | 43,940 | 27.8% | |
| 1830 | 62,163 | 41.5% | |
| 1840 | 95,773 | 54.1% | |
| 1850 | 144,517 | 50.9% | |
| 1860 | 192,700 | 33.3% | |
| 1870 | 270,802 | 40.5% | |
| 1880 | 387,927 | 43.3% | |
| 1890 | 484,780 | 25.0% | |
| 1900 | 611,417 | 26.1% | |
| 1910 | 731,388 | 19.6% | |
| 1920 | 835,522 | 14.2% | |
| 1930 | 879,536 | 5.3% | |
| 1940 | 863,248 | −1.9% | |
| 1950 | 896,615 | 3.9% | |
| 1960 | 791,329 | −11.7% | |
| 1970 | 735,190 | −7.1% | |
| 1980 | 650,142 | −11.6% | |
| 1990 | 663,906 | 2.1% | |
| 2000 | 689,807 | 3.9% | |
| 2010 | 722,023 | 4.7% | |
| 2020 | 797,936 | 10.5% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 791,891 | [16] | −0.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[17] 1790-1960[18] 1900-1990[19] 1990-2000[20] 2010-2020[21][22] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 797,936. Of the residents, 16.0% were under the age of 18 and 12.6% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 32.3 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.5 males. 100.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 0.0% lived in rural areas.[23][24][25]
The racial makeup of the county was 47.1% White, 18.2% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 10.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 12.8% from some other race, and 11.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 22.4% of the population.[25]
There were 324,655 households in the county, of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 38.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[24] There were 349,616 housing units, of which 7.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 33.2% were owner-occupied and 66.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%.[24]
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[26] | Pop 2010[27] | Pop 2020[28] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 359,535 | 346,979 | 352,900 | 52.12% | 48.05% | 44.22% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 143,817 | 142,980 | 135,255 | 20.84% | 19.80% | 16.95% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 1,710 | 1,367 | 1,147 | 0.24% | 0.18% | 0.14% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 47,970 | 58,963 | 80,607 | 6.95% | 8.16% | 10.10% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 314 | 196 | 281 | 0.04% | 0.02% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 8,780 | 11,426 | 11,702 | 1.27% | 1.58% | 1.46% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 20,650 | 16,657 | 37,517 | 2.99% | 2.30% | 4.70% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 107,031 | 143,455 | 178,527 | 15.51% | 19.86% | 22.37% |
| Total | 689,807 | 722,023 | 797,936 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, of the 292,767 households, 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.1% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 52.0% were non-families, and 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 31.5 years.[29]
The median income for a household in the county was $50,597 and the median income for a family was $58,127. Males had a median income of $48,887 versus $43,658 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,720. About 15.7% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 19.1% of those age 65 or over.[30]
| Race | Percentage of Suffolk County population |
Percentage of Massachusetts population |
Percentage of United States population |
County-to-State Difference |
County-to-USA Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 61.7% | 81.3% | 76.6% | –19.6% | –14.9% |
| White (Non-Hispanic) | 45.4% | 72.1% | 60.7% | –26.7% | –15.3% |
| Black | 24.9% | 8.8% | 13.4% | +16.1% | +11.5% |
| Hispanic | 22.9% | 11.9% | 18.1% | +11.0% | +4.8% |
| Asian | 9.1% | 6.9% | 5.8% | +2.2% | +3.3% |
| Native Americans/Hawaiians | 0.9% | 0.6% | 1.5% | +0.3% | –0.6% |
| Two or more races | 3.4% | 2.4% | 2.7% | +1.0% | +0.7% |
Ancestry
According to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the largest ancestry groups in Suffolk County, Massachusetts are:[33][34]
| Ancestry | Percentage of Suffolk County population |
Percentage of Massachusetts population |
Percentage of United States population |
County-to-State Difference |
County-to-USA Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irish | 13.73% | 21.16% | 10.39% | –7.42% | +3.35% |
| Italian | 9.50% | 13.19% | 5.39% | –3.69% | +7.80% |
| West Indian | 6.05% | 1.96% | 0.90% | +4.09% | +1.05% |
| Puerto Rican | 5.32% | 4.52% | 1.66% | +0.80% | +3.66% |
| English | 4.32% | 9.77% | 7.67% | –5.45% | –3.35% |
| German | 4.21% | 6.00% | 14.40% | –1.79% | –10.19% |
| Chinese | 4.02% | 2.28% | 1.24% | +1.74% | +2.78% |
| American | 3.96% | 4.26% | 6.89% | –0.30% | –2.93% |
| Sub-Saharan African | 3.78% | 2.00% | 1.01% | +1.78% | +2.76% |
| Haitian | 3.13% | 1.15% | 0.31% | +1.98% | +2.82% |
| Polish | 2.41% | 4.67% | 2.93% | –2.26% | –0.53% |
| French | 2.01% | 6.82% | 2.56% | –4.81% | –0.55% |
| Cape Verdean | 1.99% | 0.97% | 0.03% | +1.02% | +1.96% |
| Vietnamese | 1.61% | 0.69% | 0.54% | +0.92% | +1.07% |
| Russian | 1.56% | 1.65% | 0.88% | –0.08% | +0.69% |
| Arab | 1.54% | 1.10% | 0.59% | +0.44% | +0.95% |
| Jamaican | 1.47% | 0.44% | 0.34% | +1.03% | +1.12% |
| Scottish | 1.27% | 2.28% | 1.71% | –1.02% | –0.45% |
| Asian Indian | 1.22% | 1.39% | 1.09% | –0.17% | +0.13% |
| Mexican | 1.18% | 0.67% | 11.96% | +0.51% | –10.78% |
| French Canadian | 1.19% | 3.91% | 0.65% | –2.72% | +0.53% |
Demographic breakdown by town
Income
Data is from the 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.[35][36][37]
| Rank | Town | Area (land) | Per capita income |
Median household income |
Median family income |
Population | Number of households | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Winthrop | City | 2.0 mi2 (5.2 km2) | $36,624 | $61,744 | $81,647 | 17,430 | 7,356 |
| Massachusetts | State | $35,051 | $65,981 | $83,371 | 6,512,227 | 2,522,409 | ||
| 2 | Boston | City | 48.42 mi2 (125.4 km2) | $33,158 | $51,739 | $61,035 | 609,942 | 247,621 |
| Suffolk County | County | $32,034 | $51,638 | $60,342 | 713,089 | 286,437 | ||
| United States | Country | $27,915 | $52,762 | $64,293 | 306,603,772 | 114,761,359 | ||
| 3 | Revere | City | 5.9 mi2 (15 km2) | $25,085 | $50,592 | $58,345 | 50,845 | 19,425 |
| 4 | Chelsea | City | 2.2 mi2 (5.7 km2) | $20,214 | $43,155 | $46,967 | 34,872 | 12,035 |
Communities
- Boston (traditional county seat)
- Chelsea
- Revere
- Winthrop
Education
Each city has its own school district (including Boston Public Schools, Chelsea Public Schools, Revere Public Schools, and Winthrop Public Schools), which all follow municipal boundaries.[38]
Tertiary institutions in the county include:
- Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology
- Berklee College of Music
- Boston Architectural College
- Boston College (eastern side)
- Boston University
- Bunker Hill Community College
- Includes a Chelsea Campus[39]
- Cambridge College
- Emerson College
- Emmanuel College
- Fisher College
- Harvard University, including Harvard Business School and Harvard Medical School
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- MGH Institute of Health Professions
- New England College of Optometry
- New England Conservatory
- New England Law Boston
- North Bennet Street School
- Northeastern University
- Roxbury Community College
- Saint John's Seminary
- Sattler College
- School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University
- Simmons University
- Suffolk University
- Tufts University School of Medicine
- University of Massachusetts Boston
- Urban College of Boston
- Wentworth Institute of Technology
Public library systems in the county include:
- Boston Public Library
- Chelsea Public Library[40]
- Revere Public Library[41]
- Winthrop Public Library and Museum[42]
