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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Worcester Metro

Worcester, MA · 1 counties · 709,705 residents · 1,511 sq mi
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The short version

Worcester is home to 709,705 people. Median home value sits at $139,600. Poverty is uncommon here, at 8.3% of people across the metro. Households take in $35,774 a year at the median, 19% more than the country as a whole. 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Headcount has barely moved since 2000.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 33.1
US median: 33.0
Average education
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Less affordable
home values up 29%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
709,705
−5%vs 2000
vs 750,963 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
470 / sq mi
−5%vs 2000
vs 497 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
33.1
−9%vs 2000
vs 36.3 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
1,511 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
694K741K789K836K884K19902000201020202024Worcester
2024868K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 57.5%(53,009)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 96.9%(49,292)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.2%(44,143)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197%(49,793)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.8%(55,580)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3418%(127,992)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4415.1%(107,320)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.6%(68,091)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 648.1%(57,198)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 747.7%(54,889)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.5%(31,723)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.5%(10,675)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$35,774
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $47,874 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$15,500
−33%vs 2000
vs $22,983 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
8.3%
−1.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 9.2% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$139,600
+29%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $142,600 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$522
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $580 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
61.4%
−2.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 64.1% in 2000
38.6% rent
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic93.9%(666,203)
Black2.1%(14,894)
Hispanic / Latino4.6%(32,590)
Asian1.5%(10,942)
Other2.5%(17,666)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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
22.2%
−4.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 26.9% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
77.4%
−6.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 83.5% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
8.2%
−2.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 10.3% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.7 min
+12%vs 2000
vs 18.6 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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
In this metro

Largest cities

WorcesterCENTRAL213,862Leominster44,194Fitchburg42,136Milford27,731Gardner21,483Southbridge18,105Webster12,228Athol8,801Clinton7,658Whitinsville7,115Northborough6,392Oxford5,671Spencer5,661Westborough4,699Hopedale4,360Winchendon4,331Upton3,234Cordaville2,989East Douglas2,987North Brookfield2,659Baldwinville2,528Sturbridge2,443Fiskdale2,311South Lancaster2,177Lunenburg2,057Rutland2,019West Brookfield1,563South Ashburnham1,500East Brookfield1,445Warren1,426

The 30 most populous of 34 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

1 component county

Worcester CountyCENTRAL888,502
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Worcester

Stockton
Pop 823,815
Albany
Pop 915,835
Charleston
Pop 889,263
Allentown
Pop 887,615
Places similar to Worcester
Head to head

Compare Worcester side by side

WORCESTER VS
Stockton
Income$92,179+158%
Home value$530,700+280%
Population823,815−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WORCESTER VS
Albany
Income$88,339+147%
Home value$288,584+107%
Population915,835+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WORCESTER VS
Charleston
Income$85,207+138%
Home value$404,179+190%
Population889,263same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WORCESTER VS
Allentown
Income$85,100+138%
Home value$302,579+117%
Population887,615same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Worcester, MA?

Worcester, MA has about 709,705 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Worcester, MA?

The typical household in Worcester, MA earns about $35,774 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Worcester, MA expensive?

In Worcester, MA, the median home is worth about $139,600, and the typical rent is about $522 a month.

How educated are people in Worcester, MA?

About 22.2% of adults age 25 and over in Worcester, MA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Worcester, MA?

About 8.3% of people in Worcester, MA live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →