Earned vs. Unearned Income — 2019, across MA
Shading: Earned vs. Unearned Income
Lower (-5.68 pts to -5.52 pts)Lower-middle (-2.06 pts to -1.05 pts)Middle (-0.72 pts to +2.15 pts)Upper-middle (+3.19 pts to +6.10 pts)Higher (+6.41 pts to +18.48 pts)
Each unit is shaded by its Earned vs. Unearned Income 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, 36.23% of income comes from sources other than work — 12.23 pts above the national median (24.00%), the 2nd-highest of 14 shown.
Ranked by Earned vs. Unearned Income among the 14 units measured here for 2019. Rank groups them into equal-count bands (Lower→Higher). Typical (median) here: 25.96%.
UnitUnearned shareRank
Dukes County42.48%Higher
Barnstable County (selected)36.23%Higher
Nantucket County30.41%Higher
Berkshire County30.10%Upper-middle
Franklin County28.20%Upper-middle
Hampshire County27.19%Upper-middle
Middlesex County26.15%Middle
Norfolk County25.76%Middle
Suffolk County23.28%Middle
Essex County22.95%Lower-middle
Plymouth County22.69%Lower-middle
Hampden County21.94%Lower-middle
Worcester County18.48%Lower
Bristol County18.32%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 Earned vs. Unearned Income for 2019; units without a value for this measure/year are shown as “no data.”

Earned vs. Unearned Income

2022: Elevated Unearned Income map ↗
Amount% of total% of bucket
Total income$14.39B100.0%
Earned$9.03B62.7%
Wages$7.30B50.7%80.9%
Self-employment$1.73B12.0%19.1%
Unearned$5.37B37.3%
Retirement$2.24B15.5%41.7%
Investment$2.07B14.4%38.6%
Transfers$864.41M6.0%16.1%
Other/unclassified$191.06M1.3%3.6%
135,210 returns filed
2021: Elevated Unearned Income map ↗
Amount% of total% of bucket
Total income$15.07B100.0%
Earned$8.87B58.8%
Wages$7.11B47.2%80.2%
Self-employment$1.76B11.7%19.8%
Unearned$6.20B41.2%
Retirement$2.12B14.0%34.1%
Investment$2.91B19.3%46.9%
Social Security$731.06M4.9%11.8%
Unemployment$309.65M2.1%5.0%
Other/unclassified$136.28M0.9%2.2%
134,100 returns filed
2020: Elevated Unearned Income map ↗
Amount% of total% of bucket
Total income$12.63B100.0%
Earned$7.86B62.2%
Wages$6.59B52.2%83.8%
Self-employment$1.27B10.1%16.2%
Unearned$4.77B37.8%
Retirement$1.80B14.2%37.7%
Investment$1.95B15.5%40.9%
Social Security$654.79M5.2%13.7%
Unemployment$567.44M4.5%11.9%
Other/unclassified-$200.96M-1.6%-4.2%
136,960 returns filed
2019: Elevated Unearned Income map ↗ ▶ on map
Amount% of total% of bucket
Total income$11.41B100.0%
Earned$7.27B63.8%
Wages$6.05B53.1%83.2%
Self-employment$1.22B10.7%16.8%
Unearned$4.13B36.2%
Retirement$1.85B16.2%44.8%
Investment$1.59B14.0%38.6%
Transfers$670.64M5.9%16.2%
Other/unclassified$15.34M0.1%0.4%
129,610 returns filed
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