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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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COUNTYStable

Suffolk County, MA

Stable overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while population needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score65out of 100
Compare
82
58
38
63
100

Population

785,121

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+6.2% YoY

82

$190.8B

Output changed +6.2% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.5%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

58

4.2%

Unemployment is 4.2% for June 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg4.4%
U.S. avg4.1%

Population

-2.0% 5-year

38

785,121

Population moved -2.0% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population7,044,056
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

63

26.7%

Median rent consumes 26.7% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.8K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$15.7K per resident

100

$12.5B

$12.5B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$103.3B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$12.5B

$15.7K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Department of Health and Human Services$5.0B
2. Social Security Administration$2.4B
3. Department of Housing and Urban Development$2.1B

Top recipients

Dollars
1. NOBLE SUPPLY & LOGISTICS, LLC$794.7M
2. BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY$629.4M
3. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND LIVABLE COMMUNITIES$615.2M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

26.7%

of median income

1BR estimate$1,746
2BR estimate$2,299
Median income$95,631
Median home value$705,800

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

785,121

Median age

33.9

Bachelor's degree+

50.6%

Poverty rate

16.2%

Labor force participation

69.8%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+2.9%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.6%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

June 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-08-26

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

-0.4%

GDP CAGR

+5.4%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
2020801,162
2021792,647
2022785,443
2023782,172
2024785,121
GDP (5 years)
2020$146.7B
2021$159.7B
2022$171.4B
2023$179.7B
2024$190.8B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

2024785,121
2025776,542 *
2026772,286 *

R² = 77.0% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$190.8B
2025$202.1B *
2026$212.9B *

R² = 99.5% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$95,631/yr
Median rent$2,129/mo
Rent share of income26.7%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$42,827/yr
Mortgage share of income44.8%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate4.2%
State avg4.4%
U.S. avg4.1%
Labor force participation69.8%
Poverty rate16.2%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. June 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$705,800
Median monthly rent$2,129
Price-to-rent ratio27.6x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateModerate
Composite score63/100
Economic growth82/100
Labor market58/100
Population momentum38/100
Overall stability65/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Suffolk County, Massachusetts

County

Part of

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

Nearby locations

Boston, MAWinthrop Town, MAChelsea, MAQuincy, MAEverett, MA