Middlesex County, MA
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 42.48, -71.39.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 98th pct · 40th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 84th pct · 3rd of 14 Massachusetts counties · median $681,406
- 100th pct · 1st of 7 counties in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro · median $715,954
- 34th pct · 1,995th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 7th pct · 13th of 14 Massachusetts counties · median +2.7%
- 16th pct · 6th of 7 counties in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro · median +2.5%
- 98th pct · 25th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 90th pct · 2nd of 12 Massachusetts counties · median $2,499
- 83rd pct · 2nd of 7 counties in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro · median $2,700
- 99th pct · 20th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 100th pct · 1st of 14 Massachusetts counties · median 194,940
- 100th pct · 1st of 7 counties in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro · median 319,282
- 99th pct · 15th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 92nd pct · 2nd of 14 Massachusetts counties · median $1,471
- 83rd pct · 2nd of 7 counties in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro · median $1,613
- 79th pct · 618th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 23rd pct · 11th of 14 Massachusetts counties · median 7.4
- 16th pct · 6th of 7 counties in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro · median 7.7
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $804,837 (Sep 2026), +1.5% over one year, +22.4% over five
- 98th pct · 40th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 84th pct · 3rd of 14 Massachusetts counties · median $681,406
- 100th pct · 1st of 7 counties in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro · median $715,954
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County, MA | $804,837 · +1.5% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $3,069/mo (Sep 2026), +2.4% over one year; price-to-rent 21.9
- 98th pct · 25th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 90th pct · 2nd of 12 Massachusetts counties · median $2,499
- 83rd pct · 2nd of 7 counties in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro · median $2,700
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County, MA | $3,069/mo · +2.4% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $4,458 a month on $804,837 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $11,128 a month: 40.1% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $804,837 × 80% = $643,870, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $4,458/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $2,568 × 52 / 12 = $11,128) = 40% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $804,837 / ($2,568 × 52) = 6.0
- price-to-rent = $804,837 / ($3,069 × 12) = 21.9
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
880,696 jobs at 59,334 employers (2026 Q1); -2.1% jobs and +3.8% average weekly wage over the year
- 99th pct · 20th of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 100th pct · 1st of 14 Massachusetts counties · median 194,940
- 100th pct · 1st of 7 counties in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro · median 319,282
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County, MA | 880,696 jobs · $2,568/wk · -2.1% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional and technical services | 139,133 | $5,060 | 2.29 | -5.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 129,687 | $1,409 | 0.98 | +2.0% |
| Retail trade | 66,972 | $894 | 0.78 | -2.0% |
| Manufacturing | 63,942 | $3,697 | 0.90 | -2.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 59,307 | $736 | 0.75 | -1.9% |
| Educational services | 57,822 | $1,894 | 3.05 | -2.8% |
| Administrative and waste services | 39,701 | $1,349 | 0.79 | -3.2% |
| Construction | 38,921 | $1,969 | 0.84 | -1.7% |
| Management of companies | 37,883 | $4,055 | 2.57 | +1.2% |
| Information | 32,893 | $5,874 | 2.03 | -10.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 26,782 | $3,279 | 0.79 | -5.8% |
| Other services | 24,820 | $1,160 | 0.94 | -0.9% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
D0 abnormally dry
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
5 USGS reservoir gauges, no capacity figures to weight
Sites found: 5, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-01104425 | 168.9 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 12 km |
| USGS-01104430 | 168.1 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 14 km |
| USGS-01104480 | 78.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 18 km |
| USGS-01102505 | 114.4 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 21 km |
| USGS-422302071083801 | 16.3 ft (USGS, no capacity on file) | 23 km |
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
187 gauges · 0 flooding · 61 with quality panels averaging 93 % · 70 stale
Sites found: 187, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-425311070535801 | DO 0.20 mg/l · quality 75 % (4) · STALE | 61 km |
| USGS-01104455 | flow 0.42 ft³/s · quality 67 % (3) | 16 km |
| USGS-01104410 | flow 0.06 ft³/s · quality 50 % (2) | 12 km |
| USGS-425651070573701 | DO 0.50 mg/l · quality 75 % (4) · STALE | 63 km |
| USGS-01104415 | flow 0.07 ft³/s · quality 50 % (2) | 12 km |
| USGS-425400070545401 | DO 0.20 mg/l · quality 75 % (4) · STALE | 61 km |
| USGS-01097380 | flow 16.0 ft³/s · STALE | 3 km |
| USGS-01097300 | flow 2.04 ft³/s | 4 km |
| USGS-01097021 | temp 1.40 °C · quality 100 % (1) · STALE | 6 km |
| USGS-01097000 | flow 126.0 ft³/s | 7 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
46 wells in 0 named aquifers:
Sites found: 46, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| USGS-422812071244401 | depth 20.8 ft · 2026-10-18 | 2 km |
| USGS-422650071213801 | depth 12.6 ft · 2026-10-18 | 5 km |
| USGS-423257071243702 | depth 12.9 ft · 2026-10-18 | 8 km |
| USGS-422806071160301 | depth 11.0 ft · 2024-09-28 | 11 km |
| USGS-422808071160201 | depth 12.2 ft · 2024-09-28 | 11 km |
| USGS-422627071154002 | depth 1.41 ft · 2026-10-18 | 12 km |
| USGS-421853071220501 | depth 16.6 ft · 2026-10-18 | 19 km |
| USGS-421852071220501 | depth 16.4 ft · 2018-09-03 | 19 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.03)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.07 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$83.1 bn in deposits at 442 offices of 42 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 747, unconcentrated. $27.1 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $15.8 bn, contracts $9.1 bn), $30,752 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bank of America, National Association | $16.1 bn · 19.4% share · 43 offices | |
| Citizens Bank, National Association | $8.8 bn · 10.6% share · 49 offices | |
| Cambridge Savings Bank | $5.3 bn · 6.4% share · 19 offices | |
| Middlesex, MA | $27.1 bn FY2026 · $30,752/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $15.0 bn · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America, National Association | $16,101,064,000 | 19.4% | 43 |
| Citizens Bank, National Association | $8,799,654,000 | 10.6% | 49 |
| Cambridge Savings Bank | $5,307,358,000 | 6.4% | 19 |
| TD Bank, National Association | $5,246,318,000 | 6.3% | 24 |
| Eastern Bank | $4,883,661,000 | 5.9% | 33 |
| Leader Bank, National Association | $4,096,128,000 | 4.9% | 5 |
| Middlesex Savings Bank | $3,786,716,000 | 4.6% | 22 |
| Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | $3,592,171,000 | 4.3% | 14 |
| Rockland Trust Company | $3,526,084,000 | 4.2% | 29 |
| Santander Bank, N.A. | $3,330,188,000 | 4.0% | 27 |
Deposit concentration is 747 across 41 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls unconcentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 41 banks with deposits in the county = 19.4² + 10.6² + 6.4² + … (38 more) = 747
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Department of Health and Human Services | $8,630,912,591 |
| Department of Defense | $7,023,073,816 |
| Social Security Administration | $6,983,433,593 |
| Department of Transportation | $1,051,361,790 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $955,036,327 |
| Department of Education | $902,189,221 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $621,695,512 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $218,572,902 |
| National Science Foundation | $172,414,972 |
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $135,565,402 |
| General Services Administration | $105,478,003 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | $74,758,196 |
That is $30,752 per covered job, against 880,696 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $27.1 bn / 880,696 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $30,752
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 17.95 | 2026-10-18 | -2.6% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-19 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 7.00 | 2026-10-13 | +133.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 101.91 | 2026-10-14 | +1.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.40 | 2026-10-15 | +0.0% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 652,115.00 | 2026-09-01 | +0.7% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Middlesex County, MA: 20 findings, 2 at a watch level and 18 noted
watchMiddlesex County, MA's covered employment is -2.1% against a year earlier, a watch level here: covered employment below the same quarter a year earlier (BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level). The previous published period is not in this table, so this is a standing level rather than a change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- test: jobs.yoy.emp = -2.1 < 0
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published; not an official level
watchMiddlesex County, MA's years of wages of 6.0 scores 80 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 23 across Massachusetts counties, a gap of 57 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 57 = |80 across US counties - 23 across Massachusetts counties|
- typical home value / (average weekly wage × 52); one average covered job, not a household
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteMiddlesex County, MA's average weekly wage was 3.8% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +3.8 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteMiddlesex County, MA's covered employment was 2.1% lower than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- -2.1 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteMiddlesex County, MA's typical asking rent fell 0.7% from $3,091 in August 2026 to $3,069 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- -0.7% = (3069.147866277833 - 3090.8368960396347) / 3090.8368960396347 × 100
- 3069.147866277833 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 3090.8368960396347 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
Read all 12 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.