Living in Essex

In Essex, unemployment is 6.2% (2024).

At the end of 2020, Essex had a population of 40,505. An unemployment rate of 6.22% was measured at the end of 2024. Essex was home to 3,370 foreign residents at the end of 2024.

Last checked 2026-10-0726 sources

Population40,505people31 Dec 2020Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 2020

Median gross salary3,329EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables

Median rent1,219EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records

Unemployment rate6.22%country median 4.6% — 36% aboveOfficial source · Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)

PM2.5, annual mean7.43µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData

Higher unemployment than 74% of American cities that publish it and dirtier air than 61% of American cities that publish it.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Essex?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in Essex.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€60

Mobile plan, 10 GB€22

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	60.38 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Verizon 300 Mbps home internet¹²Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	21.57 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Visible unlimited mobile plan¹³Official · national market
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,225 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent)³Official
Median monthly rent	1,219 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records²Official

Is Essex a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker31%strong on work, weak on safety · range 21–41%

Skilled employee57%strong on work, weak on safety · range 48–66%

Student38%strong on legal route, weak on safety · range 27–49%

Family52%strong on family, weak on safety · range 41–63%

Retirement37%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 24–50%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Essex?

The median gross salary is about 3,329 EUR/month (2020-2024). Source: 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables¹

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

What is the unemployment rate in Essex?

The unemployment rate is about 6.2 % (2024).

Unemployment rate: 6.22 % · Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁵

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Essex is 6.2%. Of 2,153 cities with data, 1,250 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.

1,250

778

0–55–1010–1515–2020–2525–30

Essex 6.2%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary	3,329 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables¹Official
Unemployment rate	6.22 %country median 4.6%	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁵Official

What does a salary buy in Essex?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,319of €2,626 take-home

Rent
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€2,626
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) · 2020-12-31	− €1,225
Internet€60 · official · Verizon 300 Mbps home internet · 2026-09-30	− €60
Mobile plan€22 · official · Visible unlimited mobile plan · 2026-09-30	− €22
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities	—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish	€1,319

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Essex Salary needed to live in Essex

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Essex. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search

Open official service

Open the United States service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Essex. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Physicians per 100,000 residents	388.1 per 100,000	31 Dec 2023	Area Health Resources Files (AHRF), County 2024-2025 release⁴Official · county

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Essex when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Mobility and administration

Essex's nearest airport was BWI, 22 km away and offered 72 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	72 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁶Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	22 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁷Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	BWI	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁷Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Essex. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, HybridCost varies

Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, OnlineCost varies

Open official information

Open the full United States section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Essex.

Find courses near Essex

Climate and air quality

At the end of 2024, annual PM2.5 reached 7.4 µg/m³. Monthly mean temperatures were 1.3°C in January and 25.7°C in July.

Is the air quality good in Essex?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.4 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 7.43 µg/m³ · U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData¹¹

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

6°-4°

8°-3°

13°1°

19°6°

24°12°

29°17°

32°20°

30°19°

27°15°

20°8°

14°3°

9°-1°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

102

101

114

104

113

100

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.57.4WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Essex is 7.4 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 261 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.

135

261

252

124

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1010–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–16

Essex 7.4

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	7.43 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData¹¹Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by month	Jan 6.2 · Feb 8 · Mar 12.6 · Apr 19.2 · May 24.1 · Jun 29.1 · Jul 31.5 · Aug 30.3 · Sep 26.5 · Oct 20.2 · Nov 14.1 · Dec 8.6 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁴Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan -3.7 · Feb -2.8 · Mar 1.1 · Apr 6.4 · May 11.8 · Jun 17 · Jul 19.8 · Aug 18.8 · Sep 14.9 · Oct 8.1 · Nov 2.5 · Dec -1.3 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁵Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 1.3 · Feb 2.6 · Mar 6.9 · Apr 12.8 · May 18 · Jun 23 · Jul 25.7 · Aug 24.5 · Sep 20.7 · Oct 14.1 · Nov 8.3 · Dec 3.7 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 78.3 · Feb 73.7 · Mar 102 · Apr 86 · May 97.9 · Jun 101 · Jul 113.9 · Aug 103.8 · Sep 112.7 · Oct 100.1 · Nov 79.5 · Dec 94.2 mm	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁷Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5, highest monitored reading	21.8 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	US EPA Air Quality System (AQS)¹¹Official · nearest-station reading
PM2.5, annual mean	7.43 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	US EPA Air Quality System (AQS)¹¹Official · nearest-station reading
Annual precipitation	1,143 mm	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁷Official · nearest-station reading
Maximum July temperature	31.5 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁴Official · nearest-station reading
Average annual temperature	13.5 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁶Official · nearest-station reading
Minimum January temperature	-3.7 °C	31 Dec 1991	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)¹⁵Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In United States: Murfreesboro ±1.5 °C. Elsewhere: Reims (France) ±3.6 °C, Cottbus (Germany) ±3.7 °C, Markham (Canada) ±3.8 °C, Mississauga (Canada) ±3.8 °C, Richmond Hill (Canada) ±3.8 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

Essex covered an area of 24 km² at the end of 2025. The population density of Essex stood at 1,692.1 people per km² at the end of 2024.

How many people live in Essex?

The published population was 40,505 people in April 2020. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 2020¹⁰

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport91.7%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	23.98 km²	31 Dec 2025	U.S. Census Bureau (TIGERweb ArcGIS REST service)⁸Official
Foreign-resident share	8.3 %	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁵Official
Foreign residents	3,370 people	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁵Official
Population density	1,692 people/km²	31 Dec 2024	Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)⁵Official
Population	40,505 people	31 Dec 2020	U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 2020¹⁰Official

Alternatives for people set on Essex

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Ellicott City as an Essex alternative in the same region

30 km away, better on 4 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Median gross pay, city: €6,412 Ellicott City vs €3,329 Essex+93%
Foreign residents: 27.7% Ellicott City vs 8.3% Essex+233%
Unemployment: 3.0% Ellicott City vs 6.2% Essex−52%
Residents: 75,947 Ellicott City vs 40,505 Essex+88%
Annual PM2.5: 6.6 µg/m³ Ellicott City vs 7.4 µg/m³ Essex−11%

Full comparison More about Ellicott City

North Bethesda as an Essex alternative in the same country

65 km away, better on 4 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Foreign residents: 34.1% North Bethesda vs 8.3% Essex+311%
Median gross pay, city: €6,119 North Bethesda vs €3,329 Essex+84%
Unemployment: 3.6% North Bethesda vs 6.2% Essex−41%
Annual PM2.5: 5.9 µg/m³ North Bethesda vs 7.4 µg/m³ Essex−21%
Residents: 50,094 North Bethesda vs 40,505 Essex+24%

Full comparison More about North Bethesda

Cities near Essex

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Middle River 3.1 km away

Rent: 1,511 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 3,755 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Rosedale 5.6 km away

Rent: 1,273 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 3,865 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Bowleys Quarters 5.7 km away

Rent: 1,614 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 4,643 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Rossville 5.8 km away

Rent: 1,540 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 4,051 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Dundalk 6.6 km away

Rent: 1,361 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 3,301 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Overlea 8.3 km away

Rent: 1,361 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 4,387 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

White Marsh 8.4 km away

Rent: 1,831 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 4,890 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Edgemere 8.7 km away

Rent: 1,201 EUR/monthMedian monthly rent · 2020-12-31
Salary: 4,897 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Alternative cities in United States

Other cities in United States to compare with Essex, nearest in population first.

All United States cities

Lancaster40,526 residents DeKalb40,467 residents Westfield40,546 residents Fort Lee borough40,566 residents Prattville40,582 residents Dover40,592 residents

How does Essex compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Essex's.

Open the full comparison

Put Essex's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Essex?

The published population was 40,505 people in April 2020. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 2020.

Is the air quality good in Essex?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.4 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData.

What is the typical salary in Essex?

The median gross salary is about 3,329 EUR/month (2020-2024). Source: 2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables.

What is the unemployment rate in Essex?

The unemployment rate is about 6.2 % (2024). Source: Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS).

How many foreign residents live in Essex?

3,370 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS).

Is Essex a good place to live?

Essex may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Essex?

Middle River, Rosedale, Bowleys Quarters, Rossville, Dundalk are near Essex. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Essex, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 80d46563cf700b6db0aa924acc6b2336]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/essex/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_essex-united-states-population-rent-salary-jobs_6efa930e2d98,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Essex, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {80d46563cf700b6db0aa924acc6b2336},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/essex/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Essex, United States: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/essex/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 80d46563cf700b6db0aa924acc6b2336; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

2024 American Community Survey 5-year detailed tables api.census.gov · checked 2026-10-04
ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, table B25064 (Median Gross Rent), place records www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-18
ACS 2020-2024 5-year table-based Summary File, tables B25065 (Aggregate Gross Rent) and B25063 (Gross Rent, units with cash rent) www2.census.gov · checked 2026-09-19
Area Health Resources Files (AHRF), County 2024-2025 release data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-10-04
Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
U.S. Census Bureau (TIGERweb ArcGIS REST service) tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey api.census.gov · checked 2026-08-07
U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb Census 2020 tigerweb.geo.census.gov · checked 2026-08-05

Show 16 more sources

U.S. EPA Air Quality System / AirData aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
Verizon 300 Mbps home internet verizon.com · checked 2026-09-15
Visible unlimited mobile plan visible.com · checked 2026-09-15
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.