Essex County, Massachusetts

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, making it the third-most populous county in the state, and the eightieth-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

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. 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. The remaining four towns within colonial Norfolk County, which included Exeter and what is now Portsmouth, were transferred to what became Rockingham County in 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.

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) 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.

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 , of which is land and (41%) is water. 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.

Transportation

These routes pass through Essex County:
* , in Methuen and Andover
* , about five miles from the coast, through Newburyport
* , from Andover to Salisbury through Lawrence and Haverhill
* , between I-95 and Route 1A, close to the coast
* , along the coast
* , in Beverly and Essex
* , in Methuen and Andover
* , in Peabody and Danvers
* , from Middleton to Beverly
* , from Methuen to Beverly
* , in Saugus
* , from Saugus to Beverly
* , in Haverhill
* , from Methuen to Salisbury through Lawrence and Haverhill
* , from Methuen to Newburyport through Haverhill
* , from Lawrence to Marblehead through Middleton
* , from Andover to Haverhill
* , from Beverly to Gloucester
* , at the tip of Cape Ann
* , Lynnfield through Cape Ann
* , from Lynnfield to Marblehead
* , in Lynn
* , from Andover to Gloucester
* , in Amesbury
* , in Methuen
* , 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:
* Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
* Salem Maritime National Historic Site
* Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
* Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 743,159 people, 285,956 households, and 188,005 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 306,754 housing units at an average density of . 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. 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.

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.

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.

Demographic breakdown by town

Income

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.

Politics

Education

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

School districts

School districts include:

K-12:

* Amesbury School District
* Andover School District
* 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 School District
* Lynnfield School District
* Manchester Essex Regional School District
* Marblehead School District
* Methuen School District
* Newburyport School District
* North Andover School District
* Peabody School District
* Pentucket School District
* Rockport School District
* Salem School District
* Saugus School District
* Swampscott School District - Covers PK-12 except in Nahant, where it covers grades 7-12 only
* Triton School District

Secondary:
* Masconomet School District

Elementary:
* Boxford School District
* Middleton School District
* Nahant School District
* Topsfield School District

Secondary education

Public schools

* Amesbury High School serves Amesbury and South Hampton, New Hampshire
* Andover High School
* Beverly High School
* Danvers High School
* Georgetown High School
* Gloucester High School
* Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School
* Haverhill High School
* Ipswich High School
* Lawrence High School
* Lynn Classical High School
* Lynn English High School
* Lynnfield High School
* Manchester Essex Regional High School
* Marblehead High School
* Masconomet Regional High School, serves Topsfield, Boxford and Middleton
* Methuen High School
* Newburyport High School
* North Andover High School
* Northshore Academy
* Peabody Veterans Memorial High School
* Pentucket Regional High School, serves Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury
* Rockport High School
* Salem High School
* Saugus High School
* Swampscott High School, serves Swampscott and Nahant
* Triton Regional High School, serves Newbury, Rowley and Salisbury
* Walnut Square Elementary School, in Haverhill is known for its history and clocktower.

Technical schools

Private schools

Higher education

Libraries

* Merrimack Valley Library Consortium - Northern Essex and Middlesex County Libraries
* North of Boston Library Exchange - Southern Essex and Middlesex County Libraries

Economy

Employment

As of 2015, the county had total employment of 282,412. The largest employer in the county is Massachusetts General Hospital, with over 5,000 employees.

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.

Essex National Heritage Area

On November 12, 1996, Essex National Heritage Area (ENHA) was authorized by Congress. The heritage area consists of all of Essex County, MA a 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. The Essex National Heritage Area 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,Trails & Sails
/ref> as well as other important regional partnership building projects like the Essex Heritage Scenic Byway, and the Border to Boston trail.

Communities

The towns and cities of Essex County are listed below.

Cities

* Amesbury
* Beverly
* Gloucester
* Haverhill
* Lawrence (traditional county seat)
* Lynn
* Methuen
* Newburyport
* Peabody
* Salem (traditional county seat)

Towns

* Andover
* Boxford
* Danvers (Salem Village)
* Essex
* Georgetown
* Groveland
* Hamilton
* Ipswich
* Lynnfield
* Manchester-by-the-Sea
* Marblehead
* Merrimac
* Middleton
* Nahant
* Newbury
* North Andover
* Rockport
* Rowley
* Salisbury
* Saugus
* Swampscott
* Topsfield
* Wenham
* West Newbury

Census-designated places

* Andover
* Boxford
*Essex
* Ipswich
* Rockport
* Rowley
*Salisbury
* Topsfield

Other villages

*Annisquam
* Ballardvale
* Beverly Farms
* Bradford
* Byfield
* Clifton
* Magnolia
* Merrimacport
* Rocks Village
* Plum Island

See also

* List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income
* Essex Junto
* Tinker's Island
* Lovecraft Country
* Registry of Deeds (Massachusetts)
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts

Notes

References

*
*
*
*
*Hurd, Duane Hamilton. History of Essex County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many Pioneers and Prominent Men
Volume 1Volume 2
Published 1888 by J.W. Lewis and Co.
* Newhall, James Robinson
''The Essex Memorial, for 1836: Embracing a Register of the County''
Published 1836.
* Lewis, Alonzo and James Robinson Newhall
History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts: Including Lynnfield,Saugus, Swampscott and Nahant
Published 1865 by John L. Shorey 13 Washington St. Lynn.
* Perley, Sidney
''The Essex Antiquarian''Volume 1 1897Volume 3 1899Volume 6 1902Volume 8 1904
* Various

Further reading

*
*
*
*
*

External links

Registries

* Located in Salem, Massachusetts.
* Located in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Maps

*

Other sites

* Official website.
* Official website.
*
Essex County Sheriff's Department

{{Authority control

1643 establishments in Massachusetts
1999 disestablishments in Massachusetts
Counties in Greater Boston
Massachusetts counties
Populated places disestablished in 1999
Populated places established in 1643