Worcester County, Massachusetts

MA · FIPS 25027 Democrat

Located in Massachusetts, Worcester County has a population of 867,788 residents and a median age of 40.2 years, making it the #69 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.3%. The median home value is $423,700, and the median household income is $95,939, which is 28% above the national median.

867,788
Population
#69 of 3,222
$95,939
Median Income
+27.7% #208 of 3,222
40.2 years
Median Age
+3.3% #2,059 of 3,222
10.3%
Poverty Rate
-18.0% #864 of 3,222

Demographics

Worcester County has a population of 867,788, making it the #69 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.2 years, which is 3.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

85.5%
Native Born
14.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Worcester County is $95,939, ranking #208 out of 3,222 counties — 27.7% above the national median. The poverty rate is 10.3% and unemployment stands at 5.3%.

Income#208
$95,939
+27.7%
vs nation
94th percentile
Per Capita#249
$48,914
+18.5%
vs nation
92th percentile
Poverty#864
10.3%
-18.0%
vs nation
73th percentile
Unemployment#2,166
5.3%
-0.7%
vs nation
33th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Worcester County is $423,700 (+50.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,426/mo and the homeownership rate is 65.8%.

Home Value#246
$423,700
+50.3%
vs nation
92th percentile
Rent#293
$1,426
+22.6%
vs nation
91th percentile
Homeownership#2,683
65.8%
+2.1%
vs nation
17th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Worcester County, 39.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 17.7% above the national average, ranking #291 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
39.7% +17.7% vs nation
Rank #291 of 3,222
91th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Worcester County is 78.8 years. 14.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 3.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#459
78.8
+4.8%
vs nation
85th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#440
14.6%
-25.4%
vs nation
86th percentile
Diabetes#698
9.3%
-16.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,002
35.3%
-5.4%
vs nation
68th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,148
5.5
-3.4%
vs nation
64th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#672
3.9
-12.7%
vs nation
79th percentile
Uninsured Rate#12
3.2%
-69.2%
vs nation
100th percentile
Physical Inactivity#727
22.5%
-14.7%
vs nation
77th percentile
Food Insecurity#321
10.1%
-29.9%
vs nation
90th percentile

Substance Use

13.8% of adults in Worcester County smoke , 32.7% are obese , and 20.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 39.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#410
13.8%
-23.2%
vs nation
87th percentile
Adult Obesity#394
32.7%
-13.7%
vs nation
88th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,897
20.8%
+4.5%
vs nation
40th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,585
39.5
+22.2%
vs nation
25th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Worcester County is 1.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 8.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 6.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#70
1.8
-77.9%
vs nation
96th percentile
Suicide Rate#58
8.5
-56.8%
vs nation
98th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#21
3.5
-80.5%
vs nation
99th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#83
6.6
-67.4%
vs nation
97th percentile

Families & Children

13.4% of children in Worcester County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.4 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#153
4.4
-35.0%
vs nation
89th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#229
7.6
-65.2%
vs nation
92th percentile
Child Poverty#841
13.4%
-29.4%
vs nation
73th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Worcester County is 71.2%. The mean commute time is 32.1 min, which is 16.4% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
71.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
32.1 min +16.4% vs nation
Rank #574 of 3,222
82th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Worcester County voted Democratic with a margin of 10.0%. The vote was 53.9% Dem / 43.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.9 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +10.0%
53.9% 43.9%
Dem 418,748 votes Rep
2020 DEM +17.9%
57.6% 39.7%
Dem 432,014 votes Rep
2016 DEM +10.5%
51.7% 41.2%
Dem 380,972 votes Rep
2012 DEM +9.2%
53.7% 44.5%
Dem 364,093 votes Rep
2008 DEM +13.8%
55.6% 41.8%
Dem 363,594 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Worcester County, Massachusetts

Worcester County, Massachusetts has a total population of 867,788, making it the 69th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Worcester County is 40.2 years, which is 3.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Worcester County is $95,939, which ranks #208 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 27.7% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.3%.

The median home value in Worcester County is $423,700, 50.3% above the national median. Renters in Worcester County pay a median gross rent of $1,426 per month. The homeownership rate is 65.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Worcester County, 39.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 17.7% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 97.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.1 min.

Worcester County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 70.3% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.7%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (5.3%).

All data for Worcester County, Massachusetts comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.