HomeMassachusettsNorfolk County
Norfolk County, Massachusetts: commercial real estate data.
Norfolk County, Massachusetts has a population of 730,082 across 396 square miles, up 2.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $75.07 bn in 2024, 20,745 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,095 7(a) approvals worth $343.1 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Norfolk County
How many people live in Norfolk County
- Population730,082
- Households283,368
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$130,739
- Median age40.9
- Median gross rent$2,149 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$683,900
- Home value to household income5.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher58.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree28.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over518,103
- Population under 18149,313
- Share under 1820.5 percent
- Population 65 and over129,645
- Share 65 and over17.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64451,124
- Civilian labor force414,608
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.4 percent
- Rank by population among Massachusetts counties5th of 14
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents90th
Norfolk County is the 5th largest of 14 Massachusetts counties by population. A median home costs 5.2 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.5 percent against 17.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Norfolk County
Is Norfolk County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.03 percent
- Census 2020 base population726,010
- Births, 20247,102
- Deaths, 20246,016
- Natural change, 20241,086
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,452
- Net international migration, 20248,722
- Total net migration, 20247,270
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-12,411
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1161st
The county has grown 2.03 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Norfolk County
Where people moving to Norfolk County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving22,896
- People arriving, from those returns35,450
- Adjusted gross income arriving$3.23 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$141,216
- Largest single originNorfolk County Non-migrants (282,115 households)
- Largest single destination (282,115 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk County Non-migrants | 282,115 | 565,302 | $60.15 bn |
| Suffolk County | 6,241 | 9,841 | $1.01 bn |
| Middlesex County | 3,966 | 6,297 | $839.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,451 | 3,820 | $248.0 m |
| Plymouth County | 2,427 | 3,686 | $209.9 m |
| Bristol County | 1,273 | 2,054 | $106.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 985 | 1,555 | $92.2 m |
| Worcester County | 864 | 1,352 | $74.9 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Norfolk County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Norfolk County
What the Norfolk County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$75.07 bn
- County GDP, 2023$71.42 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.1 percent
- GDP change over five years33.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among Massachusetts counties3rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents72nd
- GDP per resident$102,826
Output grew 5.1 percent in the latest year and 33.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Norfolk County
Who employs people in Norfolk County
- Covered employment, annual average346,327
- Establishments reporting26,156
- Average annual pay$84,497
- Average weekly wage$1,625
- Sector 62, employment55,899
- Sector 62, average annual pay$66,004
- Sector 44-45, employment38,603
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$47,519
- Sector 72, employment27,153
- Sector 72, average annual pay$33,227
- Sector 54, employment23,792
- Sector 54, average annual pay$157,918
- Sector 56, employment22,035
- Sector 23, employment21,945
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 55,899 | 5,786 | $66,004 |
| Sector 44-45 | 38,603 | 2,170 | $47,519 |
| Sector 72 | 27,153 | 1,559 | $33,227 |
| Sector 54 | 23,792 | 3,535 | $157,918 |
| Sector 56 | 22,035 | 1,266 | $69,405 |
| Sector 23 | 21,945 | 2,247 | $107,428 |
| Sector 52 | 21,216 | 1,261 | $136,128 |
| Sector 31-33 | 18,731 | 557 | $100,316 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 55,899 jobs, 16.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Norfolk County
What businesses operate in Norfolk County
- Establishments, all industries20,745
- Employment at those establishments337,287
- Annual payroll$25.94 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Norfolk County
What is being built in Norfolk County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20241,224
- Declared construction value permitted$459.2 m
- Single family units authorised647
- Multifamily units authorised577
- Multifamily share of units47.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$375,130
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.3
Multifamily is 47.1 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Norfolk County
How much SBA lending happens in Norfolk County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,095
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$343.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$313,333
- Median 7(a) approval$125,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$767,400
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)9,983
- Jobs per approval9.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active104
- Distinct industries receiving approvals252
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer3.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms33
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1,019
- Franchise loans89
- Franchise share of approvals8.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (60)
- Most active lenderEastern Bank (232)
- 504 approvals recorded461
- 504 gross approval dollars$357.3 m
- Average 504 approval$775,091
- Median 504 approval$440,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval9.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.9
- Most active CDCGranite State Economic Development Corporation (154)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals70.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$700.4 m
The average approval of $313,333 sits well above the median of $125,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 3.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Norfolk County
Do SBA loans in Norfolk County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded226
- Paid in full210
- Charged off16
- Charge off rate on resolved loans7.1 percent
- Status: Paid in full210
- Status: Exempt from disclosure661
- Status: Cancelled135
- Status: Charged off16
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed73
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 561730 | Landscaping Services | 14 | 1 | 7.1% |
Of the 226 loans that have reached a final outcome, 7.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, Landscaping Services carries the highest charge off rate at 7.1 percent.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Norfolk County
Which parts of Norfolk County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending42
- Quincy, approvals125
- BROOKLINE, approvals76
- BRAINTREE, approvals70
- Franklin, approvals67
- Norwood, approvals67
- DEDHAM, approvals54
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Quincy | 125 | $34,234,300 |
| BROOKLINE | 76 | $15,832,500 |
| BRAINTREE | 70 | $23,198,300 |
| Franklin | 67 | $11,367,700 |
| Norwood | 67 | $24,239,900 |
| DEDHAM | 54 | $23,114,400 |
| Stoughton | 51 | $15,414,000 |
| CANTON | 49 | $22,406,100 |
Quincy accounts for 125 approvals against 76 in BROOKLINE. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Norfolk County
How big is Norfolk County
- Land area396 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Massachusetts counties10th of 14
- Width, east to west30.5 mi
- Height, north to south23.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land1,844
- Establishments per square mile52.39
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Norfolk County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Norfolk County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population730,082
- Households283,368
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$130,739
- Median age40.9
Common questions
Norfolk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
730,082, in 283,368 households, ranking 5th of 14 Massachusetts counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Norfolk County growing?
The population has grown 2.03 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 7,102 births against 6,016 deaths, with net migration of 7,270. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Norfolk County?
$130,739. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $683,900, which is 5.2 times income, and median gross rent is $2,149 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Norfolk County?
20,745 establishments, employing 337,287 people with an annual payroll of $25.94 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Norfolk County?
Average annual pay is $84,497, or $1,625 a week, across 346,327 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Norfolk County?
1,095 7(a) approvals totalling $343.1 m since FY2020, across 104 lenders, with a median approval of $125,000, plus 461 504 approvals worth $357.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Norfolk County get paid back?
Of the 226 loans that have reached a final outcome, 210 were paid in full and 16 charged off, a charge off rate of 7.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Norfolk County?
1,224 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $459.2 m. Multifamily was 47.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Norfolk County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Norfolk County come from?
The largest single origin is Norfolk County Non-migrants, with 282,115 households. Arriving households report an average income of $141,216 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Norfolk County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Norfolk County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.