Worcester city is located in Worcester County Massachusetts. Worcester city has a 2024 population of 209,566. Worcester city is currently growing at a rate of 0.94% annually and its population has increased by 2.2% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 205,056 in 2020.
The average household income in Worcester city is $84,324 with a poverty rate of 19.46%. The median age in Worcester city is 34.3 years: 32.9 years for males, and 35.8 years for females.
Worcester serves as the county seat for Worcester County. Its location in Central Massachusetts has earned it the nickname, “Heart of the Commonwealth.”
Nearly 21% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino origin. Worcester has always been appealing to immigrants from all around the globe, and many different ethnicities can be found living within the city, including French, Puerto Ricans, Poles, Lebanese, Indians, and Brazilians—to name a few.
Worcester’s population grew significantly throughout its early years, primarily due to immigration. A community of just over 2,400 people at the beginning of the 19th century exploded to over 118,000 in the next century. This number continued to rise until reaching its peak of 203,486 in 1950. After this, the population began to drop until finally growth was re-recorded in 1990. Since the last census in 2010, the population is up nearly 2% indicating that this city is growing once again.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Worcester city was:
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Asian
Other race
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 78,977 | 2.41 | 42.1 | 57.9 |
| Non Family | 34,859 | 1.35 | 31.2 | 68.8 |
| Married | 26,177 | 3.23 | 63.9 | 36.1 |
| Female | 12,794 | 3.39 | 30.5 | 69.5 |
| Male | 5,147 | 3.02 | 34.1 | 65.9 |
3.11
Average Family Size
2.41
Average Household Size
42.1%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
The highest rate of high school graduation is among islander people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 44.94%.
All
Male
Female
$47,278
Average Earnings
$52,664
Average Male
$42,083
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
61.57% of Worcester city residents speak only English, while 38.43% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 18.9% of the population.
rate
19.46%
Overall Poverty Rate
18.53%
Male Poverty Rate
20.4%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Worcester city is Native, with 63.87% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Worcester city is White, with 16.97% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.21%. Among those working part-time, it was 23.19%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 35.73%.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
34.2%
Overall Marriage Rate
35.9%
Male Marriage Rate
32.6%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
10.76%
Veteran Poverty Rate
29.58%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
63.9%
Labor Force Participation
59.7%
Employment Rate
6.6%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
53.44%
Born in Worcester city
76.66%
Native Born
23.34%
Foreign Born
11.11%
Non Citizen
12.24%
Naturalized
76.66% of Worcester city residents were born in the United States, with 53.44% having been born in Massachusetts. 11.11% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
Year | Population | Growth | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 219,291 | 1,945 | 0.89% |
| 2028 | 217,346 | 1,945 | 0.9% |
| 2027 | 215,401 | 1,945 | 0.91% |
| 2026 | 213,456 | 1,945 | 0.92% |
| 2025 | 211,511 | 1,945 | 0.93% |
| 2024 | 209,566 | 1,945 | 0.94% |
| 2023 | 207,621 | 1,945 | 0.95% |
| 2022 | 205,676 | -163 | -0.08% |
| 2021 | 205,839 | 783 | 0.38% |
| 2020 | 205,056 | 19,685 | 10.62% |
| 2019 | 185,371 | -194 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 185,565 | 156 | 0.08% |
| 2017 | 185,409 | 428 | 0.23% |
| 2016 | 184,981 | 194 | 0.1% |
| 2015 | 184,787 | 186 | 0.1% |
| 2014 | 184,601 | 1,239 | 0.68% |
| 2013 | 183,362 | 759 | 0.42% |
| 2012 | 182,603 | 202 | 0.11% |
| 2011 | 182,401 | 639 | 0.35% |
| 2010 | 181,762 | 0 | 0% |