COUNTY REPORT MA

Essex County, Massachusetts

59 ZIP codes · Avg score 57/100 · Grade C · Updated

ZipCheckup grade for Essex County: C.

A mixed picture - some signals here are worth your attention.

While Essex County avoids the worst tiers, a portion of its 59 ZIP codes have logged violations.

How Essex County Compares

Essex County57/100
Massachusetts avg70/100
National avg73/100

How Essex County Compares

C
County Grade
57/100
Avg Safety Score
59
ZIP Codes
37
Water Systems

Essex County scores 13 points below the Massachusetts state average (70/100) and 16 points below the national average (73/100).

Data: ZipCheckup Home Safety Score model 4.0.0; EPA SDWIS, UCMR 5, EPA radon zones, EPA AirData Last verified:

C
County Grade
57
Avg Safety Score
59
ZIP Codes
Haverhill
Best ZIP: 01830 (67/100)
Middleton
Lowest ZIP: 01949 (45/100)
$634K
Median Home Value
$2,707
Avg Remediation (43% of home value)

ZIP Code Risk Map

Water Quality Map: Essex County, Massachusetts

Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.

A B C D F

Key Risk Factors

Health risk index: 11.7 (asthma 11.5%, diabetes 10.3%)

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $2,869, driven primarily by flood

74.5% of homes built before 1978 (lead paint era)

Violation History (2021–2022)

→ Stable trend

EPA violation counts by year across Essex County water systems. Health-based shown in red, total in blue.

2021
3 (3 health)
2022
2 (2 health)

Peak year: 2021 with 3 violations. Past 5 years: 5 total (5 health-based).

Source: EPA SDWIS historical violations. Data may lag 6–12 months for the most recent year.

County Health Indicators vs National Average

Asthma 11.5% (national: 8.9%)
Diabetes 10.3% (national: 10.5%)
Obesity 30% (national: 32.4%)

Black markers indicate national averages. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Infrastructure Overview

1962
Median Build Year
74.5%
Pre-1978 Housing
47/100
Infrastructure Stress Indicator
70%
ZIPs with High Infrastructure Stress
High
Lead Pipe Risk

Modeled area-level indicator, not a failure probability. Sources: Census ACS housing age, EPA DWINS infrastructure needs, EPA SDWIS violations, and EPA lead indicators.

Compound Risk Breakdown

Estimated additional annual cost per homeowner: $2,869

Flood $1,476/yr
Energy Code Gap $515/yr
Sea Level Rise $400/yr

Bar widths proportional to share of total annual risk cost. Source: compound risk model (FEMA, EPA, USGS).

Housing Age Distribution

336,666 housing units in Essex County

Pre-1940 35%
1940–1959 15%
1960–1979 20%
1980–1999 18%
2000+ 11%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034 (Year Structure Built).

Water Safety Affordability

How much it costs to fix water issues relative to home values in Essex County

$634K
Median Home Value
$2,707
Est. Remediation Cost
0.4%
of Home Value
Remediation as % of home value low burden

Remediation costs are relatively manageable for most homeowners in Essex County, representing a small fraction of property value.

Remediation includes water filtration, lead abatement, radon mitigation, and flood protection where applicable. Source: Census ACS, EPA SDWIS.

Health Outcomes vs National Average

CDC PLACES data for Essex County residents

Asthma 11.5% (US avg: 8.9%)
Diabetes 10.3% (US avg: 11%)
Obesity 30% (US avg: 32.4%)

Black markers = national averages. Red = above national avg. Green = below. Source: CDC PLACES, Census ACS.

Water systems serving Essex County

8 community water systems serving Essex County.

Show all 8 water systems

37 total water systems serve Essex County.

Systems with the most violations in Essex County

5 water systems with recorded EPA violations.

All ZIP Codes in Essex County

59 ZIP codes tracked in Essex County.

# ZIP Code City Safety Score Grade Violations Home Value
1 01830 Haverhill 67 C 0 $436K
2 01832 Haverhill 67 C 0 $410K
3 01835 Haverhill 67 C 0 $431K
4 01841 Lawrence 67 C 0 $394K
5 01843 Lawrence 67 C 0 $394K
6 01867 Reading 67 C 1 $741K
7 01907 Swampscott 67 C 0 $691K
8 01915 Beverly 67 C 0 $620K
9 01930 Gloucester 67 C 0 $588K
10 01945 Marblehead 67 C 0 $905K
11 01966 Rockport 67 C 0 $693K
12 01970 Salem 67 C 0 $498K
13 01833 Georgetown 65 C 1 $615K
14 01844 Methuen 65 C 1 $472K
15 01908 Nahant 65 C 1 $686K
16 01913 Amesbury 65 C 2 $475K
17 01810 Andover 64 C 2 (2 health) $814K
18 01845 North Andover 64 C 2 (2 health) $670K
19 01906 Saugus 64 C 1 (1 health) $590K
20 01834 Groveland 50 D 0 $572K
21 01901 Lynn 50 D 0 $343K
22 01902 Lynn 50 D 0 $456K
23 01904 Lynn 50 D 0 $515K
24 01905 Lynn 50 D 0 $443K
25 01923 Danvers 50 D 1 (1 health) $611K
26 01938 Ipswich 50 D 2 $701K
27 01944 Manchester 50 D 0 $932K
28 01960 Peabody 50 D 0 $567K
29 01982 South Hamilton 50 D 0 $689K
30 01984 Wenham 50 D 0 $842K
31 01860 Merrimac 49 D 1 $531K
32 01950 Newburyport 49 D 1 $792K
33 01951 Newbury 49 D 1 $808K
34 01952 Salisbury 49 D 1 $450K
35 01969 Rowley 49 D 1 $634K
36 01985 West Newbury 49 D 1 $766K
37 01983 Topsfield 47 D 2 $810K
38 01940 Lynnfield 45 D 4 $891K
39 01949 Middleton 45 D 4 $713K
40 01812 Andover — — —
41 01831 Haverhill — — —
42 01840 Lawrence — — 0 —
43 01842 Lawrence — — —
44 01885 West Boxford — — —
45 01899 Andover — — —
46 01903 Lynn — — —
47 01910 Lynn — — —
48 01921 Boxford — — $875K
49 01922 Byfield — — 1 $728K
50 01929 Essex — — 0 $828K
51 01931 Gloucester — — —
52 01936 Hamilton — — —
53 01937 Hathorne — — 1 (1 health) —
54 01961 Peabody — — —
55 01965 Prides Crossing — — 0 $665K
56 01971 Salem — — —
57 02153 Medford — — —
58 05501 Andover — — —
59 05544 Andover — — —

Recommended Buyer Guides for Essex County

Editorial methodology pairs each documented risk in this county with the buyer category that addresses it, drawing on water-quality detections, housing-stock lead exposure, EPA Radon Zone designation, and FEMA flood and wildfire ratings. NSF-certified options surface where applicable, and products that match the specific contaminant take priority.

Deep Dive Reports

Detailed analysis for Essex County, Massachusetts

Overview

Essex County in Massachusetts covers 59 tracked ZIP records with an average Home Safety Score of C (57/100) across 39 scored records.

21 of 44 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record have recorded EPA violations. 4 health-based violations appear in the available health breakdown.

← Back to Massachusetts Home Safety Profile

Data Sources

Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is water safe in Essex County?
Essex County receives a grade of C. Some ZIP codes have recorded violations and residents in affected areas may want to test their water.
How many water systems serve Essex County?
Essex County is served by 37 public water systems that supply drinking water to residents across 59 ZIP codes.
What is the biggest environmental risk in Essex County?
The primary environmental risk factor in Essex County is flood. This contributes to an estimated additional annual cost of $2,869 per homeowner.
How old are homes in Essex County?
The median home build year in Essex County is 1962. 74.5% of homes were built before 1978, which means they may contain lead-based paint and older plumbing materials.
How does Essex County compare to Massachusetts?
Essex County has an average Home Safety Score of 57/100 under model 4.0.0, which is below the Massachusetts state average of 70/100.

How to cite this page

APA ZipCheckup. (2026). Essex County, MA: HSS 57/100; 4 Health Violations. https://zipcheckup.com/county/massachusetts/essex/
BibTeX 
@misc{zipcheckup-county-massachusetts-essex,
  author = {{ZipCheckup}},
  title  = {{Essex County, MA: HSS 57/100; 4 Health Violations}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://zipcheckup.com/county/massachusetts/essex/}
}

Page version: August 2026.

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