Editing Suffolk County, Massachusetts

{{short description|County in Massachusetts, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Suffolk County
 | state                = Massachusetts
 | type                 = [[List of counties in Massachusetts|County]]
 | seal                 = Seal of Suffolk County, Massachusetts.png
 | founded year         = 1643
 | founded date         = May 10
 | seat wl              = Boston
 | largest city wl      = Boston
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 120
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 58.15
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 62
 | area percentage      = 52%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 797936 {{increase}}
 | density_sq_mi        = 13698
 | time zone            = Eastern
 | web                  = 
 | ex image             = Suffolk_County_Courthouse_Boston.jpg|
 | ex image cap         = Suffolk County Courthouse 
 | district             = 5th
 | district2            = 7th
 | district3            = 8th
 | named for            = [[Suffolk]] 
}}

'''Suffolk County''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ʌ|f|ə|k}} {{respell|SUF|ək}}) is located in the [[Commonwealth (U.S. state)|Commonwealth]] of [[Massachusetts]], in the United States. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 797,936,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US25025|title=Census - Geography Profile: Suffolk County, Massachusetts|website=Census Bureau QuickFacts|access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref> making it the fourth-most populous county in Massachusetts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USA/Massachusetts/Counties |url=https://malegislature.gov/Redistricting/MassachusettsCensusData/County |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220728183127/https://malegislature.gov/Redistricting/MassachusettsCensusData/County |archive-date=July 28, 2022 |access-date=July 28, 2022 |website=[[Massachusetts General Court|The 192nd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts]]}}</ref> The county comprises the cities of [[Boston]], [[Chelsea, Massachusetts|Chelsea]], and [[Revere, Massachusetts|Revere]], and the town of [[Winthrop, Massachusetts|Winthrop]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cisctlist/ctlistcoun.htm|title=A Listing of Counties and the Cities and Towns Within|publisher=Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts}}</ref> The traditional [[county seat]] is [[Boston]], the [[List of capitals in the United States|state capital]] and the largest city in Massachusetts.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|archive-date=May 31, 2011}}</ref> The county government was abolished in 1999, resulting in Suffolk County now functioning only as an [[administrative division|administrative subdivision]] of state government and a set of communities grouped together for some statistical purposes. Suffolk County is located at the core of the Boston-[[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]]-[[Newton, Massachusetts|Newton]], MA-[[New Hampshire|NH]] [[Greater Boston|Metropolitan Statistical Area]] as well as the greater Boston-[[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]]-Providence, MA-[[Rhode Island|RI]]-[[New Hampshire|NH]]-[[Connecticut|CT]] [[Greater Boston|Combined Statistical Area]].

==History==
[[File:Boston's Second City Hall 1841-1865.png|thumb|left| Old Suffolk County Courthouse 1810-1841]]
The county was created by the [[Massachusetts General Court]] on May 10, 1643, when it was ordered "that the whole [[Massachusetts Bay Colony|plantation]] within this jurisdiction be divided into four [[shire]]s". Suffolk initially contained [[Boston]], [[Roxbury, Massachusetts|Roxbury]], [[Dorchester, Massachusetts|Dorchester]], [[Dedham, Massachusetts|Dedham]], [[Braintree, Massachusetts|Braintree]], [[Weymouth, Massachusetts|Weymouth]], [[Hingham, Massachusetts|Hingham]] and [[Hull, Massachusetts|Hull]].<ref>Davis, William T. ''Bench and Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts'', p. 44. The Boston History Company, 1895.</ref> The county was named after [[Suffolk]], England, which means "southern folk."<ref>[[Thomas Cox (topographer)|Thomas Cox]], [[Anthony Hall (antiquarian)|Anthony Hall]], [[Robert Morden]], ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=zpRJAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA171 Magna Britannia Antiqua & Nova: Or, A New, Exact, and Comprehensive Survey of the Ancient and Present State of Great Britain]'', Volume 5, (Caesar Ward and Richard Chandler: London, 1738), pg. 171 (accessed on [[Google Book Search]], June 22, 2008)</ref>

In 1731, the extreme western portions of Suffolk County, which included [[Mendon, Massachusetts|Mendon]] and [[Uxbridge, Massachusetts|Uxbridge]], were split off to become part of [[Worcester County, Massachusetts|Worcester County]]. In 1793, most of the original Suffolk County split off and became [[Norfolk County, Massachusetts|Norfolk County]], leaving only Boston, Chelsea, Hingham, and Hull in Suffolk. Hingham and Hull would leave Suffolk County and join Plymouth County in 1803.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.norfolkcounty.org/index.cfm?pid=10429|title=History of Norfolk County - Norfolk County|website=www.norfolkcounty.org|access-date=May 9, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123073204/http://norfolkcounty.org/index.cfm?pid=10429|archive-date=November 23, 2016}}</ref> [[Revere, Massachusetts|Revere]] was set off from Chelsea and incorporated in 1846 and [[Winthrop, Massachusetts|Winthrop]] was set off from Revere and incorporated in 1852. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Boston annexed several adjacent cities and towns including Hyde Park, Roxbury, West Roxbury, and Dorchester from Norfolk County and Charlestown and Brighton from [[Middlesex County, Massachusetts|Middlesex County]], resulting in an enlargement of Suffolk County.

During the early 20th century, County government functions were absorbed by the City of [[Boston]], with [[Boston City Council]] becoming the de-facto County Commission, and the City Treasurer similarly becoming the County Treasurer, albeit said government was not formally abolished until 1999.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1279&context=undergrad_rev|first=Brendan|last=Concannon|journal=Undergraduate Review|access-date=July 31, 2023|date=2014|title=Massachusetts County Government: A Viable Institution?|volume=10|pages=55–62|publisher=Bridgewater State University}}</ref>

==Government and politics==
Like an increasing number of Massachusetts counties, Suffolk County exists today only as a historical geographic region, and has no county government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cisctlist/ctlistcounin.htm|title=CIS: Historical Data Relating to the Incorporation of Counties in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts|website=www.sec.state.ma.us|access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref> All former county functions were assumed by state agencies in 1999. The sheriff, district attorney, and some other regional officials with specific duties are still elected locally to perform duties within the county region, but there is no county council, executives or commissioners. Prior to the abolition of county government, the authority of the Suffolk County Commission had for many years been exercised by the Boston City Council, even though three communities in the county are not part of the city. However, communities are now granted the right to form their own regional compacts for sharing services.<ref>See also: [http://lwvma.org/govcounty.shtml League of Women Voters page on counties] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040421135513/http://lwvma.org/govcounty.shtml |date=April 21, 2004 }}.</ref>

Politically speaking, Suffolk County supports the Democratic Party overwhelmingly. No Republican presidential candidate has won there since [[Calvin Coolidge]] in 1924. In 2012 Barack Obama received 77.4% of the vote, compared to 20.8% for former [[governor of Massachusetts]] [[Mitt Romney]]. In the [[Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2014|2014 gubernatorial election]], [[Martha Coakley]] carried the county by a 32.4% margin, while losing the election statewide by 48.4 to 46.5%. In 2020, [[Joe Biden]] won the county by the largest margin of any presidential candidate since [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] in 1964, and was the first candidate since then to win more than 80% of the vote in the county.

{| class=wikitable
! colspan = 6 | Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 17, 2018<ref>{{cite web|title = Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 17, 2018 | publisher = Massachusetts Elections Division | access-date = January 23, 2019 | url = http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/enrollment_count_20181017.pdf}}</ref>
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party 
! Number of voters
! Percentage
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| align = center | 235,436
| align = center | 49.90%
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| align = center | 28,033
| align = center | 5.94%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| Unenrolled
| align = center | 202,510
| align = center | 42.92%
|-
| {{party color cell|Libertarian Party (United States)}}
| Minor Parties
| align = center | 5,850
| align = center | 1.24%
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! align = center | 471,829
! align = center | 100%
|}

{{PresHead|place=Suffolk County, Massachusetts|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=May 9, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323225526/https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|archive-date=March 23, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|66,480|222,280|10,433|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|58,613|270,522|6,327|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|50,421|245,751|17,111|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|59,999|223,896|5,203|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|57,194|207,128|4,900|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|54,923|182,592|3,130|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|44,441|154,888|17,671|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|39,753|145,586|14,053|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|51,378|132,921|34,974|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|77,137|143,677|3,596|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1984|Democratic|91,563|152,568|866|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|73,271|113,416|29,520|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|80,623|142,010|9,739|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1972|Democratic|85,272|166,250|1,299|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|48,952|203,406|16,619|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|40,251|257,161|842|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|85,750|252,823|1,044|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|162,836|191,245|1,605|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|162,147|240,957|1,775|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|105,671|265,611|13,785|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|139,285|234,475|727|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|138,575|243,233|2,337|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|96,418|223,732|29,860|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|88,737|198,792|8,543|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|99,392|204,603|2,135|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|104,658|78,702|38,633|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|108,089|67,552|10,457|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|42,492|61,047|2,609|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|24,179|46,059|27,613|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|46,337|43,773|5,429|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|43,681|51,714|3,569|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|40,951|47,534|2,880|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|53,633|31,744|4,174|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1892|Democratic|35,304|44,504|1,584|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1888|Democratic|31,191|38,540|921|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1884|Democratic|23,283|34,621|5,278|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1880|Democratic|28,346|28,861|396|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1876|Democratic|22,832|25,101|141|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1872|Republican|17,766|11,170|0|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1868|Republican|17,381|12,947|0|Massachusetts}}
|}

===Sheriff's department===
The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department's primary responsibility is oversight of the [[Nashua Street Jail]] and the [[South Bay House of Correction]]. These were built in the 1990s to replace the historic [[Charles Street Jail]] and [[Deer Island Prison]], respectively. The Suffolk County Sheriff's Department was among those named in a 2020 [[WBUR]] report about the neglect of inmates with medical conditions in Massachusetts prisons leading to their deaths.<ref>{{Cite web|title=When Inmates Die Of Poor Medical Care, Jails Often Keep It Secret|url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/03/23/county-jail-deaths-sheriffs-watch|access-date=December 19, 2021|website=WBUR|language=en|date=March 23, 2020|author1=Christine Willmsen|author2=Beth Healy}}</ref>

Several notable figures in Massachusetts history were once the sheriff of Suffolk County:<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.scsdma.org/history-of-sheriffs/?mode=grid | title = History of Sheriffs | publisher = Suffolk County Sheriff's Office | accessdate = April 5, 2018 }}</ref>

{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
*[[Joseph Hall (Maine politician)|Joseph Hall]] (1818–1825)
*[[Charles Pinckney Sumner]] (1825–1839)
*[[John M. Clark]] (1855–1883)
*[[John A. Keliher]] (1917–1938)
*[[John F. Dowd]] (1938–1939)
*[[Frederick R. Sullivan]] (1939–1968)
*[[John W. Sears]] (1968–1969)
*[[Thomas S. Eisenstadt]] (1969–1977)
*[[Dennis J. Kearney]] (1977–1987)
*[[Robert Rufo]] (1987–1996)
*[[Andrea Cabral]] (2002–2013)
*[[Steven W. Tompkins]] (2013–present)
{{div col end}}

===District Attorneys===
{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
! colspan="2" | District attorneys of Suffolk County
|-
! District attorney !! Term
|-
|[[James T. Austin]]
|1812–1832
|-
|[[Samuel D. Parker (attorney)|Samuel D. Parker]]
|1832–1852
|-
|[[John C. Park]]
|1852–1853
|-
|[[George P. Sanger]]
|1853–1854
|-
|[[George W. Cooley]]
|1854–1861
|-
|[[George P. Sanger]]
|1861–1869
|-
|[[John Wilder May]]
|1869–1875
|-
|[[Oliver Stevens]]
|1875–1905
|-
|[[Michael J. Sughrue]]
|1905
|-
|[[John B. Moran]]
|1905–1909
|-
|[[Arthur D. Hill]]
|1909
|-
|[[Joseph C. Pelletier]]
|1909–1922
|-
|[[Thomas C. O'Brien]]
|1922–1927
|-
|[[William J. Foley]]
|1927–1952
|-
|[[Garrett H. Byrne]]
|1952–1979
|-
|[[Newman A. Flanagan]]
|1979–1992
|-
|Ralph C. Martin II
|1992–2002
|-
|[[Daniel F. Conley]]
|2002–2018
|-
|John Pappas
|2018–2019
|-
|[[Rachael Rollins]]
|2019–2022
|-
|[[Kevin Hayden]]
|2022–present
|}

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|120|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|58|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|62|sqmi}} (52%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_25.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 16, 2014|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140914175857/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_25.txt|archive-date=September 14, 2014}}</ref> It is the second-smallest county in Massachusetts by land area and smallest by total area.

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Essex County, Massachusetts|Essex County]] (north)
*[[Norfolk County, Massachusetts|Norfolk County]] (south)
*[[Middlesex County, Massachusetts|Middlesex County]] (west)

Suffolk County has no land border with [[Plymouth County, Massachusetts|Plymouth County]] to its southeast, but the two counties share a water boundary in the middle of [[Massachusetts Bay]].

===National protected areas===
*[[Boston African American National Historic Site]]
*[[Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area]] (part)
*[[Boston National Historical Park]]

===Major highways===
*{{jct|state=MA|I|90|MATP|nolink2=yes}}
*{{jct|state=MA|I|93}}
*{{jct|state=MA|US|1}}
*{{jct|state=MA|US|20}}
*{{jct|state=MA|MA|1A}}
*{{jct|state=MA|MA|9}}
*{{jct|state=MA|MA|16}}
*{{jct|state=MA|MA|28}}
*{{jct|state=MA|MA|30}}
*{{jct|state=MA|MA|60}}
*{{jct|state=MA|MA|99}}
*{{jct|state=MA|MA|107}}
*{{jct|state=MA|MA|145}}
*{{jct|state=MA|MA|203}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1790 = 44865
| 1800 = 28015
| 1810 = 34381
| 1820 = 43940
| 1830 = 62163
| 1840 = 95773
| 1850 = 144517
| 1860 = 192700
| 1870 = 270802
| 1880 = 387927
| 1890 = 484780
| 1900 = 611417
| 1910 = 731388
| 1920 = 835522
| 1930 = 879536
| 1940 = 863248
| 1950 = 896615
| 1960 = 791329
| 1970 = 735190
| 1980 = 650142
| 1990 = 663906
| 2000 = 689807
| 2010 = 722023
| 2020 = 797936
| estyear = 2024
| estimate = 793144
| estref = <ref name="USCensusEst2024">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 13, 2025}}</ref>
| align-fn = center
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 16, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=September 16, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811110448/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|archive-date=August 11, 2012}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ma190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 16, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428025655/http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ma190090.txt|archive-date=April 28, 2015}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 16, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218203824/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|archive-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2020<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25/25025.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 22, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624023543/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25/25025.html|archive-date=June 24, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html|title=2020 Population and Housing State Data|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 14, 2021}}</ref>
}}

Of the 292,767 households, 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.1% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 52.0% were non-families, and 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 31.5 years.<ref name="census-dp1">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US25025
  |title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data
  |access-date=January 12, 2016
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213020907/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US25025
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

The median income for a household in the county was $50,597 and the median income for a family was $58,127. Males had a median income of $48,887 versus $43,658 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,720. About 15.7% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 19.1% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US25025
  |title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
  |access-date=January 12, 2016
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213032933/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US25025
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+ '''Suffolk County Racial Breakdown of Population (2017)'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/suffolkcountymassachusetts,US/PST045217|title=Suffolk County, Massachusetts QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau|work=census.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ma,US/PST045217|title=Massachusetts QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau|work=census.gov}}</ref>
|-
! Race
! Percentage of <br/>Suffolk County<br/>population
! Percentage of<br/>Massachusetts<br/>population
! Percentage of<br/>United States<br/>population
! County-to-State<br/>Difference
! County-to-USA<br/>Difference
|-
| [[White Americans|White]] || 61.7% || 81.3% || 76.6% || –19.6% || –14.9%
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White (Non-Hispanic)]] || 45.4% || 72.1% || 60.7% || –26.7% || –15.3%
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]] || 24.9% || 8.8% || 13.4% || +16.1% || +11.5%
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]] || 22.9% || 11.9% || 18.1% || +11.0% || +4.8%
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]] || 9.1% || 6.9% || 5.8% || +2.2% || +3.3%
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]/[[Native Hawaiians|Hawaiians]] || 0.9% || 0.6% || 1.5% || +0.3% || –0.6%
|-
| [[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]] || 3.4% || 2.4% || 2.7% || +1.0% || +0.7%
|}

===Ancestry===
According to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the largest ancestry groups in Suffolk County, Massachusetts are:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=PEOPLE REPORTING ANCESTRY 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=August 25, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=August 25, 2018}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- valign=bottom
! Ancestry
! Percentage of<br/>Suffolk County<br/>population
! Percentage of<br/>Massachusetts<br/>population
! Percentage of<br/>United States<br/>population
! County-to-State<br/>Difference
! County-to-USA<br/>Difference
|-
| [[Irish Americans|Irish]]
| 13.73%
| 21.16%
| 10.39%
| –7.42%
| +3.35%
|-
| [[Italian Americans|Italian]]
| 9.50%
| 13.19%
| 5.39%
| –3.69%
| +7.80%
|-
| [[West Indian Americans|West Indian]]
| 6.05%
| 1.96%
| 0.90%
| +4.09%
| +1.05%
|-
| [[Puerto Ricans in the United States|Puerto Rican]]
| 5.32%
| 4.52%
| 1.66%
| +0.80%
| +3.66%
|-
| [[English Americans|English]]
| 4.32%
| 9.77%
| 7.67%
| –5.45%
| –3.35%
|-
| [[German Americans|German]]
| 4.21%
| 6.00%
| 14.40%
| –1.79%
| –10.19%
|-
| [[Chinese Americans|Chinese]]
| 4.02%
| 2.28%
| 1.24%
| +1.74%
| +2.78%
|-
| [[American ancestry|American]]
| 3.96%
| 4.26%
| 6.89%
| –0.30%
| –2.93%
|-
| [[African immigration to the United States|Sub-Saharan African]]
| 3.78%
| 2.00%
| 1.01%
| +1.78%
| +2.76%
|-
| [[Haitian Americans|Haitian]]
| 3.13%
| 1.15%
| 0.31%
| +1.98%
| +2.82%
|-
| [[Polish Americans|Polish]]
| 2.41%
| 4.67%
| 2.93%
| –2.26%
| –0.53%
|-
| [[French Americans|French]]
| 2.01%
| 6.82%
| 2.56%
| –4.81%
| –0.55%
|-
| [[Cape Verdean Americans|Cape Verdean]]
| 1.99%
| 0.97%
| 0.03%
| +1.02%
| +1.96%
|-
| [[Vietnamese Americans|Vietnamese]]
| 1.61%
| 0.69%
| 0.54%
| +0.92%
| +1.07%
|-
| [[Russian Americans|Russian]]
| 1.56%
| 1.65%
| 0.88%
| –0.08%
| +0.69%
|-
| [[Arab Americans|Arab]]
| 1.54%
| 1.10%
| 0.59%
| +0.44%
| +0.95%
|-
| [[Jamaican Americans|Jamaican]]
| 1.47%
| 0.44%
| 0.34%
| +1.03%
| +1.12%
|-
| [[Scottish Americans|Scottish]]
| 1.27%
| 2.28%
| 1.71%
| –1.02%
| –0.45%
|-
| [[Indian Americans|Asian Indian]]
| 1.22%
| 1.39%
| 1.09%
| –0.17%
| +0.13%
|-
| [[Mexican Americans|Mexican]]
| 1.18%
| 0.67%
| 11.96%
| +0.51%
| –10.78%
|-
| [[French Canadian Americans|French Canadian]]
| 1.19%
| 3.91%
| 0.65%
| –2.72%
| +0.53%
|-
|}

===Demographic breakdown by town===

====Income====
{{See also|List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income}}
Data is from the 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_DP03&prodType=table|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212213610/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_DP03&prodType=table|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 12, 2020|title=SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=January 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_DP05&prodType=table|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212212105/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_DP05&prodType=table|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 12, 2020|title=ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=January 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_S1101&prodType=table|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212212620/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_S1101&prodType=table|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 12, 2020|title=HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=January 26, 2013}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- valign=bottom
! Rank
! Town
!
! Area (land)
! Per capita<br/>income
! Median<br/>household<br/>income
! Median<br/>family<br/>income
! Population
! Number of<br/>households
|-
| 1
| [[Winthrop, Massachusetts|Winthrop]]
| City
| {{convert|2.0|mi2|km2|abbr=on}}
| $36,624
| $61,744
| $81,647
| 17,430
| 7,356
|-
| 
| ''[[Massachusetts]]''
| State
| 
| $35,051
| $65,981
| $83,371
| 6,512,227
| 2,522,409
|-
| 2
| [[Boston]]
| City
| {{convert|48.42|mi2|km2|abbr=on}}
| $33,158
| $51,739
| $61,035
| 609,942
| 247,621
|-
| 
| ''Suffolk County''
| County
|
| $32,034
| $51,638
| $60,342
| 713,089
| 286,437
|-
| 
| ''[[United States]]''
| Country
|
| $27,915
| $52,762
| $64,293
| 306,603,772
| 114,761,359
|-
| 3
| [[Revere, Massachusetts|Revere]]
| City
| {{convert|5.9|mi2|km2|abbr=on}}
| $25,085
| $50,592
| $58,345
| 50,845
| 19,425
|-
| 4
| [[Chelsea, Massachusetts|Chelsea]]
| City
| {{convert|2.2|mi2|km2|abbr=on}}
| $20,214
| $43,155
| $46,967
| 34,872
| 12,035
|-
|}

==Communities==
[[File:Suffolk County.png|thumb|right|200px|Map of Suffolk County showing (clockwise from bottom) [[Boston]] ({{fontcolor|red|red}}), [[Chelsea, Massachusetts|Chelsea]] ({{fontcolor|yellow|yellow}}), [[Revere, Massachusetts|Revere]] ({{fontcolor|green|green}}), and [[Winthrop, Massachusetts|Winthrop]] ({{fontcolor|blue|blue}}). Interior water features such as [[Boston Harbor]] are filled in by the color of the containing city.]]

*[[Boston]] (traditional [[county seat]])
*[[Chelsea, Massachusetts|Chelsea]]
*[[Revere, Massachusetts|Revere]]
*[[Winthrop, Massachusetts|Winthrop]]

==Education==
{{expand section|date=July 2022}}
Each city has its own school district (including [[Boston Public Schools]], [[Chelsea Public Schools]], [[Revere Public Schools]], and [[Winthrop Public Schools (Massachusetts)|Winthrop Public Schools]]), which all follow municipal boundaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st25_ma/schooldistrict_maps/c25025_suffolk/DC20SD_C25025.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Suffolk County, MA|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=July 22, 2022}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st25_ma/schooldistrict_maps/c25025_suffolk/DC20SD_C25025_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

Tertiary institutions in the county include:<!--Only those physically in Suffolk County-->

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology]]
* [[Berklee College of Music]]
* [[Boston Architectural College]]
* [[Boston College]] (eastern side)
* [[Boston University]]
* [[Bunker Hill Community College]]
** Includes a Chelsea Campus<ref>{{cite web |title=Chelsea Campus |url=https://www.bhcc.edu/chelsea/ |publisher=[[Bunker Hill Community College]] |quote=70 Everett Avenue Chelsea, MA 02150 |accessdate=July 22, 2022}}</ref>
*[[Cambridge College]]
*[[Emerson College]]
* [[Emmanuel College (Massachusetts)|Emmanuel College]]
* [[Fisher College]]
* parts of [[Harvard University]], including [[Harvard Business School]] and [[Harvard Medical School]]
* [[Massachusetts College of Art and Design]]
* [[Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences]] 
* [[MGH Institute of Health Professions]]
* [[New England College of Optometry]] 
* [[New England Conservatory]]
* [[New England Law Boston]]
* [[North Bennet Street School]]
* [[Northeastern University]]
* [[Roxbury Community College]]
* [[Saint John's Seminary (Massachusetts)|Saint John's Seminary]]
* [[Sattler College]]
* [[Simmons University]]
* [[Suffolk University]]
* [[Tufts University School of Medicine]]
* [[University of Massachusetts Boston]]
* [[Urban College of Boston]] 
* [[Wentworth Institute of Technology]]
{{div col end}}

Public library systems in the county include:<!--Only those physically in Suffolk County-->
* [[Boston Public Library]]
* [[Chelsea Public Library]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chelseama.gov/public-library|title=Public Library|publisher=City of Chelsea|accessdate=July 22, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Revere Public Library]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reverepubliclibrary.org/|title=Home|publisher=Revere Public Library|accessdate=July 22, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Winthrop Public Library and Museum]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://winthroppubliclibrary.org/|title=Home|publisher=Winthrop Public Library and Museum|accessdate=July 22, 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Massachusetts}}
* [[List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income]]
* [[Registry of Deeds (Massachusetts)#Suffolk|Registry of Deeds (Massachusetts)]]
* [[USS Suffolk County (LST-1173)|USS ''Suffolk County'' (LST-1173)]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Suffolk County, Massachusetts]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.scsdma.org/ Suffolk County Sheriff's Department]
*[http://www.mass.gov/dasuffolk/ Suffolk County District Attorney]
*[http://www.suffolkdeeds.com/ Suffolk County Registry of Deeds]
*Walling & Gray. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120208040557/http://www.salemdeeds.com/atlases_pages.asp?ImageName=PAGE_0048_0049.jpg&atlastype=MassWorld&atlastown=&atlas=MASSACHUSETTS+1871&atlas_desc=MASSACHUSETTS+1871&pageprefix= 1871 Map of Boston, Suffolk, County and Nearby Towns Pages 48-49] from the 1871 [https://web.archive.org/web/20080404033909/http://www.salemdeeds.com/atlases_results.asp?ImageType=index&atlastype=MassWorld&atlastown=&atlas=MASSACHUSETTS+1871&atlas_desc=MASSACHUSETTS+1871 Atlas of Massachusetts.]
*[http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/MA/Suffolk/districts.html National Register of Historic Places listing for Suffolk Co., Massachusetts]
* [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/general_ref/cousub_outline/cen2k_pgsz/ma_cosub.pdf US Census Bureau map] of cities, towns, Native American reservations, and census-designated places

{{coord|42.35892|-71.05781|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-MA_source:UScensus1990}}

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Suffolk County, Massachusetts
|North     = [[Essex County, Massachusetts|Essex County]]
|Northeast = 
|East      = ''[[Massachusetts Bay]]''
|Southeast = [[Plymouth County, Massachusetts|Plymouth County]] (water boundary)
|South     = [[Norfolk County, Massachusetts|Norfolk County]]
|Southwest = [[Norfolk County, Massachusetts|Norfolk County]]
|West      = [[Middlesex County, Massachusetts|Middlesex County]]
|Northwest = 
}}

{{Suffolk County, Massachusetts}}
{{Massachusetts}}
{{Greater Boston}}
{{Massachusetts Public High Schools}}
{{Massachusetts rivers}}
 
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Suffolk County, Massachusetts| ]]
[[Category:Massachusetts counties]]
[[Category:Counties in Greater Boston]]
[[Category:1643 establishments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1643]]
[[Category:1999 disestablishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Populated places disestablished in 1999]]
[[Category:Majority-minority counties in the United States]]