Worcester, Massachusetts
Among the top 8% of US places for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 7% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 15% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 70% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 92% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 26% of US places
- top 1% for walkability
- top 7% for school quality
- bottom 1% for monthly owner costs
Worcester is a city in Massachusetts with about 204,000 residents. It grades A for getting around and F for affordability. Standout strengths include walkability, school quality, and natural disaster risk. It rates lower on annual snowfall and monthly owner costs.
- The median home value in Worcester is $306k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Worcester is $63k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Worcester is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Worcester has a violent crime rate of 1622/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Worcester is 24 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Heavy snow
very cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
cold
v.cold
60%49%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.4 in3.7 in
humid 90%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$63k51st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$58kbetter than 15% of US places
Home Value$306k78th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 22% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$33kbetter than 1% of US places
Property Tax Rate1.43%better than 28% of US places
Income Tax9.00%better than 17% of US places
Sales Tax6.25%better than 81% of US places
Estimated total tax burden17.99%better than 11% of US places
Unemployment6.6%better than 27% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)25°F23rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)71°F19th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation48.3 in72nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall72.9 inbetter than 6% of US places
Sunny Days181 daysbetter than 9% of US places
Summer Humidity62°Fbetter than 64% of US places
Comfortable Days91 daysbetter than 72% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk33.1better than 88% of US places
Air Quality41 AQIbetter than 73% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime1622/100kbetter than 14% of US places
Property Crime1668/100kbetter than 26% of US places
Community
Population204,191100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age34.320th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5892nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9953rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+1815th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)51.8%18th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)11.9%85th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)24.6%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)6.8%93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.0%71st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time24 minbetter than 60% of US places
Walkability15.9/20better than 100% of US places
Airport Distance41 mibetter than 74% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access87.5%better than 55% of US places
Amenities Nearby17.78better than 20% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 39% of US places
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Worcester an affordable place to live?
- Worcester is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $58k, better than 15% of comparable areas. Median rent is $1k.
- Is Worcester safe?
- Worcester is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1622/100k (better than 14%). Property crime is 1668/100k.
- What is the weather like in Worcester?
- Worcester averages 71°F in July and 25°F in January, with 48.3 in of annual precipitation and about 181 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Worcester?
- Public-school quality in Worcester is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Worcester?
- The average one-way commute in Worcester is 24 min.