Worcester, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Worcester, MA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Worcester | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 206,962 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5383.4 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.56% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 32.5 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 79,386 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Worcester grew by 16.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 206,962 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Worcester is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 27.6% of residents. That is 6.0 points above Massachusetts as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 57,093 27.6% +6.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 46,674 22.6% +0.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 38,554 18.6% -2.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 27,172 13.1% -4.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Massachusetts, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.3% of the people living in Worcester and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 49.7% Massachusetts 48.8%
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Economy
Worcester has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Worcester | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,562 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.48% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Worcester is about 33% lower than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Worcester | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $269,967 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,486 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 42.8% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Worcester is about 15.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,486 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Worcester spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 172 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Worcester | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.6 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.2 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 172 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,318 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.5% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 14,747 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,678 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Worcester is 21 minutes, shorter than the 26 minutes in Massachusetts.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Worcester has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Worcester | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.4% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.42 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Worcester has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Worcester | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.4 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.1% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.7% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Worcester, Massachusetts.
How big is Worcester, Massachusetts by population?
About 206,962 people live in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 79,386 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 32.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Worcester, Massachusetts urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Worcester, Massachusetts has 5,383 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 62 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Worcester, Massachusetts an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.9 times the median household income ($269,967 against $69,562), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,486 a month takes about 26% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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