City safety & data profile

WorcesterMA

Worcester, MA is a 207K-resident city in Worcester County with a median household income of $70,102.

Worcester County, Massachusetts. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Worcester, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Worcester has a population larger than 97% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $374,400, and 5 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

207K
Population
Top 3%
By size
$70,102
Median income
$374,400
Median home
19.6%
Poverty rate

The read on Worcester

Worcester posts a median household income higher than 37% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 5 hospitals serve the Worcester area.

Top 63%
by median income, US cities
5
hospitals in & near Worcester

Where Worcester income ranks nationally

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

$70,102 Bottom 37% higher than 37% 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 Worcester, MA beyond the headline numbers

Worcester sits inside Worcester County, Massachusetts, at roughly 42.26°N, -71.80°W. Population 206,518, $70,102 median household income. Median home value $374,400, median rent $1,487. Poverty rate 19.6%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Worcester's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 37.4%, then obesity at 35.3%. 5 hospitals in/around Worcester, 2.5/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

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

Population
206,518
Worcester
Median Income
$70,102
+3% vs avg
Median Home Value
$374,400
+64% vs avg
Median Age
33.9
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Worcester County) - Worcester'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 Worcester, MA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,487/mo
Poverty Rate
19.6% +38% vs avg
Unemployment 6.5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 35.2%
Work From Home 11.5%
Public Transit 3.2%

Population

White 53.3%
African American 12.9%
Asian 7.2%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.3%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
37.4%
Obesity
35.3%
High Blood Pressure
32.4%
Physical Inactivity
29%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.9%
Binge Drinking
17.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
14.8%
Current Smoking
14.5%
Current Asthma
12.8%
Diabetes
11.4%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 61.7%
Annual Checkup 79.7%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
8.7%
Coronary Heart Disease
5.8%
Stroke
3.2%

Hospitals 5 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2.5/5
Total Hospitals
5
With ER
2
UMASS MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER/UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
WORCESTER · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆
ST VINCENT HOSPITAL
WORCESTER · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Worcester, MA? ▼
Worcester, MA has a population of 206,518 people, located in Worcester County, Massachusetts.
What is the median household income in Worcester? ▼
The median household income in Worcester, MA is $70,102 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 19.6%.
What is the median home value in Worcester? ▼
The median home value in Worcester, MA is $374,400. Median rent is $1,487/month.
What are the top health concerns in Worcester? ▼
The top health indicators in Worcester include Short Sleep Duration (37.4%), Obesity (35.3%), High Blood Pressure (32.4%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Worcester? ▼
Worcester has 5 hospitals with an average rating of 2.5/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Worcester? ▼
The median age in Worcester, MA is 33.9 years. 35.2% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Worcester, MA is located in Worcester County, Massachusetts. With a population of 207K and a $70,102 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 5 hospitals with an average rating of 2.5/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Worcester 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

Auburn, MA 17K Millbury, MA 14K Shrewsbury, MA 34K Leicester, MA 11K Holden, MA 17K Grafton, MA 17K Northbridge, MA 14K Charlton, MA 13K
All cities in Massachusetts → Compare Worcester vs Auburn → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Worcester'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 Worcester 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 Worcester 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.