Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Counties in Massachusetts

Counties in Massachusetts by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024

Hampden County had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 14 counties in 2024, at 16.3%. Nantucket County had the lowest, at 3.2%. The median was 9.9% and the figure for Massachusetts was 10%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest16.3Hampden County
Lowest3.2Nantucket County
Median9.914 counties
Massachusetts10History

Map of counties, 2024

Barnstable County: 7.7 %Berkshire County: 11.4 %Bristol County: 11.3 %Dukes County: 4.4 %Essex County: 9.4 %Franklin County: 12.1 %Hampden County: 16.3 %Hampshire County: 11.3 %Middlesex County: 7.7 %Nantucket County: 3.2 %Norfolk County: 6.7 %Plymouth County: 7.1 %Suffolk County: 16.2 %Worcester County: 10.3 %
  • Under 6.9
  • 6.9 to 8.1
  • 8.1 to 11
  • 11 to 12
  • 12 and over
%, 2024. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2024

Hampden County: 16.3 %Hampden County16.3Suffolk County: 16.2 %Suffolk County16.2Franklin County: 12.1 %Franklin County12.1Berkshire County: 11.4 %Berkshire County11.4Bristol County: 11.3 %Bristol County11.3Hampshire County: 11.3 %Hampshire County11.3Worcester County: 10.3 %Worcester County10.3Essex County: 9.4 %Essex County9.4Middlesex County: 7.7 %Middlesex County7.7Barnstable County: 7.7 %Barnstable County7.7Plymouth County: 7.1 %Plymouth County7.1Norfolk County: 6.7 %Norfolk County6.7Dukes County: 4.4 %Dukes County4.4Nantucket County: 3.2 %Nantucket County3.2Hampden County: 16.3 %Hampden County16.3Suffolk County: 16.2 %Suffolk County16.2Franklin County: 12.1 %Franklin County12.1Berkshire County: 11.4 %Berkshire County11.4Bristol County: 11.3 %Bristol County11.3Hampshire County: 11.3 %Hampshire County11.3Worcester County: 10.3 %Worcester County10.3Essex County: 9.4 %Essex County9.4Middlesex County: 7.7 %Middlesex County7.7Barnstable County: 7.7 %Barnstable County7.7Plymouth County: 7.1 %Plymouth County7.1Norfolk County: 6.7 %Norfolk County6.7Dukes County: 4.4 %Dukes County4.4Nantucket County: 3.2 %Nantucket County3.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Hampden County16.3+0.6 pts
2Suffolk County16.2-0.3 pts
3Franklin County12.1-0 pts
4Berkshire County11.4+0.4 pts
5Bristol County11.3-0.3 pts
6Hampshire County11.3+0.4 pts
7Worcester County10.30 pts
8Essex County9.4-0 pts
9Middlesex County7.7+0.2 pts
10Barnstable County7.7+0.2 pts
11Plymouth County7.10 pts
12Norfolk County6.7+0.1 pts
13Dukes County4.4-1 pts
14Nantucket County3.2+0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

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 B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.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 B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Massachusetts by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Massachusetts by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Massachusetts by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Massachusetts by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_massachusetts_by_2024,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Massachusetts by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Massachusetts by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2024
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/massachusetts-counties.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Hampden County, with 16.3% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Nantucket County, with 3.2% in 2024.

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 B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Counties in Massachusetts: more rankings