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

Hampden County had the highest child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) of 14 counties in 2023, at 26.4%. Norfolk County had the lowest, at 6.6%. The median was 12.1% and the figure for Massachusetts was 12.7%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest26.4Hampden County

Lowest6.6Norfolk County

Median12.114 counties

Massachusetts12.7History

Map of counties, 2023

Under 8.1
8.1 to 12
12 to 13
13 to 17
17 and over

%, 2023. 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, 2023

%. 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

Rank	Counties	2023 (%)	Change on 2022
1	Hampden County	26.4	+3.1 pts
2	Suffolk County	20.3	+0.1 pts
3	Bristol County	18.4	+3.5 pts
4	Berkshire County	16.5	+0.7 pts
5	Franklin County	14.6	-1.6 pts
6	Worcester County	13.4	+1.7 pts
7	Essex County	12.5	+1 pts
8	Hampshire County	11.7	+2.6 pts
9	Dukes County	11.6	+1.6 pts
10	Barnstable County	11.5	+2.6 pts
11	Plymouth County	8.5	+0.5 pts
12	Middlesex County	7.6	-0.3 pts
13	Nantucket County	6.6	+2 pts
13	Norfolk County	6.6	+1.3 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/massachusetts-counties?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/massachusetts-counties?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/massachusetts-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_counties_in_massachusetts_by_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/massachusetts-counties?period=2023. 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/massachusetts-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/child-poverty-rate-under-18/massachusetts-counties?period=2023.
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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Rank Counties in Massachusetts by child poverty rate, under 18 (US official measure) using official data, and cite the source.

rank_places {"indicator":"child_poverty_rate","level":"province","within":"Massachusetts","limit":10}
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Questions

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

Hampden County, with 26.4% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Norfolk County, with 6.6% in 2023.

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.