Historical U.S. Census Totals for Essex County, Massachusetts

This article shows U.S. Census totals for Essex County, Massachusetts, broken down by municipality, from 1900 to 2000.

Like most areas of New England, Essex County is (and has been at all times since well before the 20th century) entirely divided into incorporated municipalities. There is no unincorporated territory. For any census, adding up the totals for each municipality should yield the county total.

There are two types of municipalities in Massachusetts, towns and cities. The tables below differentiate between towns and cities.

For more information on the New England municipal system, see New England town.

Corporate changes since 1900

*1916 - Peabody became a city

*1917 - Methuen became a city

*1921 - Methuen reverted to town status after the Massachusetts state supreme court declared its city charter to be invalid

*1990 - Manchester changed its name to Manchester-by-the-Sea

1900

County Total: 357,030

*Lynn (city) 68,513
*Lawrence (city) 62,559
*Haverhill (city) 37,175
*Salem (city) 35,956
*Gloucester (city) 26,121
*Newburyport (city) 14,478
*Beverly (city) 13,884
*Peabody 11,523
*Amesbury 9,473
*Danvers 8,542
*Marblehead 7,582
*Methuen 7,512
*Andover 6,813
*Saugus 5,084
*Ipswich 4,658
*Rockport 4,592
*Swampscott 4,548
*North Andover 4,243
*Manchester 2,522
*Groveland 2,376
*Merrimac 2,131
*Georgetown 1,900
*Essex 1,663
*Hamilton 1,614
*Newbury 1,601
*Salisbury 1,558
*West Newbury 1,558
*Rowley 1,391
*Nahant 1,152
*Topsfield 1,030
*Lynnfield 888
*Wenham 847
*Middleton 839
*Boxford 704

1910

County Total: 436,477

*Lynn (city) 89,336
*Lawrence (city) 85,892
*Haverhill (city) 44,115
*Salem (city) 43,697
*Gloucester (city) 24,398
*Beverly (city) 18,650
*Peabody 15,721
*Newburyport (city) 14,949
*Methuen 11,448
*Amesbury 9,894
*Danvers 9,407
*Saugus 8,047
*Marblehead 7,338
*Andover 7,301
*Swampscott 6,204
*Ipswich 5,777
*North Andover 5,529
*Rockport 4,211
*Manchester 2,673
*Groveland 2,253
*Merrimac 2,202
*Georgetown 1,958
*Hamilton 1,749
*Salisbury 1,658
*Essex 1,621
*West Newbury 1,473
*Newbury 1,482
*Rowley 1,368
*Nahant 1,184
*Topsfield 1,174
*Middleton 1,129
*Wenham 1,010
*Lynnfield 911
*Boxford 718

1920

County Total: 482,156

*Lynn (city) 99,148
*Lawrence (city) 94,270
*Haverhill (city) 53,884
*Salem (city) 42,529
*Gloucester (city) 22,947
*Beverly (city) 22,561
*Peabody (city) 19,552
*Newburyport (city) 15,618
*Methuen (city) 15,189
*Danvers 11,108
*Saugus 10,874
*Amesbury 10,036
*Andover 8,268
*Swampscott 8,101
*Marblehead 7,324
*North Andover 6,265
*Ipswich 6,201
*Rockport 3,878
*Groveland 2,650
*Manchester 2,466
*Merrimac 2,173
*Georgetown 2,004
*Salisbury 1,701
*Hamilton 1,631
*West Newbury 1,492
*Essex 1,478
*Nahant 1,318
*Newbury 1,303
*Rowley 1,249
*Middleton 1,195
*Lynnfield 1,165
*Wenham 1,090
*Topsfield 900
*Boxford 588

1930

County Total: 498,040

*Lynn (city) 102,320
*Lawrence (city) 85,068
*Haverhill (city) 48,710
*Salem (city) 43,353
*Beverly (city) 25,086
*Gloucester (city) 24,204
*Peabody (city) 21,345
*Methuen 21,069
*Newburyport (city) 15,084
*Saugus 14,700
*Danvers 12,957
*Amesbury 11,899
*Swampscott 10,346
*Andover 9,969
*Marblehead 8,668
*North Andover 6,961
*Ipswich 5,599
*Rockport 3,630
*Manchester 2,636
*Merrimac 2,392
*Groveland 2,336
*Salisbury 2,194
*Hamilton 2,044
*Georgetown 1,853
*Middleton 1,712
*Nahant 1,654
*Lynnfield 1,594
*West Newbury 1,549
*Newbury 1,530
*Essex 1,465
*Rowley 1,356
*Wenham 1,119
*Topsfield 986
*Boxford 652

1940

County Total: 496,313

*Lynn (city) 98,123
*Lawrence (city) 84,323
*Haverhill (city) 46,752
*Salem (city) 41,213
*Beverly (city) 25,537
*Gloucester (city) 24,046
*Methuen 21,880
*Peabody (city) 21,711
*Saugus 14,825
*Danvers 14,179
*Newburyport (city) 13,916
*Andover 11,122
*Amesbury 10,862
*Marblehead 10,856
*Swampscott 10,761
*North Andover 7,524
*Ipswich 6,348
*Rockport 3,556
*Manchester 2,472
*Salisbury 2,376
*Middleton 2,348
*Merrimac 2,320
*Lynnfield 2,287
*Groveland 2,122
*Hamilton 2,037
*Nahant 1,835
*Georgetown 1,803
*Newbury 1,599
*Rowley 1,533
*West Newbury 1,515
*Essex 1,384
*Wenham 1,220
*Topsfield 1,150
*Boxford 778

1950

County Total: 522,384

*Lynn (city) 99,738
*Lawrence (city) 80,536
*Haverhill (city) 47,280
*Salem (city) 41,880
*Beverly (city) 28,884
*Gloucester (city) 25,167
*Methuen 24,477
*Peabody (city) 22,645
*Saugus 17,162
*Danvers 15,720
*Newburyport (city) 14,111
*Marblehead 13,765
*Andover 12,437
*Swampscott 11,580
*Amesbury 10,851
*North Andover 8,485
*Ipswich 6,895
*Rockport 4,231
*Lynnfield 3,927
*Middleton 2,916
*Manchester 2,868
*Merrimac 2,804
*Hamilton 2,764
*Salisbury 2,695
*Nahant 2,679
*Georgetown 2,411
*Groveland 2,340
*Newbury 1,994
*Essex 1,794
*Rowley 1,768
*Wenham 1,644
*West Newbury 1,598
*Topsfield 1,412
*Boxford 926

1960

County Total: 568,831

*Lynn (city) 94,478
*Lawrence (city) 70,933
*Haverhill (city) 46,346
*Salem (city) 39,211
*Beverly (city) 36,108
*Peabody (city) 32,202
*Methuen 28,114
*Gloucester (city) 25,789
*Danvers 21,926
*Saugus 20,666
*Marblehead 18,521
*Andover 17,134
*Newburyport (city) 14,004
*Swampscott 13,294
*North Andover 10,908
*Amesbury 10,787
*Ipswich 8,544
*Lynnfield 8,398
*Hamilton 5,488
*Rockport 4,616
*Nahant 3,960
*Manchester 3,932
*Georgetown 3,755
*Middleton 3,718
*Topsfield 3,351
*Groveland 3,297
*Merrimac 3,261
*Salisbury 3,154
*Wenham 2,798
*Rowley 2,783
*Newbury 2,519
*Essex 2,238
*Boxford 2,010
*West Newbury 1,844

1970

County Total: 637,887

*Lynn (city) 90,294
*Lawrence (city) 66,915
*Peabody (city) 48,080
*Haverhill (city) 46,120
*Salem (city) 40,556
*Beverly (city) 38,348
*Methuen 35,456
*Gloucester (city) 27,941
*Danvers 26,151
*Saugus 25,110
*Andover 23,695
*Marblehead 21,295
*North Andover 16,284
*Newburyport (city) 15,807
*Swampscott 13,578
*Amesbury 11,388
*Lynnfield 10,826
*Ipswich 10,750
*Hamilton 6,373
*Rockport 5,636
*Groveland 5,382
*Georgetown 5,290
*Topsfield 5,225
*Manchester 5,151
*Merrimac 4,245
*Salisbury 4,179
*Nahant 4,119
*Middleton 4,044
*Boxford 4,032
*Wenham 3,849
*Newbury 3,804
*Rowley 3,040
*Essex 2,670
*West Newbury 2,254

1980

County Total: 633,688

*Lynn (city) 78,471
*Lawrence (city) 63,175
*Haverhill (city) 46,865
*Peabody (city) 45,976
*Salem (city) 38,276
*Beverly (city) 37,655
*Methuen 36,701
*Gloucester (city) 27,768
*Andover 26,370
*Saugus 24,746
*Danvers 24,100
*North Andover 20,129
*Marblehead 20,126
*Newburyport (city) 15,900
*Amesbury 13,971
*Swampscott 13,837
*Lynnfield 11,267
*Ipswich 11,158
*Hamilton 6,960
*Rockport 6,345
*Salisbury 5,973
*Topsfield 5,709
*Georgetown 5,687
*Manchester 5,424
*Boxford 5,374
*Groveland 5,040
*Newbury 4,529
*Merrimac 4,451
*Middleton 4,135
*Nahant 3,947
*Wenham 3,897
*Rowley 3,867
*Essex 2,998
*West Newbury 2,861

1990

County Total: 670,080

*Lynn (city) 81,245
*Lawrence (city) 70,207
*Haverhill (city) 51,418
*Peabody (city) 47,264
*Methuen 39,990
*Beverly (city) 38,195
*Salem (city) 38,091
*Andover 29,151
*Gloucester (city) 28,716
*Saugus 25,549
*Danvers 24,174
*North Andover 22,792
*Marblehead 19,971
*Newburyport (city) 16,317
*Amesbury 14,997
*Swampscott 13,650
*Ipswich 11,873
*Lynnfield 11,049
*Rockport 7,482
*Hamilton 7,280
*Salisbury 6,882
*Georgetown 6,384
*Boxford 6,266
*Topsfield 5,754
*Newbury 5,623
*Manchester 5,286
*Groveland 5,214
*Merrimac 5,166
*Middleton 4,921
*Rowley 4,452
*Wenham 4,212
*Nahant 3,828
*West Newbury 3,421
*Essex 3,260

2000

County Total: 723,419

*Lynn (city) 89,050
*Lawrence (city) 72,043
*Haverhill (city) 58,969
*Peabody (city) 48,129
*Methuen 43,789
*Salem (city) 40,407
*Beverly (city) 39,862
*Andover 31,247
*Gloucester (city) 30,273
*North Andover 27,202
*Saugus 26,078
*Danvers 25,212
*Marblehead 20,377
*Newburyport (city) 17,189
*Amesbury 16,450
*Swampscott 14,412
*Ipswich 12,987
*Lynnfield 11,542
*Hamilton 8,315
*Boxford 7,921
*Salisbury 7,827
*Rockport 7,767
*Middleton 7,744
*Georgetown 7,377
*Newbury 6,717
*Topsfield 6,141
*Merrimac 6,138
*Groveland 6,038
*Rowley 5,500
*Manchester-by-the-Sea 5,228
*Wenham 4,440
*West Newbury 4,149
*Nahant 3,632
*Essex 3,267

Notes

1960 Census

The Census Bureau made a number of revisions to 1960 census totals subsequent to their initial release. When it did so, however, it appears to have updated municipal totals only, not overall county totals, even though in most cases changing municipal totals should have caused county totals to change. The 1960 total for Essex County was originally reported as 568,831; and for the town of Andover, 15,878. The total for Andover was later revised to that shown in the list above (17,134). This should have caused the county total to change as well (to 570,087), but subsequent census publications have continued to list the county total as it was originally reported (568,831). As a result, in the list above, the municipal totals for 1960 do not add to the county total. The 1960 state total for Massachusetts that appears in various Census materials (5,148,578) likewise reflects the original 1960 total for Essex County, and does not take into account the revision made to the population of Andover.

1980 Census The Census Bureau made a number of revisions to 1980 census totals subsequent to their initial release. The 1980 total for Essex County was originally reported as 633,632; and for the city of Salem, 38,220. The totals were later revised to those shown in the list above.

1990 Census

The Census Bureau made a number of revisions to 1990 census totals subsequent to their initial release. The 1990 total for the city of Peabody was originally reported as 47,039; and for the town of Lynnfield, 11,274. The totals were later revised to those shown in the list above. This was apparently done to correct an assignment error between the two municipalities; the collective population of the two is the same using either set of figures, so the county total was not affected.

pecial note regarding Amesbury and Methuen

Amesbury and Methuen are among eleven municipalities in Massachusetts whose status as towns or cities is a matter of some ambiguity. This ambiguity is the result of questions around the legal status of towns which have since the 1970s, through home-rule petition, adopted forms of government that resemble city government and do not include the elements traditionally associated with town government (e.g., a board of selectmen, a town meeting). Of the eleven communities that have done so, all but one have generally continued to use the title "town" and are usually referred to by residents as "towns", but the Massachusetts Secretary of State's Office considers all eleven to be legally cities. Other sources within state government often refer to all eleven municipalities as towns, however. Massachusetts seems to be the only New England state where this type of issue has arisen, even though other New England states also have municipalities which have adopted what amount to city forms of government but continue to call themselves "towns". In the other states, it does not appear that any need to officially label such municipalities as "cities" has been identified.

For purposes of the New England town page and its attendant pages, the ten affected communities which call themselves "towns", including Amesbury and Methuen, are classified as towns. The reader should be aware, however, that some sources will identify these municipalities as cities. Methuen adopted its present form of government in 1973; it is unclear when Amesbury did.

The Census Bureau has been inconsistent in its handling of these municipalities. The Census Bureau listed all as towns through the 1990 Census. For the 2000 Census, some were inexplicably listed as towns and some as cities, a situation which continues in current Census materials. In the 2000 Census, Methuen was one of those listed as a city, but Amesbury was listed as a town. As of 2006, Amesbury is still shown as a town in current Census materials.

ee also

*United States Census
*Essex County, Massachusetts