Impact Essex County

How is our county doing?

In Essex County, almost 900 people were arrested for drug-related crimes in 2021 - a rate of about 1.1 arrests per 1,000 residents. This is slightly higher than the statewide figure of 0.8. Lawrence (3.8), Haverhill (2.4), Salem (1.6) and West Newbury (1.5) had the highest rates in Essex County in 2021. In general, the rate of arrests for drug-related crimes has declined since a peak of 2.0 in 2007.

Notes about the data

Comparable national data was not available. The City of Lawrence did not report data prior to 2020. Comparable data for Lake, IL was not available for 2021. Differences in rates may reflect a variety of factors, including differences in laws and law enforcement priorities, in addition the severity of drug activity in an area.

Drug-Related Arrests

	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Essex County, MA	1.0	1.1	1.0	0.8	0.9	1.2	1.2	2.0	1.9	1.1	1.0	1.0	1.3	1.7	1.7	1.6	1.4	1.3	1.3	0.8	1.0	1.1
Amesbury	3.8	4.9	2.7	2.1	3.3	3.5	3.8	4.2	2.5	0.8	0.9	0.9	1.5	1.6	0.8	1.8	1.7	1.1	0.6	0.2	0.5	0.4
Beverly	0.9	2.1	3.2	2.4	2.8	2.8	2.0	2.9	2.6	1.7	3.4	1.2	1.5	1.2	1.1	1.3	0.7	0.7	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.3
Gloucester		1.4	2.2	2.0	1.0	0.7	1.5	1.3	0.7	1.3	1.7	1.6	1.4	1.8	1.4	1.6	1.2	0.8	1.4	1.0	0.5	1.4
Haverhill					0.7	2.8	3.1	3.3	2.9	2.0	1.3	2.0	2.5	2.7	3.5	3.2	2.8	2.6	3.7	2.0	2.0	2.4
Lawrence																					5.0	3.8
Lynn								4.8	3.4	1.7	1.6	2.0	2.4	3.6	2.6	2.6	2.5	1.9	1.4	1.3	1.0	0.7
Methuen			0.5	0.3	0.1	0.3	0.7	1.5	4.1	3.1	1.1	2.5	2.4	4.7	5.1	4.9	4.1	4.3	5.1	1.8	0.6	0.5
Newburyport	1.2	1.2		0.7	1.4	1.7	2.4	1.9	4.7	0.3	1.0	0.3	1.7	3.7	1.2	1.1	0.8	0.3	0.7	0.2	0.2	0.1
Peabody	2.4	2.7	2.7	1.9	1.6	2.0	1.6	1.4	1.8	0.6	0.7	1.3	1.2	0.7	1.3	1.0	1.0	0.9	1.1	0.6	0.2	0.1
Salem													1.7	3.8	3.3	2.6	1.8	2.5	2.2	2.3	1.1	1.6
Andover	4.7	3.0	1.9	0.5	1.2	2.0	1.4	3.6	4.1	3.4	2.4	1.3	1.3	1.2	3.1	4.0	2.4	2.1	1.3	0.7	0.2	0.3
Boxford	0.1	0.3	0.7	0.6	0.2						0.1
Danvers	0.8	2.2	2.0	1.7	2.4	4.0	4.5	3.1	3.1	1.3	0.8	0.6	0.8	0.8	0.5	0.4	0.9	0.9	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6
Essex																					0.3	0.5
Georgetown									0.1	0.1	0.9		0.1	0.2	0.5	0.2	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.7		0.2
Groveland	3.8	3.5	3.4	1.6	1.6	2.1	2.2	5.0	1.5	0.1	1.9	0.3	0.2	0.3	1.2	0.6				0.3	0.2	0.2
Hamilton			1.1	0.5	1.6	3.0	2.8	1.8	0.2				1.2	0.6	0.3	0.6	0.1	0.5				0.1
Ipswich		0.5	0.7	0.4	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.4	0.7	0.1	0.8	0.3	0.2	0.5	0.2	0.5	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.3	0.2
Lynnfield	0.4	0.9	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.5	0.2	0.3	0.5	0.4	0.4		0.2	0.1	0.2	0.1
Manchester								0.4	0.4		0.2	0.4	0.2	1.0	0.6	0.2	1.3	1.3	0.4	0.2	0.9	0.4
Marblehead	1.7	1.7	1.2	0.8	1.4	1.0	1.1	1.0	1.1	0.3	0.1	0.2	0.5	0.4	0.1	0.1	0.1		0.1	0.1	0.1
Merrimac			1.3	1.1	0.8	0.9	1.1	0.9	0.5	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.6	0.3		0.4	0.6	0.1	0.6			0.1
Middleton			0.1	0.1				0.2							0.1	0.2	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1
Nahant	0.6	1.9	1.4	0.6	0.6	0.3	0.8	0.8	0.8	1.1	0.9		0.6		0.6			0.3
Newbury	2.2	1.8	2.6	0.5		2.7		1.6	2.3	3.0	0.8	0.3	0.7	0.3	1.9	1.7	1.0	0.4	0.4	0.3		0.1
North Andover	0.9	1.4	0.8	0.5	0.3	0.5	0.7	1.1	1.2	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.3	0.1	0.4	0.2	1.0	2.0	1.3	0.7	0.2	0.2
Rockport						0.1	1.7	0.3	0.5	0.3	0.4	0.1	0.1	0.4	0.3				0.1
Rowley	0.9	2.2	2.3	0.9	2.5	1.6	0.7	0.9	0.9	1.7	0.3	0.9	0.3	1.3	1.0	1.0	0.3	0.3	0.2		0.2	0.3
Salisbury	17.6	9.7	4.0	3.1	2.5	1.8	3.4	3.4	3.7	1.2	3.4	1.1	3.7	4.3	4.1	3.6	4.5	4.4	3.0	2.3	1.0	1.3
Saugus	2.1	2.2	1.0	1.3	1.1	0.9	1.3	1.3	1.5	0.7	1.0	0.9	1.4	0.7	0.6	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.2	0.4	0.2
Swampscott	0.8	0.2	0.5	0.1	0.4	1.2	0.6	0.7	0.8	0.4	0.3	0.9	0.3	0.6	0.4	0.4	0.4		0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Topsfield			1.1	5.6	4.6	0.7	1.5	0.8		0.3	0.3		0.2			0.3	0.9	0.5	0.9	0.6	0.3
Wenham			0.2	1.5	2.0	1.6	2.7	1.1	1.1	0.2	1.2	0.2	0.8	1.0		0.2
West Newbury	2.2	3.3	2.1	2.3	2.8	3.3	2.6	2.6	1.8	0.5	0.5	1.2	0.5	0.7	0.5		0.9	0.2	0.4		0.2	1.5
Middlesex County, MA	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.9	1.0	1.2	0.7	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.4	0.4
Lake County, IL	5.6	5.2	5.0	4.8	5.3	5.4	5.5	5.7	4.7	4.8	5.0	5.3	5.9	6.3	6.3	6.2	5.3	3.6	2.7	1.9	1.1
Westchester County, NY	2.2	2.4	2.4	2.9	3.3	3.6	3.8	3.8	3.5	3.3	3.4	3.6	4.0	4.2	3.3	2.6	2.5	2.4	2.9	2.3	1.3	0.9
Massachusetts	1.2	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.6	1.8	1.9	2.0	2.1	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.1	1.2	1.1	1.0	0.9	0.8	0.8

Source: Massachusetts State Police, Illinois State Police and New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services

Number of Drug-Related Arrests

	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Essex County, MA	722	807	726	550	639	864	907	1,450	1,431	819	755	731	974	1,303	1,283	1,253	1,079	1,042	1,031	645	814	896
Amesbury	62	81	45	34	54	58	62	69	41	13	15	14	24	27	14	32	29	20	10	4	9	7
Beverly	35	84	127	94	110	111	79	115	103	68	136	46	61	50	46	53	29	27	13	13	7	13
Gloucester		43	66	60	31	22	46	39	22	41	48	46	40	52	42	47	36	24	41	30	14	42
Haverhill					41	170	187	199	177	122	80	120	156	170	215	199	175	162	239	126	130	155
Lawrence																					397	302
Lynn								418	297	152	146	180	220	326	237	241	228	175	128	127	98	64
Methuen			24	13	5	15	32	65	181	139	50	119	116	226	251	244	206	218	260	92	28	23
Newburyport	20	20		12	25	30	41	32	82	6	17	5	30	65	22	19	14	6	12	4	3	1
Peabody	116	132	133	91	81	99	80	70	90	30	34	65	60	37	67	52	51	49	58	33	12	7
Salem													70	162	141	112	76	109	96	98	47	70
Andover	149	98	61	17	38	65	48	118	137	116	81	44	43	40	110	140	84	74	46	26	7	12
Boxford	1	2	6	5	2						1
Danvers	19	56	51	43	63	104	121	84	85	34	20	17	22	23	14	10	24	26	16	17	17	15
Essex																					1	2
Georgetown									1	1	7		1	2	4	2	5	5	4	6		2
Groveland	23	21	21	10	10	14	15	35	11	1	12	2	1	2	8	4				2	1	1
Hamilton			9	4	13	25	23	15	2				10	5	2	5	1	4				1
Ipswich		6	9	5	1	2	1	5	9	1	11	4	2	7	3	7	2	3	2	4	3
Lynnfield	4	10	1	2	2	2	2	8	8	8	6	2	3	6	5	5		3	1	2	1
Manchester								2	2		1	2	1	5	3	1	7	7	2	1	5	2
Marblehead	34	35	24	17	29	19	22	20	22	6	1	3	10	8	2	2	2		1	1	1
Merrimac			8	7	5	6	7	6	3	1	2	1	4	2		3	4	1	4			1
Middleton			1	1				2							1	2	1	2	1	1	1
Nahant	2	7	5	2	2	1	3	3	3	4	3		2		2			1
Newbury	15	12	18	3		18		11	16	21	5	2	5	2	13	12	7	3	3	2		1
North Andover	24	37	22	14	9	13	18	31	32	3	6	3	9	2	12	6	31	63	42	22	5	6
Rockport						1	13	2	4	2	3	1	1	3	2				1
Rowley	5	12	13	5	14	9	4	5	5	10	2	5	2	8	6	6	2	2	1		1	2
Salisbury	138	77	32	25	20	15	28	29	32	10	28	9	31	37	36	33	42	42	29	22	10	12
Saugus	54	57	26	33	29	23	34	36	42	19	26	23	39	19	17	5	7	11	10	6	12	5
Swampscott	12	3	7	1	6	17	9	10	11	6	4	12	4	9	6	6	6		2	2	1	2
Topsfield			7	35	28	4	9	5		2	2		1			2	6	3	6	4	2
Wenham			1	7	9	7	12	5	5	1	6	1	4	5		1
West Newbury	9	14	9	10	12	14	11	11	8	2	2	5	2	3	2		4	1	2		1	7
Middlesex County, MA	829	855	877	953	1,170	1,129	1,273	1,442	1,784	1,095	1,263	1,307	1,393	1,245	1,160	1,168	1,040	957	967	903	652	643
Lake County, IL	3,632	3,370	3,277	3,241	3,624	3,718	3,848	4,076	3,316	3,453	3,544	3,743	4,139	4,445	4,447	4,399	3,789	2,572	1,884	1,367	769
Westchester County, NY	2,061	2,194	2,291	2,685	3,114	3,327	3,531	3,552	3,268	3,155	3,201	3,472	3,800	4,028	3,180	2,535	2,386	2,307	2,817	2,267	1,325	933
Massachusetts	7,386	8,127	7,726	7,658	10,352	11,575	12,260	13,094	13,805	7,812	8,117	8,087	8,687	8,648	8,250	7,645	7,820	7,289	6,608	6,301	5,227	5,469

Source: Massachusetts State Police, Illinois State Police and New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services

INDICATORS	TREND \| ESSEX COUNTY
People 65 or Older Living Alone	Decreasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Prevalence of Overweight Adults	Not Applicable
Preterm Births	Increasing
Infant Mortality Rate	Maintaining
Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels	Decreasing
Children Living in Poverty	Increasing
Children Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Disengaged Youth	Maintaining
Live Births to Teen Mothers	Decreasing
Youth Arrests	Decreasing
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments	Maintaining
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Employment	Maintaining
Tourism Spending	Increasing
Voter Participation Rate	Increasing
Charitable Contributions	Maintaining
Protected Land	Not Applicable
Days with Good Air Quality	Increasing
Beach Contamination	Increasing
Daily Water Use per Resident	Decreasing
Crimes Against People	Maintaining
Crimes Against Property	Decreasing
Drug-Related Arrests	Maintaining
Reports of Domestic Violence	Increasing
Incarceration Rates	Decreasing
Recidivism	Decreasing
Households Without Vehicles	Decreasing
Means of Transportation to Work	Not Applicable
Traffic Injuries and Fatalities	Maintaining
Households With Internet Access	Not Applicable
Change in Total Population	Increasing
Change in Population by Age/Sex	Not Applicable
People with Disabilities	Maintaining
Households by Type	Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Sex	Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Foreign-Born Population	Increasing
Language Diversity	Increasing
Change in Total Jobs	Increasing
Change in Jobs by Sector	Not Applicable
Change in Average Salary	Increasing
Change in Average Salary by Sector	Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector	Not Applicable
Median Earnings by Occupation by Gender	Not Applicable
People Entering/Leaving County for Work	Not Applicable
Employer Size	Not Applicable
Self-Employment Revenue	Increasing
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate	Increasing
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Prekindergarten Participation	Not Applicable
Female Enrollment in School	Not Applicable
Chronically Absent Students	Increasing
Per-Student Spending	Increasing
Bullying	Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 Reading	Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group	Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 English Language Arts	Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math	Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate	Increasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group	Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults	Not Applicable
Bachelor's Degree or Higher by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Income in Relation to Poverty Level	Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Median Household Income	Increasing
Median Household Income by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Median Household Income by Household Type	Not Applicable
Living Wage Rate by Household Type	Not Applicable
Access to Financial Services, by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Households Receiving Temporary Assistance	Increasing
Households Receiving Federal Food Assistance	Increasing
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Earned Income Tax Credit Participation	Decreasing
Economically Disadvantaged Students	Increasing
Median Home Value	Increasing
Cost of Homeownership	Increasing
Cost of Renting	Increasing
Homeownership Rates	Maintaining
Homeownership Rates by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Homeless Persons	Maintaining
People Without Health Insurance	Decreasing
Medical Care Expenses	Increasing
Prevalence of Children with Asthma	Maintaining
Prevalence of Overweight Children	Maintaining
Diabetes Incidence	Decreasing
Chronic Disease Among Older Adults	Increasing
Cancer Incidence	Decreasing
Cancer Mortality Rate	Decreasing
Heart Disease Mortality Rate	Decreasing
Mortality Rate	Decreasing
People who Smoke	Not Applicable
Use of Illegal Drugs	Not Applicable
Youth Use of Illegal Drugs	Not Applicable
Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions	Not Applicable
Drug Overdose Mortality Rate	Increasing
Prevalence of Mental Illness	Maintaining
Suicide Rate	Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 Reading	Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group	Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 English Language Arts	Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math	Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group	Not Applicable
Bachelor's Degree or Higher by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Median Household Income by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates by Race/Ethnicity	Not Applicable

INDICATORS

TREND | ESSEX COUNTY