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)

Nantucket County had the highest labor force participation rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 14 counties in 2023, at 72.9%. Barnstable County had the lowest, at 59.3%. The median was 66.6% and the figure for Massachusetts was 67.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest72.9Nantucket County
Lowest59.3Barnstable County
Median66.614 counties
Massachusetts67.2History

Map of counties, 2023

Barnstable County: 59.3 %Berkshire County: 61 %Bristol County: 65.3 %Dukes County: 66.6 %Essex County: 67.8 %Franklin County: 62.7 %Hampden County: 60.7 %Hampshire County: 61.6 %Middlesex County: 69.9 %Nantucket County: 72.9 %Norfolk County: 69.3 %Plymouth County: 66.7 %Suffolk County: 70.2 %Worcester County: 66.6 %
  • Under 61
  • 61 to 66
  • 66 to 67
  • 67 to 70
  • 70 and over
%, 2023. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2023

Nantucket County: 72.9 %Nantucket County72.9Suffolk County: 70.2 %Suffolk County70.2Middlesex County: 69.9 %Middlesex County69.9Norfolk County: 69.3 %Norfolk County69.3Essex County: 67.8 %Essex County67.8Plymouth County: 66.7 %Plymouth County66.7Dukes County: 66.6 %Dukes County66.6Worcester County: 66.6 %Worcester County66.6Bristol County: 65.3 %Bristol County65.3Franklin County: 62.7 %Franklin County62.7Hampshire County: 61.6 %Hampshire County61.6Berkshire County: 61 %Berkshire County61Hampden County: 60.7 %Hampden County60.7Barnstable County: 59.3 %Barnstable County59.3Nantucket County: 72.9 %Nantucket County72.9Suffolk County: 70.2 %Suffolk County70.2Middlesex County: 69.9 %Middlesex County69.9Norfolk County: 69.3 %Norfolk County69.3Essex County: 67.8 %Essex County67.8Plymouth County: 66.7 %Plymouth County66.7Dukes County: 66.6 %Dukes County66.6Worcester County: 66.6 %Worcester County66.6Bristol County: 65.3 %Bristol County65.3Franklin County: 62.7 %Franklin County62.7Hampshire County: 61.6 %Hampshire County61.6Berkshire County: 61 %Berkshire County61Hampden County: 60.7 %Hampden County60.7Barnstable County: 59.3 %Barnstable County59.3
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Nantucket County72.9+2.6 pts
2Suffolk County70.2+0.6 pts
3Middlesex County69.90 pts
4Norfolk County69.3+0.2 pts
5Essex County67.8+0.1 pts
6Plymouth County66.7-0.3 pts
7Dukes County66.6+1.7 pts
8Worcester County66.6-0.1 pts
9Bristol County65.30 pts
10Franklin County62.7-0.3 pts
11Hampshire County61.6+0.2 pts
12Berkshire County61-0.4 pts
13Hampden County60.7+0.5 pts
14Barnstable County59.3-0.5 pts

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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties?period=2023. 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), 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties?period=2023.

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), 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_massachusetts_by_2023,
  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), 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties?period=2023. 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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), 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-b23025.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/labor-force-participation-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties?period=2023.
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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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.
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Questions

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

Nantucket County, with 72.9% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Barnstable County, with 59.3% 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, 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