Data / Rankings / Foreign-born population share / Counties in Massachusetts

Counties in Massachusetts by foreign-born share of the population

Suffolk County had the highest foreign-born share of the population of 14 counties in 2021, at 29.8%. Franklin County had the lowest, at 4.7%. The median was 13% and the figure for Massachusetts was 17.3%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest29.8Suffolk County
Lowest4.7Franklin County
Median1314 counties
Massachusetts17.3History

All counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Suffolk CountySuffolk County: 29.8 %29.8Middlesex CountyMiddlesex County: 21.9 %21.9Norfolk CountyNorfolk County: 19.2 %19.2Essex CountyEssex County: 17.9 %17.9Nantucket CountyNantucket County: 14.6 %14.6Bristol CountyBristol County: 13.2 %13.2Dukes CountyDukes County: 13.1 %13.1Worcester CountyWorcester County: 13 %13Plymouth CountyPlymouth County: 10.2 %10.2Hampden CountyHampden County: 9.2 %9.2Barnstable CountyBarnstable County: 9.1 %9.1Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 8.9 %8.9Berkshire CountyBerkshire County: 6 %6Franklin CountyFranklin County: 4.7 %4.7
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Suffolk County29.8
2Middlesex County21.9
3Norfolk County19.2
4Essex County17.9
5Nantucket County14.6
6Bristol County13.2
7Dukes County13.1
8Worcester County13
9Plymouth County10.2
10Hampden County9.2
11Barnstable County9.1
12Hampshire County8.9
13Berkshire County6
14Franklin County4.7

Other periods

About this ranking

People who were not US citizens at birth, as a percentage of the total population. Includes naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents, temporary migrants and unauthorized immigrants. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Based on place of birth, not nationality: a naturalized citizen counts as foreign born, and people born in Puerto Rico, the US island areas or abroad to American parents count as native. Not comparable with foreign_population_share, which counts foreign nationals in Spain and the EU. Calculated from counts in ACS table B05002, which are stored as inputs.

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. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B05002: foreign-born population as a percentage of the total population, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b05002.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

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Rank Counties in Massachusetts by foreign-born share of the population using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest foreign-born share of the population?

Suffolk County, with 29.8% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest foreign-born share of the population?

Franklin County, with 4.7% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B05002: foreign-born population as a percentage of the total population, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Foreign-born population share: other rankings

Counties in Massachusetts: more rankings