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COUNTY

Worcester County

Massachusetts · 888,502 residents (2025 est.) · 1,511 sq mi
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Part of the Worcester metro area
The short version

Worcester County is home to 867,788 people in Massachusetts. That puts it in the top 2% of US counties for household income. The population is up 16% since 2000. About 40% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The median household earns $95,939, about 17% above the national median. There are 574 people per square mile.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
40% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 63%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
867,788
+16%since 2000
from 750,963 in 2000
888,502 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
574 / sq mi
+9%since 2009
from 527 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.2
+11%since 2000
from 36.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,511 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
694K741K789K836K884K19902000201020202024Worcester County
2024868K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(44,639)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.5%(47,802)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.1%(53,075)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.6%(57,564)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(55,659)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413%(113,063)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413%(113,074)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.9%(111,917)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.2%(123,305)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.3%(89,127)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.8%(41,995)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.9%(16,568)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$95,939
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $47,874 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$48,914
+113%since 2000
from $22,983 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
59.8%
+17.6 ptssince 2009
from 42.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.3%
+1.1 ptssince 2000
from 9.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.453
+5%since 2010
from 0.433 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services6.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration5.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance4.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$423,700
+63%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $142,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,426
+35%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $580 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
65.8%
+1.6 ptssince 2000
from 64.1% in 2000
34.2% rent
Vacancy rate
5.5%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.50 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.62 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
25.1%
−7.4 ptssince 2009
from 32.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
47.9%
+3.5 ptssince 2009
from 44.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.4
−1%since 2009
from 4.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
42
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic86.5%(649,227)
Black2.4%(18,257)
Hispanic / Latino6.8%(50,864)
Asian2.6%(19,561)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic70.3%(610,037)
Black4.8%(41,254)
Hispanic / Latino13.7%(118,968)
Asian5.3%(46,129)
Other5.9%(51,400)
Diversity Score
60
+62%since 2009
from 37 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
40
−4%since 2020
from 41 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican6.9%(60,311)
Dominican1.8%(15,721)
South American1.7%(14,402)
Central American1.5%(12,792)
Mexican0.9%(7,761)
Salvadoran0.8%(6,709)
Ecuadorian0.7%(5,927)
Guatemalan0.5%(4,054)
Colombian0.3%(3,029)
Cuban0.2%(1,762)
Spaniard0.2%(1,563)
Uruguayan0.2%(1,489)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Peruvian0.2%(1,329)
Honduran0.1%(929)
Venezuelan0.1%(832)
Argentine0.1%(619)
Panamanian0.1%(508)
Bolivian0%(270)
Chilean0%(236)
Nicaraguan0%(141)
Asian origin
Asian Indian2.1%(17,928)
Chinese0.9%(7,801)
Vietnamese0.9%(7,499)
Korean0.2%(1,782)
Pakistani0.2%(1,703)
Laotian0.2%(1,553)
Filipino0.2%(1,423)
Cambodian0.1%(1,021)
Nepalese0.1%(878)
Hmong0.1%(708)
Japanese0.1%(609)
Taiwanese0.1%(472)
+ 10 more asian origin groups with data
Kazakh0%(377)
Sri Lankan0%(300)
Thai0%(210)
Mongolian0%(80)
Bhutanese0%(27)
Malaysian0%(26)
Uzbek0%(17)
Burmese0%(5)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(78)
Chamorro0%(76)
Tongan0%(33)
Ancestry
Irish17.1%(148,126)
Italian11.5%(99,495)
English9.5%(82,570)
French8%(69,047)
German5%(43,427)
French Canadian5%(42,956)
Polish4.7%(41,154)
American4.2%(36,536)
Swedish2.2%(18,881)
Subsaharan African2.1%(18,529)
Brazilian1.9%(16,505)
Scottish1.8%(15,818)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Portuguese1.5%(13,269)
Arab1.1%(9,922)
Lithuanian0.9%(8,160)
West Indian0.9%(7,566)
Greek0.9%(7,542)
Ghanaian0.8%(7,227)
Finnish0.8%(7,048)
Russian0.7%(6,444)
Canadian0.6%(5,536)
Dutch0.5%(4,728)
Armenian0.5%(4,506)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(3,993)
Lebanese0.4%(3,766)
Haitian0.4%(3,602)
Norwegian0.4%(3,297)
Jamaican0.3%(2,609)
British0.3%(2,601)
Ukrainian0.3%(2,201)
Hungarian0.2%(2,164)
Welsh0.2%(2,005)
Kenyan0.2%(1,944)
Czech0.2%(1,653)
Egyptian0.2%(1,598)
Austrian0.2%(1,453)
Syrian0.2%(1,303)
Slovak0.1%(1,195)
Danish0.1%(1,178)
Iranian0.1%(1,043)
Nigerian0.1%(1,024)
Swiss0.1%(951)
Moroccan0.1%(910)
Iraqi0.1%(859)
Romanian0.1%(833)
Cape Verdean0.1%(720)
Turkish0.1%(588)
Guyanese0%(389)
Belgian0%(379)
Serbian0%(339)
Australian0%(337)
Latvian0%(300)
Jordanian0%(292)
Croatian0%(285)
Ethiopian0%(187)
Israeli0%(167)
Bulgarian0%(165)
Slovene0%(75)
Barbadian0%(35)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
39.7%
+12.7 ptssince 2000
from 26.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
91.2%
+7.7 ptssince 2000
from 83.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
16.8%
+6.5 ptssince 2000
from 10.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
29.2 min
+57%since 2000
from 18.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
70.5%
−12.0 ptssince 2009
from 82.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.8%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
15.6%
+11.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
8.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.8% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.3%
−2.9 ptssince 2011
from 8.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.5%
−1.9 ptssince 2011
from 68.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
78.7%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 76.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.1%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 12.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
46.4%
+7.3 ptssince 2009
from 39.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.2% in 2009
Female
50.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.8% in 2009
Foreign born
14.5%
+4.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.0%
−4.9 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.4%
+2.2 ptssince 2012
from 11.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.5%
−1.2 ptssince 2013
from 3.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
92.9%
+10.7 ptssince 2017
from 82.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.7%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 92.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 89.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
77.7%
−3.8 ptssince 2016
from 81.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
9.5%
+1.6 ptssince 2016
from 7.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married37.9%(134,963)
Married50%(178,043)
Widowed2.5%(8,835)
Divorced9.7%(34,394)
Women 15+
Never married32%(117,194)
Married48.3%(176,863)
Widowed7.7%(28,005)
Divorced12%(43,975)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
2.5%
−1.2 ptssince 2013
from 3.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
60.8%
−2.0 ptssince 2020
from 62.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.9%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 12.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 16.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
24.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 23.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.3%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 73.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.4%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 37.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)20.6%(7,104)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.2%(5,931)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.8%(10,966)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.7%(1,964)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.4%(470)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 34,457 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Worcester County to nearby counties

WORCESTER COUNTY VS
Middlesex County
Income$130,847+36%
Home value$727,800+72%
Population1,669,979+88%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WORCESTER COUNTY VS
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region
Income$90,589−6%
Home value$307,600−27%
Population98,096−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WORCESTER COUNTY VS
Providence County
Income$78,787−18%
Home value$373,600−12%
Population678,179−24%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WORCESTER COUNTY VS
Hampshire County
Income$87,001−9%
Home value$390,300−8%
Population164,065−82%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Worcester County, Massachusetts?

Worcester County, Massachusetts has about 867,788 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Worcester County, Massachusetts?

The typical household in Worcester County, Massachusetts earns about $95,939 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Worcester County, Massachusetts expensive?

In Worcester County, Massachusetts, the median home is worth about $423,700, and the typical rent is about $1,426 a month.

How educated are people in Worcester County, Massachusetts?

About 39.7% of adults age 25 and over in Worcester County, Massachusetts hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Worcester County, Massachusetts?

About 10.3% of people in Worcester County, Massachusetts live below the federal poverty line.

Has Worcester County, Massachusetts grown since 1990?

Yes, Worcester County, Massachusetts has grown since 1990. The population has added about 158,083 residents, a change of about 22 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Worcester County, Massachusetts: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy