British Population in Massachusetts by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to U.S. Census estimates, the British population in Massachusetts totals 28,688. Every county in the state reports a non-zero population, with Middlesex County leading at 9,599, followed by Norfolk County (3,258) and Worcester County (3,151). This demographic analysis ranks all counties in Massachusetts by their British population, offering insights into regional distribution patterns and highlighting county-level concentrations across the state.

Top 5 counties with the largest British population in Massachusetts

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  • 1
    Middlesex County
    British population in Middlesex County is 9,599
    0.59% of Middlesex County population is British
  • 2
    Norfolk County
    British population in Norfolk County is 3,258
    0.45% of Norfolk County population is British
  • 3
    Worcester County
    British population in Worcester County is 3,151
    0.37% of Worcester County population is British
  • 4
    Essex County
    British population in Essex County is 2,933
    0.36% of Essex County population is British
  • 5
    Suffolk County
    British population in Suffolk County is 2,716
    0.35% of Suffolk County population is British

Overview of British population in Massachusetts

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Massachusetts contains 28,688 British residents (0.41% of 7.0 million total state population), positioning the state at the 62nd percentile nationally among U.S. states for British population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show Massachusetts's British demographic representation of 0.41% remains below the national average of 0.45%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey document Massachusetts's 28,688 British residents constitute 1.9% of the nation's total British population of 1.5 million, providing the state with a measurable but modest share of the national demographic community.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey document Massachusetts with 3.7 British Americans per square mile, more than eight times the national average density of 0.42 per square mile, placing the state among jurisdictions with significantly elevated demographic concentrations nationally.
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14 Counties in Massachusetts Ranked by British Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show British populations across every county in Massachusetts, with demographic distributions ranging from the highest population in Middlesex County to the lowest in $rank_n_geo_name. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all counties included in this analysis*.
counties in Massachusetts ranked by British population count
Rank by British Population
County
British Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total Massachusetts British Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Middlesex County 9,599 0.59% 33.46%
2 Norfolk County 3,258 0.45% 11.36%
3 Worcester County 3,151 0.37% 10.98%
4 Essex County 2,933 0.36% 10.22%
5 Suffolk County 2,716 0.35% 9.47%
6 Barnstable County 1,497 0.65% 5.22%
7 Plymouth County 1,205 0.23% 4.20%
8 1,054 0.18% 3.67%
9 1,018 0.65% 3.55%
10 903 0.20% 3.15%
11 619 0.48% 2.16%
12 593 0.84% 2.07%
13 104 0.50% 0.36%
14 38 0.27% 0.13%
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks county in Massachusetts by their British population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines British population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having British ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as British alone, while others identify as British along with another race (such as British and German).
  • We’ve used the “British alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the British population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as British alone or in combination in county. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as British .
  2. % of Total Massachusetts British Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. British population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small British populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • County that don’t have any reported British population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where British populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.