Essex County, Massachusetts

Template:Short description Template:Other uses Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county

Essex County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the total population was 809,829,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> making it the third-most populous county in the state, and the seventy-eighth-most populous in the country. It is part of the Greater Boston area (the Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH Metropolitan Statistical Area). The largest city in Essex County is Lynn. The county was named after the English county of Essex. It has two traditional county seats: Salem and Lawrence. Prior to the dissolution of the county government in 1999, Salem had jurisdiction over the Southern Essex District, and Lawrence had jurisdiction over the Northern Essex District, but currently these cities do not function as seats of government. However, the county and the districts remain as administrative regions recognized by various governmental agencies, which gathered vital statistics or disposed of judicial case loads under these geographic subdivisions, and are required to keep the records based on them. The county has been designated the Essex National Heritage Area by the National Park Service.

History

File:The Gerry-Mander Edit.png

Printed in 1812, this political cartoon illustrates the electoral districts drawn by the Massachusetts legislature to favor the incumbent Democratic-Republican party candidates of Governor Elbridge Gerry over the Federalists, from which the term gerrymander is derived. The cartoon depicts the bizarre shape of a district in Essex County as a "Gerry-Mander, A new species of Monster, (...) that (...) belongs to the Salamander tribe (...)".

The county was created by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony on May 10, 1643, when it was ordered "that the whole plantation within this jurisdiction be divided into four sheires". Named after the county in England, Essex then comprised the towns of Salem, Lynn, Wenham, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Gloucester and Andover.<ref>Davis, William T. Bench and Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, p. 44. The Boston History Company, 1895.</ref> In 1680, Haverhill, Amesbury and Salisbury, located north of the Merrimack River, were annexed to Essex County. These communities had been part of Massachusetts' colonial-era Norfolk County (1643–1680). The remaining four towns within "Old" Norfolk County, which included Exeter and what is now Portsmouth, were transferred to the Province of New Hampshire. The Massachusetts-based settlements were then subdivided over the centuries to produce Essex County's modern composition of cities and towns.

Essex County is where Elbridge Gerry (who was born and raised in Marblehead) created a legislative district in 1812 that gave rise to the word gerrymandering.

Due to a confluence of floods, hurricanes, and severe winter storms, Essex County has had more disaster declarations than most other U.S. counties, from 1964 to 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Law and government

From the founding of the Republican Party until the New Deal, Essex County was a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. Since 1936, it has trended Democratic, with Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956 and Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984 being the only Republicans to carry the county since.

Like several other Massachusetts counties, Essex County exists today only as a historical geographic region, and has no county government. All former county functions were assumed by state agencies in 1999. The sheriff (currently Kevin Coppinger), district attorney (currently Paul Tucker), 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, commissioner, or county employees. Communities are now granted the right to form their own regional compacts for sharing services.

District attorneys of Essex County<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
District attorney	Term
Joseph Story	1807–1809
Asa Andrew	1809–1811
David Cummings	1811–1813
Samuel Putnam	1813–1814
John Pickering	1814–1824
Stephen Minot	1824–1830
Asahel Huntington	1830–1846
Albert H. Nelson	1846–1848
Asahel Huntington	1848–1851
Stephen Henry Phillips	1851–1853
Alfred A. Albert	1853–1869
Edgar J. Sherman	1869–1883
Henry P. Moulton	1883–1884
Henry F. Hurlburt	1884–1890
William Henry Moody	1890–1896
Alden P. White	1896–1899
W. Scott Peters	1899–1911
Henry Converse Atwill	1911–1915
Michael A. Sullivan	1915–1916
Louis Cox	1916–1918
Henry Gordon Wells	1918–1920
S. Howard Donnell	1920–1923
William G. Clark	1923–1931
Hugh Cregg	1931–1959
John P. S. Burke	1959–1979
Kevin M. Burke	1979–2003
Jonathan W. Blodgett	2003–2023
Paul Tucker	2023–present

Geography

Essex County is roughly diamond-shaped and occupies the northeastern corner of the state of Massachusetts.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (41%) is water.<ref name=quickfacts>Template:Cite web Template:Dead link</ref> Essex County is adjacent to Rockingham County, New Hampshire to the north, the Atlantic Ocean (specifically the Gulf of Maine and Massachusetts Bay) to the east, Suffolk County to the south, Middlesex County to the west and a very small portion of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire to the far north west in Methuen. All county land is incorporated into towns or cities.

Essex County includes the North Shore, Cape Ann, and the lower portions of the Merrimack Valley.

Adjacent Counties

• Middlesex County (west)

• Suffolk County (south)

• Hillsborough County, New Hampshire (northwest)

• Rockingham County, New Hampshire (north)

Transportation

These routes pass through Essex County:

Template:Jct, in Methuen and Andover
Template:Jct, about twenty-five miles between Lynnfield through Salisbury
Template:Jct, from Andover to Salisbury through Lawrence and Haverhill
Template:Jct, between I-95 and Route 1A, close to the coast
Template:Jct, along the coast
Template:Jct, in Beverly and Essex
Template:Jct, in Methuen and Andover
Template:Jct, in Peabody and Danvers
Template:Jct, from Middleton to Beverly
Template:Jct, from Methuen to Beverly
Template:Jct, in Saugus
Template:Jct, from Saugus to Beverly
Template:Jct, in Haverhill
Template:Jct, from Methuen to Salisbury through Lawrence and Haverhill
Template:Jct, from Methuen to Newburyport through Haverhill
Template:Jct, from Lawrence to Marblehead through Middleton
Template:Jct, from Andover to Haverhill
Template:Jct, from Beverly to Gloucester
Template:Jct, at the tip of Cape Ann
Template:Jct, Lynnfield through Cape Ann
Template:Jct, from Lynnfield to Marblehead
Template:Jct, in Lynn
Template:Jct, from Andover to Gloucester
Template:Jct, in Amesbury
Template:Jct, in Methuen
Template:Jct, in Salisbury

The Lawrence Municipal Airport and Beverly Municipal Airport are regional airports within the county; the nearest commercial airports are Logan Airport in Boston and Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, NH.

The MBTA commuter rail has two lines operating in Essex County: the Haverhill Line and the Newburyport Line, both of which go toward Boston. Close to Boston, MBTA buses also exist. The MVRTA is a bus company that connects cities within the Merrimack Valley portion of Essex County.

National protected areas

Because of Essex County's rich history, which includes 17th century colonial history, maritime history spanning its existence, and leadership in the expansions of the textile industry in the 19th century, the entire county has been designated the Essex National Heritage Area by the National Park Service.

The following areas of national significance have also been preserved:

Template:Massachusetts rivers

Demographics

Template:US Census population

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 743,159 people, 285,956 households, and 188,005 families residing in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 306,754 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name="census-density">Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 81.9% White, 3.8% Black or African American, 3.1% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 8.2% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 16.5% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 23.3% were Irish, 17.1% were Italian, 12.6% were English, 6.1% were German, and 3.6% were American.<ref name="census-dp2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 285,956 households, 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.3% were non-families, and 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.14. The median age was 40.4 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $64,153 and the median income for a family was $81,173. Males had a median income of $58,258 versus $44,265 for females. The per capita income for the county was $33,828. About 7.7% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographic breakdown by town

Income

Template:See also The ranking of unincorporated communities that are included on the list are reflective if the census designated locations and villages were included as cities or towns. Data is from the 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rank	Town		Per capita income	Median household income	Median family income	Population	Number of households
1	Newburyport	City	$70,678	$134,508	$151,213	18,202	10,534	$1	1	Manchester-by-the-Sea	Town	$69,930	$114,639	$131,136	5,137	2,047
2	Boxford	Town	$67,601	$137,159	$145,691	7,950	2,665
	Boxford	CDP	$65,327	$112,656	$121,000	2,406	763
3	Marblehead	Town	$55,778	$99,574	$122,679	19,811	7,898
4	Wenham	Town	$55,054	$139,856	$159,688	4,831	1,311
	Topsfield	CDP	$53,247	$116,667	$125,156	2,788	976
5	West Newbury	Town	$52,882	$104,931	$123,237	4,222	1,497
6	Andover	Town	$52,404	$113,936	$142,413	32,945	11,929
7	Nahant	Town	$51,308	$77,243	$134,875	3,420	1,531
8	Topsfield	Town	$50,689	$116,122	$122,794	6,075	2,039
9	Swampscott	Town	$48,013	$90,148	$108,004	13,826	5,577
10	North Andover	Town	$47,092	$95,199	$121,563	28,156	10,223
11	Newburyport	City	$46,327	$80,861	$117,305	18,202	10,534
12	Lynnfield	Town	$44,969	$101,921	$115,726	11,548	4,069
13	Newbury	Town	$44,349	$89,107	$120,870	6,647	2,516
	Essex	CDP	$43,589	$77,188	$121,343	1,581	669
14	Rockport	Town	$43,201	$71,447	$98,587	7,021	3,020
15	Georgetown	Town	$42,683	$106,765	$125,417	8,083	2,790
16	Ipswich	Town	$42,494	$84,609	$100,000	13,127	5,473
	Andover	CDP	$41,811	$72,440	$105,000	8,799	3,640
17	Amesbury	City	$41,142	$79,293	$94,946	16,267	6,543
18	Essex	Town	$40,213	$79,492	$115,048	3,470	1,383
	Rowley	CDP	$39,483	$69,243	$75,481	1,370	615
19	Danvers	Town	$39,067	$78,593	$98,723	26,303	10,282
20	Rowley	Town	$38,592	$79,449	$103,197	5,815	2,254
21	Hamilton	Town	$38,157	$103,774	$113,000	7,809	2,532
22	Groveland	Town	$37,173	$91,080	$100,972	6,401	2,372
23	Beverly	City	$36,889	$67,733	$90,672	39,455	15,278
	Salisbury	CDP	$36,812	$65,205	$77,119	4,735	2,117
	Ipswich	CDP	$36,687	$70,970	$86,397	3,951	1,831
24	Merrimac	Town	$36,643	$76,936	$90,812	6,297	2,442
25	Middleton	Town	$36,194	$93,415	$100,288	8,839	2,621
	Rockport	CDP	$36,099	$56,250	$97,241	4,952	2,137
26	Gloucester	City	$35,080	$59,061	$76,610	28,869	12,310
	Massachusetts	State	$35,051	$65,981	$83,371	6,512,227	2,522,409
	Essex County	County	$34,858	$65,785	$83,047	739,505	284,940
27	Salisbury	Town	$34,755	$68,194	$82,353	8,212	3,399
28	Saugus	Town	$34,076	$75,258	$93,125	26,516	9,917
29	Peabody	City	$32,442	$65,471	$80,859	50,824	20,890
30	Salem	City	$30,961	$56,203	$64,769	41,163	17,690
31	Haverhill	City	$30,574	$60,611	$76,754	60,544	24,334
32	Methuen	City	$29,778	$65,799	$81,190	46,785	17,508
	United States	Country	$27,915	$52,762	$64,293	306,603,772	114,761,359
33	Lynn	City	$22,190	$44,367	$51,384	90,006	34,018
34	Lawrence	City	$17,068	$31,478	$35,606	75,761	27,004

Politics

Voter registration

Voter registration and party enrollment as of February 2024<ref name="Voters">Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Party color cell	Unenrolled	378,495	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Democratic	147,815	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Republican	51,452	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Libertarian	1,968	Template:Percentage
Template:Party color cell	Other parties	4,308	Template:Percentage
Total		584,038	Template:Percentage

Education

Essex County is home to numerous libraries and schools, both public and private.

School districts

School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

K-12: Template:Div col

Amesbury Public Schools
Andover Public Schools
Beverly School District
Danvers School District
Georgetown School District
Gloucester School District
Hamilton-Wenham School District
Haverhill School District
Ipswich School District
Lawrence School District
Lynn Public Schools
Lynnfield School District
Manchester Essex Regional School District
Marblehead Public Schools
Methuen School District
Newburyport School District
North Andover School District
Peabody Public Schools
Pentucket Regional School District
Rockport School District
Salem School District
Saugus Public Schools
Swampscott School District - Covers PK-12 except in Nahant, where it covers grades 7-12 only
Triton School District

Template:Div col end

Secondary:

Masconomet School District

Elementary:

Secondary education

Libraries

Merrimack Valley Library Consortium - Northern Essex and Middlesex County Libraries<ref>Merrimack Valley Library Consortium - Northern Essex and Middlesex County Libraries</ref>
North of Boston Library Exchange - Southern Essex and Middlesex County Libraries<ref>North of Boston Library Exchange - Southern Essex and Middlesex County Libraries</ref>

Economy

Employment

As of 2015, the county had total employment of 282,412.<ref name=quickfacts/> The largest employer in the county is Massachusetts General Hospital, with over 5,000 employees.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Banking

Based on deposits in the county, the five largest banks are TD Bank, N.A., Salem Five Cents Bank, Institution for Savings, Bank of America, and Eastern Bank.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Essex National Heritage Area

Template:See also On November 12, 1996, Essex National Heritage Area (ENHA) was authorized by Congress. The heritage area consists of all of Essex County, MA a Template:Convert area between the Atlantic Coast and the Merrimack Valley. The area includes 34 cities and towns; two National Historic Sites (Salem Maritime National Historic Site and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site); and thousands of historic sites and districts that illuminate colonial settlement, the development of the shoe and textile industries, and the growth and decline of the maritime industries, including fishing, privateering, and the China trade.<ref>The National Parks: Index 2001-2003, Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, p. 104.</ref> The Essex National Heritage Area<ref>Essex National Heritage Area</ref> is one of 49 heritage areas designated by Congress, affiliated with the National Park Service.

The Essex National Heritage Commission is a non-profit organization chartered to promote tourism and cultural awareness of the area, connecting people to the places of Essex County, MA. The commission's mission is to promote and preserve the historic, cultural and natural resources of the ENHA by rallying community support around saving the character of the area. This is accomplished through the commission's projects and programs, which include Partnership Grant Program, Explorers membership program, photo safaris, and the annual September weekend event Trails & Sails,<ref>Trails & Sails</ref> as well as other important regional partnership building projects like the Essex Heritage Scenic Byway, and the Border to Boston trail.