Data / Rankings / Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) / Counties in Massachusetts

Counties in Massachusetts by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)

Suffolk County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 14 counties in 2020, at 20.5%. Nantucket County had the lowest, at 4.6%. The median was 10.4% and the figure for Massachusetts was 10.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest20.5Suffolk County
Lowest4.6Nantucket County
Median10.414 counties
Massachusetts10.9History

Map of counties, 2020

Barnstable County: 9.5 %Berkshire County: 14.6 %Bristol County: 12.6 %Dukes County: 10 %Essex County: 11.2 %Franklin County: 13.7 %Hampden County: 20.4 %Hampshire County: 8.4 %Middlesex County: 7.3 %Nantucket County: 4.6 %Norfolk County: 4.7 %Plymouth County: 7.3 %Suffolk County: 20.5 %Worcester County: 10.8 %
  • Under 7.3
  • 7.3 to 9.6
  • 9.6 to 11
  • 11 to 14
  • 14 and over
%, 2020. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2020

Suffolk County: 20.5 %Suffolk County20.5Hampden County: 20.4 %Hampden County20.4Berkshire County: 14.6 %Berkshire County14.6Franklin County: 13.7 %Franklin County13.7Bristol County: 12.6 %Bristol County12.6Essex County: 11.2 %Essex County11.2Worcester County: 10.8 %Worcester County10.8Dukes County: 10 %Dukes County10Barnstable County: 9.5 %Barnstable County9.5Hampshire County: 8.4 %Hampshire County8.4Middlesex County: 7.3 %Middlesex County7.3Plymouth County: 7.3 %Plymouth County7.3Norfolk County: 4.7 %Norfolk County4.7Nantucket County: 4.6 %Nantucket County4.6Suffolk County: 20.5 %Suffolk County20.5Hampden County: 20.4 %Hampden County20.4Berkshire County: 14.6 %Berkshire County14.6Franklin County: 13.7 %Franklin County13.7Bristol County: 12.6 %Bristol County12.6Essex County: 11.2 %Essex County11.2Worcester County: 10.8 %Worcester County10.8Dukes County: 10 %Dukes County10Barnstable County: 9.5 %Barnstable County9.5Hampshire County: 8.4 %Hampshire County8.4Middlesex County: 7.3 %Middlesex County7.3Plymouth County: 7.3 %Plymouth County7.3Norfolk County: 4.7 %Norfolk County4.7Nantucket County: 4.6 %Nantucket County4.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Suffolk County20.5-3.4 pts
2Hampden County20.4+0.2 pts
3Berkshire County14.6-1.7 pts
4Franklin County13.7+2.2 pts
5Bristol County12.6-3.4 pts
6Essex County11.2-0.7 pts
7Worcester County10.8-1.1 pts
8Dukes County10-1.6 pts
9Barnstable County9.5-0.6 pts
10Hampshire County8.4-1.5 pts
11Middlesex County7.3+0.2 pts
11Plymouth County7.3-2 pts
13Norfolk County4.7-0.8 pts
14Nantucket County4.6-1.2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People under 18 in families or living alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people under 18 whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) for the nation, states and counties.

A model-based single-year estimate; the national figure is the one-year American Community Survey estimate. The Census Bureau advises comparing years from 2006 on only. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate. The rate for all ages is poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties (Counties in Massachusetts by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt

MLA 9

Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Massachusetts by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2020. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/massachusetts-counties?period=2020. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Counties in Massachusetts by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/massachusetts-counties?period=2020.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties, Counties in Massachusetts by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/massachusetts-counties?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_massachusetts_by_2020,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Massachusetts by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2020}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/massachusetts-counties?period=2020. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties: Counties in Massachusetts by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure), 2020
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/massachusetts-counties?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/massachusetts-counties?period=2020.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Suffolk County, with 20.5% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure)?

Nantucket County, with 4.6% in 2020.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people under age 18 in poverty, nation, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Massachusetts: more rankings