Essex County Massachusetts

Essex county, MA has an attractive, broad coastline. Being one of the first places in America to be settled, fishing has always been a prominent industry in this county.

A Google search of Essex County, Massachusetts, produces the usual links to meals, lodging and attractions, and a number of sites devoted to genealogy. It's one of the earliest parts of the country to be settled, with Ipswich celebrating its 375th anniversary in 2009. But Essex County isn't just Cabots and Lowells. It offers a rich cultural mix and access to Boston business by interstate highway or the Massachusetts "T" system.

Cape Ann, a coastal area jutting out into the Atlantic, holds much of Essex County. There's Gloucester, home of the Gorton's fish empire and laced with the cultures of the Portuguese and Italians who came to fish. Rockport is the home of a former fishing shack that remains the most painted and photographed building in America; Motif #1. It's easy to fall under the shopping spell of Rockport, with unique boutiques and candy companies crammed into the Bearskin Neck area. But the ocean is still the main event here, and at the end of Bearskin Neck, the mighty Atlantic waits for painting, photos or just contemplation. Fun fact: the fried clam was invented in the town of Essex, an Essex County town, in 1916 by Lawrence "Chubby" Woodman.

Newburyport is another coastal town, with a red-brick downtown made for strolling. You can take in a play at the Firehouse, have a cup of coffee at Fowle's Drugstore, or browse in the bookstore at the Tannery. The county offers museums such as the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, and wildlife sanctuaries in Ipswich and Newburyport.

Essex County is more than a postcard, however. The workaday towns of Lynn and Saugus, Haverhill and Lawrence offer business opportunities -- and Boston is just minutes away. When the T-shirt shops and saltwater taffy emporiums are shuttered for the winter, thousands of families live their year-round lives in Essex County towns.

In the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the county was $51,576, and the median income for a family was $63,746. Males had a median income of $44,569 versus $32,369 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,358. About 6.60 percent of families and 8.90 percent of the population were below the poverty line.

Essex County combines the North Shore's rich past with a productive present and hope for the future. A Prudential Verani Realtor® can help you find your Essex County home.