HomeMassachusettsSuffolk County
Suffolk County, Massachusetts: commercial real estate data.
Suffolk County, Massachusetts has a population of 785,121 across 58 square miles, down 1.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $190.78 bn in 2024, 22,034 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 923 7(a) approvals worth $297.0 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Suffolk County
How many people live in Suffolk County
- Population785,121
- Households327,167
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$95,631
- Median age33.9
- Median gross rent$2,129 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$705,800
- Home value to household income7.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income26.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher50.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree23.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over552,101
- Population under 18125,812
- Share under 1816.0 percent
- Population 65 and over104,159
- Share 65 and over13.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64555,150
- Civilian labor force468,636
- Unemployment rate6.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.1 percent
- Rank by population among Massachusetts counties4th of 14
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents83rd
Suffolk County is the 4th largest of 14 Massachusetts counties by population. A median home costs 7.4 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 16.0 percent against 13.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Suffolk County
Is Suffolk County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.97 percent
- Census 2020 base population800,937
- Births, 20248,253
- Deaths, 20244,712
- Natural change, 20243,541
- Net domestic migration, 2024-10,971
- Net international migration, 202418,922
- Total net migration, 20247,951
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-69,413
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2177th
The county has lost 0.97 percent of its population 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.
Suffolk County
Where people moving to Suffolk County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving33,387
- People arriving, from those returns41,866
- Adjusted gross income arriving$3.72 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$111,349
- Largest single originSuffolk County Non-migrants (291,613 households)
- Largest single destination (291,613 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk County Non-migrants | 291,613 | 477,134 | $44.61 bn |
| Middlesex County | 8,050 | 10,073 | $996.7 m |
| Norfolk County | 4,227 | 5,650 | $444.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,013 | 3,712 | $200.7 m |
| Essex County | 1,885 | 2,708 | $179.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,213 | 1,544 | $73.6 m |
| Plymouth County | 1,119 | 1,588 | $117.3 m |
| Worcester County | 820 | 980 | $61.8 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Suffolk 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.
Suffolk County
What the Suffolk County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$190.78 bn
- County GDP, 2023$179.68 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.2 percent
- GDP change over five years30.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Massachusetts counties2nd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents19th
- GDP per resident$242,992
Output grew 6.2 percent in the latest year and 30.1 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.
Suffolk County
Who employs people in Suffolk County
- Covered employment, annual average713,809
- Establishments reporting33,364
- Average annual pay$131,280
- Average weekly wage$2,525
- Sector 62, employment153,540
- Sector 62, average annual pay$96,483
- Sector 54, employment99,564
- Sector 54, average annual pay$207,925
- Sector 52, employment67,187
- Sector 52, average annual pay$292,534
- Sector 72, employment64,238
- Sector 72, average annual pay$44,830
- Sector 61, employment44,579
- Sector 44-45, employment32,244
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 153,540 | 8,847 | $96,483 |
| Sector 54 | 99,564 | 5,595 | $207,925 |
| Sector 52 | 67,187 | 2,001 | $292,534 |
| Sector 72 | 64,238 | 2,463 | $44,830 |
| Sector 61 | 44,579 | 570 | $91,960 |
| Sector 44-45 | 32,244 | 2,240 | $62,157 |
| Sector 56 | 31,966 | 1,400 | $76,046 |
| Sector 51 | 23,326 | 1,361 | $195,100 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 153,540 jobs, 21.5 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job exceeds median household income, which usually means single earner households and a wage base that can carry rent.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Suffolk County
What businesses operate in Suffolk County
- Establishments, all industries22,034
- Employment at those establishments720,353
- Annual payroll$85.85 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.1
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.
Suffolk County
What is being built in Suffolk County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242,007
- Declared construction value permitted$848.6 m
- Single family units authorised74
- Multifamily units authorised1,933
- Multifamily share of units96.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$422,796
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.1
Multifamily is 96.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Suffolk County
How much SBA lending happens in Suffolk County
- 7(a) approvals recorded923
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$297.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$321,790
- Median 7(a) approval$125,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$750,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)9,099
- Jobs per approval9.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active85
- Distinct industries receiving approvals240
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer3.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms30
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter854
- Franchise loans38
- Franchise share of approvals4.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (75)
- Most active lenderEastern Bank (274)
- 504 approvals recorded259
- 504 gross approval dollars$179.5 m
- Average 504 approval$693,127
- Median 504 approval$412,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval6.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.8
- Most active CDCBay Colony Development Corporation (110)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals78.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$476.5 m
The average approval of $321,790 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 3.3 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.
Suffolk County
Do SBA loans in Suffolk County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded185
- Paid in full160
- Charged off25
- Charge off rate on resolved loans13.5 percent
- Status: Cancelled144
- Status: Paid in full160
- Status: Exempt from disclosure527
- Status: Charged off25
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed67
Of the 185 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13.5 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.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Suffolk County
Which parts of Suffolk County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending27
- BOSTON, approvals434
- REVERE, approvals66
- Dorchester, approvals65
- Chelsea, approvals40
- Hyde Park, approvals33
- Jamaica Plain, approvals32
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| BOSTON | 434 | $173,642,400 |
| REVERE | 66 | $13,881,100 |
| Dorchester | 65 | $13,245,100 |
| Chelsea | 40 | $5,196,500 |
| Hyde Park | 33 | $9,048,000 |
| Jamaica Plain | 32 | $11,775,700 |
| EAST BOSTON | 31 | $14,870,800 |
| SOUTH BOSTON | 28 | $10,906,400 |
BOSTON accounts for 434 approvals against 66 in REVERE. 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.
Suffolk County
How big is Suffolk County
- Land area58 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Massachusetts counties13th of 14
- Width, east to west12.2 mi
- Height, north to south15 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land13,537
- Establishments per square mile379.90
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 Suffolk 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 Suffolk County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population785,121
- Households327,167
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$95,631
- Median age33.9
Common questions
Suffolk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
785,121, in 327,167 households, ranking 4th of 14 Massachusetts counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Suffolk County growing?
The population has fallen 0.97 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 8,253 births against 4,712 deaths, with net migration of 7,951. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Suffolk County?
$95,631. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $705,800, which is 7.4 times income, and median gross rent is $2,129 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Suffolk County?
22,034 establishments, employing 720,353 people with an annual payroll of $85.85 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 Suffolk County?
Average annual pay is $131,280, or $2,525 a week, across 713,809 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Suffolk County?
923 7(a) approvals totalling $297.0 m since FY2020, across 85 lenders, with a median approval of $125,000, plus 259 504 approvals worth $179.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Suffolk County get paid back?
Of the 185 loans that have reached a final outcome, 160 were paid in full and 25 charged off, a charge off rate of 13.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Suffolk County?
2,007 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $848.6 m. Multifamily was 96.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Suffolk County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Suffolk County come from?
The largest single origin is Suffolk County Non-migrants, with 291,613 households. Arriving households report an average income of $111,349 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 Suffolk 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 Suffolk 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.