County profile

Norfolk County

Massachusetts · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
730,082
Median household income
$130,739
People below poverty
6.7%
Median home value
$683,900

Income

The median income of households in Norfolk County, Massachusetts was $130,739. An estimated 3.8% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 31.6% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 3.8
$10,000 to $14,999 2.3
$15,000 to $24,999 3.7
$25,000 to $34,999 3.8
$35,000 to $49,999 6
$50,000 to $74,999 9.6
$75,000 to $99,999 9.6
$100,000 to $149,999 17
$150,000 to $199,999 12.5
$200,000 or more 31.6

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 105200
Female 86205

An estimated 81.1% of households received earnings. An estimated 28.8% of households received Social Security and an estimated 23.1 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $25,883. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 81.1
Social Security 28.8
Retirement income 23.1
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 3.9
Cash public assistance income 2.5

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 6.7 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 5.4% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 9.2% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 6.4% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 6.7
Children under 18 years below poverty 5.4
People 65 years old and over below poverty 9.2
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 6.4

In 2020-2024, 9.4 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 34.1% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 52.4% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 27% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024, 98.1% had health insurance coverage and 1.9% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 82.1% and public coverage was 29.2%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 1.2%.


In 2020-2024, Norfolk County, Massachusetts had a total population of 730,082 - 376,142 (51.5%) females and 353,940 (48.5%) males. The median age was 40.9 years. An estimated 20.5% of the population was under 18 years, 32.5% was 19 to 44 years, 26.8% was 45 to 64 years, and 17.8 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 19054 18302
5 to 9 20846 19015
10 to 14 22063 21906
15 to 19 23090 22950
20 to 24 21709 23044
25 to 29 22132 23049
30 to 34 24157 24750
35 to 39 24516 25909
40 to 44 23958 23861
45 to 49 22438 23278
50 to 54 24122 25246
55 to 59 25110 26817
60 to 64 24085 25030
65 to 69 19945 21962
70 to 74 14704 17772
75 to 79 9979 12152
80 to 84 6111 9161
85 and over 5921 11938

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 69.8% were White; 7.4% were Black or African American; 3.8% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 12.4% were Asian; 2.5% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 7.6% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 5.8% of the people in Norfolk County, Massachusetts were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 68.7% of the people in Norfolk County, Massachusetts were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 283,368 households in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. The average household size was 2.51 people.

Married-couple households made up 51.9% of the households in Norfolk County, Massachusetts while cohabiting couple households made up 6.6% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 26.5% of all households, while 14.9% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 10.4% of households were male householders living alone, and 16.6% were female householders living alone, for a total of 27% of all households.

In Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 30.3% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 33% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 51.9
Cohabiting Couples 6.6
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
14.9
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
26.5

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 54.7% of males and 49.1% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 35.6 32.9
Now married, except separated 54.7 49.1
Separated 1 1.3
Widowed 2.4 7.5
Divorced 6.3 9.2

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 10,016 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 15.8% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 80.7% of the people living in Norfolk County, Massachusetts were U.S. natives. 58.9% of the Norfolk County, Massachusetts population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 19.3% of Norfolk County, Massachusetts residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 59.2% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 62.2 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Norfolk County, Massachusetts come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Norfolk County, Massachusetts.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 23.3
Asia 47.9
Europe 19.4
Africa 7.1
Northern America 2
Oceania 0.3

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024, 23.3 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 3.7% of people at least five years old; 8.3% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 3.7
Other Indo-European languages 9.1
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 8.7
Other languages 1.9

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 89.2 % of the people at least one year old living in Norfolk County, Massachusetts were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 89.2
Different house, same county 4.1
Different county, same state 3.8
Different state 2
Abroad 0.8

Education

In 2020-2024, 94.4 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 58.8% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 5.5% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Norfolk County, Massachusetts was 177,401 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 13,425 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 112,715. College or graduate school enrollment was 51,261.

Educational Attainment of People in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 5.5
High school diploma or equivalency 16.9
Some college, no degree 12
Associate's degree 6.8
Bachelor's degree 30.4
Graduate or professional degree 28.4

Disability

In Norfolk County, Massachusetts, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 9.9 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 3.6% of people under 18 years old, to 7.1% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 27.2% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 65.7 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 30.8% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 83% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 11.9% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 5 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 327,011 83
Federal, state, or local government workers 46,706 11.9
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 19,864 5

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Norfolk County, Massachusetts worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 0.3
Construction 5.1
Manufacturing 6.9
Wholesale trade 1.7
Retail trade 8.6
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 3.4
Information 2.3
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 10.6
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 16.8
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 30.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 6.7
Other Services, except public administration 3.9
Public administration 3.6

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 235,452 59.7
Service occupations 48,620 12.3
Sales and office occupations 67,542 17.1
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 19,118 4.9
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 23,374 5.9

Commuting to Work

An estimated 57.4% of Norfolk County, Massachusetts workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 6% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 32.5 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 57.4
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 6
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 8.7
Walked 3.1
Other means 2
Worked from home 22.8

In 2020-2024, Norfolk County, Massachusetts had a total of 295,227 housing units. Of these housing units, 62.2% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 37.3% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 0.4% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 62.2
Apartments in multi-unit structures 37.3
Mobile homes 0.4
Boat, RV, van, etc 0

8.9% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 26.1% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Norfolk County, Massachusetts was 5.9 rooms, and of these housing units 58.6% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Norfolk County, Massachusetts had 283,368 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 11,859 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 68.7% while renters occupied 31.3%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.76 and in renter-occupied houses it was 1.96.

4.1% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 12.7% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 9.2% and another 16.7% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Norfolk County, Massachusetts:

House Heating Fuel Used in Norfolk County, Massachusetts in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 57.4
Electricity 18.3
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 22.8
All other fuels 0.8
No fuel used 0.4

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Norfolk County, Massachusetts was $683,900.

Of the owner-occupied households, 66.7 % had a mortgage. 33.3% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $3,171 and for owners without a mortgage it was $1,222.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Norfolk County, Massachusetts was $2,149. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.