Data / Rankings / Population speaking a language other than English at home / Counties in Massachusetts

Counties in Massachusetts by population speaking a language other than English at home

Suffolk County had the highest population speaking a language other than English at home of 14 counties in 2021, at 39.4%. Franklin County had the lowest, at 6.2%. The median was 19.8% and the figure for Massachusetts was 24.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest39.4Suffolk County
Lowest6.2Franklin County
Median19.814 counties
Massachusetts24.4History

Map of counties, 2021

Barnstable County: 10.3 %Berkshire County: 7.4 %Bristol County: 21.6 %Dukes County: 12.8 %Essex County: 27.5 %Franklin County: 6.2 %Hampden County: 26.2 %Hampshire County: 12.6 %Middlesex County: 27.4 %Nantucket County: 18.7 %Norfolk County: 22.5 %Plymouth County: 14.1 %Suffolk County: 39.4 %Worcester County: 21 %
  • Under 12
  • 12 to 15
  • 15 to 21
  • 21 to 27
  • 27 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2021

Suffolk County: 39.4 %Suffolk County39.4Essex County: 27.5 %Essex County27.5Middlesex County: 27.4 %Middlesex County27.4Hampden County: 26.2 %Hampden County26.2Norfolk County: 22.5 %Norfolk County22.5Bristol County: 21.6 %Bristol County21.6Worcester County: 21 %Worcester County21Nantucket County: 18.7 %Nantucket County18.7Plymouth County: 14.1 %Plymouth County14.1Dukes County: 12.8 %Dukes County12.8Hampshire County: 12.6 %Hampshire County12.6Barnstable County: 10.3 %Barnstable County10.3Berkshire County: 7.4 %Berkshire County7.4Franklin County: 6.2 %Franklin County6.2Suffolk County: 39.4 %Suffolk County39.4Essex County: 27.5 %Essex County27.5Middlesex County: 27.4 %Middlesex County27.4Hampden County: 26.2 %Hampden County26.2Norfolk County: 22.5 %Norfolk County22.5Bristol County: 21.6 %Bristol County21.6Worcester County: 21 %Worcester County21Nantucket County: 18.7 %Nantucket County18.7Plymouth County: 14.1 %Plymouth County14.1Dukes County: 12.8 %Dukes County12.8Hampshire County: 12.6 %Hampshire County12.6Barnstable County: 10.3 %Barnstable County10.3Berkshire County: 7.4 %Berkshire County7.4Franklin County: 6.2 %Franklin County6.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Suffolk County39.4
2Essex County27.5
3Middlesex County27.4
4Hampden County26.2
5Norfolk County22.5
6Bristol County21.6
7Worcester County21
8Nantucket County18.7
9Plymouth County14.1
10Dukes County12.8
11Hampshire County12.6
12Barnstable County10.3
13Berkshire County7.4
14Franklin County6.2

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of all people aged 5 and over. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Measures the language used at home, not English ability: most people in this group also speak English. Spanish speakers are shown separately in spanish_at_home_share.

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 C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.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 C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Massachusetts by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Massachusetts by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/massachusetts-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Massachusetts by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/massachusetts-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Massachusetts by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/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 C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Massachusetts by population speaking a language other than English at home, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/massachusetts-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Massachusetts by population speaking a language other than English at home, 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-c16001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/massachusetts-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/massachusetts-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-c16001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Counties in Massachusetts by population speaking a language other than English at home using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"language_other_than_english_share","level":"province","within":"Massachusetts","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=language_other_than_english_share&level=province&within=Massachusetts&limit=10

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Questions

Which county has the highest population speaking a language other than English at home?

Suffolk County, with 39.4% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population speaking a language other than English at home?

Franklin County, with 6.2% 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 C16001: people aged 5 and over who speak a language other than English at home, as a percentage of the population aged 5 and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Population speaking a language other than English at home: other rankings

Counties in Massachusetts: more rankings