Buyer Income Premium — 2021, across MA
Where this is
Shading: Buyer Income Premium
Lower (+1.6% to +9.9%)Lower-middle (+19.4% to +22.0%)Middle (+25.8% to +26.6%)Upper-middle (+29.5% to +37.5%)Higher (+40.9% to +80.0%)
Each unit is shaded by its Buyer Income Premium value and grouped into equal-count bands (quantiles) against the other units shown — lighter = lower, darker = higher. It ranks position among the units in view; it does not grade places, and the ranges shift with which units are shown.
In Barnstable County, people who bought a home earned $139,420 — 26% more than the average tax return here ($110,859), the 9th-highest of 14 shown.
Ranked by Buyer Income Premium among the 14 units measured here for 2021. Rank groups them into equal-count bands (Lower→Higher). Typical (median) here: $141,400.
| Unit | Buyer income | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Nantucket County | $303,297 | Higher |
| Dukes County | $204,061 | Higher |
| Suffolk County | $207,341 | Higher |
| Hampshire County | $121,603 | Upper-middle |
| Bristol County | $104,939 | Upper-middle |
| Berkshire County | $108,297 | Upper-middle |
| Essex County | $143,537 | Middle |
| Plymouth County | $143,379 | Middle |
| Barnstable County (selected) | $139,420 | Middle |
| Worcester County | $110,827 | Lower-middle |
| Franklin County | $88,710 | Lower-middle |
| Hampden County | $81,743 | Lower-middle |
| Middlesex County | $183,686 | Lower |
| Norfolk County | $189,332 | Lower |
The map is bounded to this parent geography — it shows the selected unit among its own siblings only, the same depth rule the drill-down uses. Shading ranks position on the measure among the units shown; it does not grade places.
Shading by Buyer Income Premium for 2021; units without a value for this measure/year are shown as “no data.”
Buyer Income Premium
◆ 2022: Typical buyer-income gap (+49.4%) map ↗
| Average income | ||
| People who bought a home with a mortgage | $156,842 | |
| Everyone who filed taxes here | $104,956 | |
| Difference | ||
| Buyers earn | 1.49x | +49.4% |
| Typical county | 1.37x | |
| By what the buyer bought | ||
| Primary home | $156,842 | 1.49x · 2,049 purchases |
| Second home | $403,207 | 3.84x · 1,363 purchases |
| Investment property | $308,378 | 2.94x · 436 purchases |
2,049 home purchases · Homebuyers and tax filers are different groups of people, not a subset of one another · Counts completed home-purchase mortgages only — not refinances, and not applications that were denied or withdrawn · The headline figure counts primary-home buyers; first mortgages only · Sources: federal mortgage records; IRS county income data
◆ 2021: Typical buyer-income gap (+25.8%) map ↗ ▶ on map
| Average income | ||
| People who bought a home with a mortgage | $139,420 | |
| Everyone who filed taxes here | $110,859 | |
| Difference | ||
| Buyers earn | 1.26x | +25.8% |
| Typical county | 1.29x | |
| By what the buyer bought | ||
| Primary home | $139,420 | 1.26x · 2,570 purchases |
| Second home | $365,307 | 3.30x · 2,119 purchases |
| Investment property | $268,222 | 2.42x · 358 purchases |
2,570 home purchases · Homebuyers and tax filers are different groups of people, not a subset of one another · Counts completed home-purchase mortgages only — not refinances, and not applications that were denied or withdrawn · The headline figure counts primary-home buyers; first mortgages only · Sources: federal mortgage records; IRS county income data
◆ 2020: Typical buyer-income gap (+41.9%) map ↗
| Average income | ||
| People who bought a home with a mortgage | $128,697 | |
| Everyone who filed taxes here | $90,722 | |
| Difference | ||
| Buyers earn | 1.42x | +41.9% |
| Typical county | 1.42x | |
| By what the buyer bought | ||
| Primary home | $128,697 | 1.42x · 2,834 purchases |
| Second home | $1.31M | 14.43x · 2,454 purchases |
| Investment property | $225,712 | 2.49x · 260 purchases |
2,834 home purchases · Homebuyers and tax filers are different groups of people, not a subset of one another · Counts completed home-purchase mortgages only — not refinances, and not applications that were denied or withdrawn · The headline figure counts primary-home buyers; first mortgages only · Sources: federal mortgage records; IRS county income data
◆ 2019: Typical buyer-income gap (+37.2%) map ↗
| Average income | ||
| People who bought a home with a mortgage | $118,748 | |
| Everyone who filed taxes here | $86,539 | |
| Difference | ||
| Buyers earn | 1.37x | +37.2% |
| Typical county | 1.39x | |
| By what the buyer bought | ||
| Primary home | $118,748 | 1.37x · 2,646 purchases |
| Second home | $333,783 | 3.86x · 1,739 purchases |
| Investment property | $222,480 | 2.57x · 271 purchases |
2,646 home purchases · Homebuyers and tax filers are different groups of people, not a subset of one another · Counts completed home-purchase mortgages only — not refinances, and not applications that were denied or withdrawn · The headline figure counts primary-home buyers; first mortgages only · Sources: federal mortgage records; IRS county income data
Seasonal Homes & Place Type
▲ 2022: Seasonal housing is a defining feature (+32.62 pts) map ↗
| Homes kept for seasonal or occasional use | ||
| Share of all homes here | 35.6% ± 0.8 | |
| Number of homes | 58,696 | |
| All homes in the county | 165,068 | |
| Typical county | ||
| Share of all homes | 2.9% |
Destination Seasonal homes alongside a visitor-services economy — lodging, restaurants and recreation employ more people here than in a typical county.
| Compared with the national rate | ||
| Jobs in lodging and restaurants | 1.83× | above the national rate |
| Lodging jobs alone | 2.94× | above the national rate |
| Restaurant jobs alone | 1.66× | above the national rate |
American Community Survey 2022 five-year estimates · Seasonal-home counts are survey estimates, so they carry a margin of error (shown after the figure) · Counts housing units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. It cannot distinguish an owner's own cottage from a short-term rental, and says nothing about who owns it. · Job comparisons use federal employment records
▲ 2021: Seasonal housing is a defining feature (+33.24 pts) map ↗
| Homes kept for seasonal or occasional use | ||
| Share of all homes here | 36.3% ± 0.8 | |
| Number of homes | 59,794 | |
| All homes in the county | 164,523 | |
| Typical county | ||
| Share of all homes | 3.1% |
Destination Seasonal homes alongside a visitor-services economy — lodging, restaurants and recreation employ more people here than in a typical county.
| Compared with the national rate | ||
| Jobs in lodging and restaurants | 1.83× | above the national rate |
| Lodging jobs alone | 3.15× | above the national rate |
| Restaurant jobs alone | 1.65× | above the national rate |
American Community Survey 2021 five-year estimates · Seasonal-home counts are survey estimates, so they carry a margin of error (shown after the figure) · Counts housing units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. It cannot distinguish an owner's own cottage from a short-term rental, and says nothing about who owns it. · Job comparisons use federal employment records
▲ 2020: Seasonal housing is a defining feature (+34.27 pts) map ↗
| Homes kept for seasonal or occasional use | ||
| Share of all homes here | 37.5% ± 0.9 | |
| Number of homes | 61,473 | |
| All homes in the county | 164,064 | |
| Typical county | ||
| Share of all homes | 3.2% |
Destination Seasonal homes alongside a visitor-services economy — lodging, restaurants and recreation employ more people here than in a typical county.
| Compared with the national rate | ||
| Jobs in lodging and restaurants | 1.71× | above the national rate |
| Lodging jobs alone | 2.66× | above the national rate |
| Restaurant jobs alone | 1.57× | above the national rate |
American Community Survey 2020 five-year estimates · This estimate predates the 2020 Census re-benchmarking and is not directly comparable with 2021 or later figures · Seasonal-home counts are survey estimates, so they carry a margin of error (shown after the figure) · Counts housing units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. It cannot distinguish an owner's own cottage from a short-term rental, and says nothing about who owns it. · Job comparisons use federal employment records
▲ 2019: Seasonal housing is a defining feature (+35.04 pts) map ↗
| Homes kept for seasonal or occasional use | ||
| Share of all homes here | 38.3% ± 0.8 | |
| Number of homes | 62,643 | |
| All homes in the county | 163,557 | |
| Typical county | ||
| Share of all homes | 3.3% |
Destination Seasonal homes alongside a visitor-services economy — lodging, restaurants and recreation employ more people here than in a typical county.
| Compared with the national rate | ||
| Jobs in lodging and restaurants | 1.76× | above the national rate |
| Lodging jobs alone | 2.62× | above the national rate |
| Restaurant jobs alone | 1.61× | above the national rate |
American Community Survey 2019 five-year estimates · This estimate predates the 2020 Census re-benchmarking and is not directly comparable with 2021 or later figures · Seasonal-home counts are survey estimates, so they carry a margin of error (shown after the figure) · Counts housing units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. It cannot distinguish an owner's own cottage from a short-term rental, and says nothing about who owns it. · Job comparisons use federal employment records