City safety & data profile

GardnerMA

Gardner, MA is a 20K-resident city in Worcester County with a median household income of $67,518.

Worcester County, Massachusetts. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Gardner, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Gardner has a population larger than 45% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $301,600, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

20K
Population
Top 55%
By size
$67,518
Median income
$301,600
Median home
13.7%
Poverty rate

The read on Gardner

Gardner posts a median household income higher than 33% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Gardner area.

Top 67%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Gardner

Where Gardner income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$67,518 Bottom 33% higher than 33% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Gardner, MA beyond the headline numbers

Gardner sits inside Worcester County, Massachusetts, at roughly 42.58°N, -72.00°W. Population 20,333, $67,518 median household income. Median home value $301,600, median rent $1,109. Poverty rate 13.7%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Gardner's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 36.6%, then short sleep duration at 36.2%. 1 hospital in/around Gardner, 2/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Gardner from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
20,333
Gardner
Median Income
$67,518
Near average
Median Home Value
$301,600
+32% vs avg
Median Age
43.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Worcester County) - Gardner's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
868K+8%
Median Income
$95,939+47%
Median Home Value
$423,700+63%
Poverty Rate
10.3%-8%
Unemployment
5.3%-42%

Economics

Economics indicators for Gardner, MA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,109/mo
Poverty Rate
13.7% -4% vs avg
Unemployment 7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 23.8%
Work From Home 13.3%
Public Transit 1.7%

Population

White 79.6%
African American 4.1%
Asian 2.4%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
36.6%
Short Sleep Duration
36.2%
Obesity
35.8%
Physical Inactivity
28.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.4%
Binge Drinking
17.6%
Current Smoking
16.5%
Frequent Physical Distress
16.2%
Current Asthma
12.9%
Diabetes
12.1%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 63.6%
Annual Checkup 80.7%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
7.4%
Lack of Health Insurance
6.6%
Stroke
3.8%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
HEYWOOD HOSPITAL -
GARDNER · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Gardner, MA? ▼
Gardner, MA has a population of 20,333 people, located in Worcester County, Massachusetts.
What is the median household income in Gardner? ▼
The median household income in Gardner, MA is $67,518 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 13.7%.
What is the median home value in Gardner? ▼
The median home value in Gardner, MA is $301,600. Median rent is $1,109/month.
What are the top health concerns in Gardner? ▼
The top health indicators in Gardner include High Blood Pressure (36.6%), Short Sleep Duration (36.2%), Obesity (35.8%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Gardner? ▼
Gardner has 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Gardner? ▼
The median age in Gardner, MA is 43.7 years. 23.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Gardner, MA is located in Worcester County, Massachusetts. With a population of 20K and a $67,518 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Gardner area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Massachusetts

Real-time AQI for every monitored Massachusetts location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Fitchburg, MA 41K Leominster, MA 42K Holden, MA 17K Leicester, MA 11K Worcester, MA 207K Shrewsbury, MA 34K Auburn, MA 17K Charlton, MA 13K
All cities in Massachusetts → Compare Gardner vs Fitchburg → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Gardner's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Gardner area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Gardner against Massachusetts peers on any ranking lens. Explore Massachusetts

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Worcester County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.