Donahue Data Dash: Massachusetts Census 2020: County Level Population
November 2021
On August 12, 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau released its first wave of population data from the 2020 Census count – the PL-94.171 Redistricting Data. In terms of sheer population numbers, the largest gains in population since the 2010 Census were seen in Middlesex at 128,917 followed by Suffolk at 75,913 and Essex at 66,670. Only two Massachusetts counties, Franklin and Berkshire, lost population between Census 2010 and 2020, with a loss of 343 in Franklin and 2,193 in Berkshire.
In terms of percentage change, the fastest population growth since Census 2010 was observed in the small island counties of Nantucket and Dukes, at 40.1% and 24.6% respectively, followed by Suffolk at 10.5% and Essex at 9%. As perspective, Massachusetts as a whole grew by 7.4% from 2010 to 2020, on par with the US population, which also grew by 7.4%.
See the dashboard below for more information about population and population change by Massachusetts County as counted in the 2020 Census.
