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 2023, at 38.4%. Franklin County had the lowest, at 6.4%. The median was 18.7% and the figure for Massachusetts was 24.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest38.4Suffolk County
Lowest6.4Franklin County
Median18.714 counties
Massachusetts24.8History

Map of counties, 2023

Barnstable County: 10.7 %Berkshire County: 7.4 %Bristol County: 21.8 %Dukes County: 15.1 %Essex County: 28.4 %Franklin County: 6.4 %Hampden County: 26.1 %Hampshire County: 12.6 %Middlesex County: 28.3 %Nantucket County: 15.6 %Norfolk County: 23 %Plymouth County: 14.3 %Suffolk County: 38.4 %Worcester County: 22.1 %
  • Under 12
  • 12 to 15
  • 15 to 22
  • 22 to 27
  • 27 and over
%, 2023. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2023

Suffolk County: 38.4 %Suffolk County38.4Essex County: 28.4 %Essex County28.4Middlesex County: 28.3 %Middlesex County28.3Hampden County: 26.1 %Hampden County26.1Norfolk County: 23 %Norfolk County23Worcester County: 22.1 %Worcester County22.1Bristol County: 21.8 %Bristol County21.8Nantucket County: 15.6 %Nantucket County15.6Dukes County: 15.1 %Dukes County15.1Plymouth County: 14.3 %Plymouth County14.3Hampshire County: 12.6 %Hampshire County12.6Barnstable County: 10.7 %Barnstable County10.7Berkshire County: 7.4 %Berkshire County7.4Franklin County: 6.4 %Franklin County6.4Suffolk County: 38.4 %Suffolk County38.4Essex County: 28.4 %Essex County28.4Middlesex County: 28.3 %Middlesex County28.3Hampden County: 26.1 %Hampden County26.1Norfolk County: 23 %Norfolk County23Worcester County: 22.1 %Worcester County22.1Bristol County: 21.8 %Bristol County21.8Nantucket County: 15.6 %Nantucket County15.6Dukes County: 15.1 %Dukes County15.1Plymouth County: 14.3 %Plymouth County14.3Hampshire County: 12.6 %Hampshire County12.6Barnstable County: 10.7 %Barnstable County10.7Berkshire County: 7.4 %Berkshire County7.4Franklin County: 6.4 %Franklin County6.4
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Suffolk County38.4-0.8 pts
2Essex County28.4+0.4 pts
3Middlesex County28.3+0.6 pts
4Hampden County26.1-0.4 pts
5Norfolk County23+0.2 pts
6Worcester County22.1+0.9 pts
7Bristol County21.8+0.2 pts
8Nantucket County15.60 pts
9Dukes County15.1-1.8 pts
10Plymouth County14.3+0.1 pts
11Hampshire County12.6+0.5 pts
12Barnstable County10.7+0.1 pts
13Berkshire County7.40 pts
14Franklin County6.4-0.2 pts

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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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, 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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, 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-c16001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/massachusetts-counties?period=2023. 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, 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-c16001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/massachusetts-counties?period=2023.

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, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-c16001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/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 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, 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-c16001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/massachusetts-counties?period=2023. 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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-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, 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-c16001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/massachusetts-counties?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/language-other-than-english-at-home/massachusetts-counties?period=2023.
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/2023/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2023-c16001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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rank_places {"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 38.4% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Franklin County, with 6.4% 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 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