Data / Rankings / Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in Massachusetts

Counties in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Middlesex County had the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 14 counties in 2021, at 70.2%. Barnstable County had the lowest, at 59.9%. The median was 66.3% and the figure for Massachusetts was 67.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest70.2Middlesex County
Lowest59.9Barnstable County
Median66.314 counties
Massachusetts67.2History

Map of counties, 2021

Barnstable County: 59.9 %Berkshire County: 61.2 %Bristol County: 65.2 %Dukes County: 66.2 %Essex County: 67.9 %Franklin County: 63.3 %Hampden County: 60.4 %Hampshire County: 62.4 %Middlesex County: 70.2 %Nantucket County: 67.6 %Norfolk County: 69.3 %Plymouth County: 67.3 %Suffolk County: 69.7 %Worcester County: 66.4 %
  • Under 62
  • 62 to 65
  • 65 to 67
  • 67 to 68
  • 68 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2021

Middlesex County: 70.2 %Middlesex County70.2Suffolk County: 69.7 %Suffolk County69.7Norfolk County: 69.3 %Norfolk County69.3Essex County: 67.9 %Essex County67.9Nantucket County: 67.6 %Nantucket County67.6Plymouth County: 67.3 %Plymouth County67.3Worcester County: 66.4 %Worcester County66.4Dukes County: 66.2 %Dukes County66.2Bristol County: 65.2 %Bristol County65.2Franklin County: 63.3 %Franklin County63.3Hampshire County: 62.4 %Hampshire County62.4Berkshire County: 61.2 %Berkshire County61.2Hampden County: 60.4 %Hampden County60.4Barnstable County: 59.9 %Barnstable County59.9Middlesex County: 70.2 %Middlesex County70.2Suffolk County: 69.7 %Suffolk County69.7Norfolk County: 69.3 %Norfolk County69.3Essex County: 67.9 %Essex County67.9Nantucket County: 67.6 %Nantucket County67.6Plymouth County: 67.3 %Plymouth County67.3Worcester County: 66.4 %Worcester County66.4Dukes County: 66.2 %Dukes County66.2Bristol County: 65.2 %Bristol County65.2Franklin County: 63.3 %Franklin County63.3Hampshire County: 62.4 %Hampshire County62.4Berkshire County: 61.2 %Berkshire County61.2Hampden County: 60.4 %Hampden County60.4Barnstable County: 59.9 %Barnstable County59.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Middlesex County70.2
2Suffolk County69.7
3Norfolk County69.3
4Essex County67.9
5Nantucket County67.6
6Plymouth County67.3
7Worcester County66.4
8Dukes County66.2
9Bristol County65.2
10Franklin County63.3
11Hampshire County62.4
12Berkshire County61.2
13Hampden County60.4
14Barnstable County59.9

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 16 and over in the labor force (employed, unemployed or in the Armed Forces) as a percentage of all people aged 16 and over, including people in group quarters. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The Census Bureau definition used in its data profiles. It differs from the BLS labor_force_participation_rate, which counts the civilian noninstitutional population only.

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 B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. 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). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_massachusetts_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b23025.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Counties in Massachusetts by labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"labor_force_participation_rate_acs","level":"province","within":"Massachusetts","limit":10}
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Questions

Which county has the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Middlesex County, with 70.2% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Barnstable County, with 59.9% 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 B23025: population 16 years and over in the labor force as a percentage of the population 16 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in Massachusetts: more rankings