Worcester County, MA

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Population

826,116

0.796% growth

Median Age

40.5


Median Household Income

$70,402

1.6% growth

Poverty Rate

11.1%


Number of Employees

415,159

1.85% decline

Median Property Value

$281,100

4.23% growth

About

Economy

Health

Diversity

Education

Housing & Living

About

In 2017, Worcester County, MA had a population of 826k people with a median age of 40.5 and a median household income of $70,402. Between 2016 and 2017 the population of Worcester County, MA grew from 819,589 to 826,116, a 0.796% increase and its median household income grew from $69,295 to $70,402, a 1.6% increase.

The population of Worcester County, MA is 76.6% White Alone, 11.5% Hispanic or Latino, and 4.88% Asian Alone. 19.6% of the people in Worcester County, MA speak a non-English language, and 94.5% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Worcester County, MA are Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1,727 degrees awarded in 2016), Worcester State University (1,523 degrees), and Quinsigamond Community College (1,420 degrees).

The median property value in Worcester County, MA is $281,100, and the homeownership rate is 63.5%. Most people in Worcester County, MA commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 27.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Worcester County, MA is 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Bancroft Tower in Worcester, MA

Photo by Troy B. Thompson

United StatesMassachusettsWorcester, MA-CT

Economy

The economy of Worcester County, MA employs 415k people. The largest industries in Worcester County, MA are Health Care & Social Assistance (71,238 people), Manufacturing (49,893 people), and Retail Trade (46,374 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($110,345), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($74,555), and Utilities ($72,399).

Median household income in Worcester County, MA is $70,402. Males in Worcester County, MA have an average income that is 1.32 times higher than the average income of females, which is $65,619. The income inequality in Worcester County, MA (measured using the Gini index) is 0.484, which is higher than than the national average.

Wages

Median Household Income

$70,402

2017 value

± $2,801

1.6%

1 Year Growth

± 5%

Households in Worcester County, MA have a median annual income of $70,402, which is more than the median annual income of $60,336 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $69,295 in 2016, which represents a 1.6% annual growth.

Look at the chart to see how the median household income in Worcester County, MA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Massachusetts.

$86,839

Average Male Salary

± $1,813

$65,619

Average Female Salary

± $1,325

In 2017, full-time male employees in Massachusetts made 1.32 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Massachusetts by number of full-time employees.

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Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Massachusetts.

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity

  1. Asian

    $74,395 ± $4,445

  2. White

    $67,530 ± $1,140

  3. American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races

    $50,403 ± $38,348

In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Massachusetts workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.1 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Massachusetts by number of full-time employees.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Worcester County, MA is from Massachusetts.

0.484

2017 Wage GINI

0.48

2016 Wage GINI

In 2017, the income inequality in Massachusetts was 0.484 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.775% growth from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even.

The 2017 the GINI for Massachusetts was higher than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in Massachusetts in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Massachusetts across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Income by Location

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Highest Median Household Income (Total)

  1. Census Tract 7424.01

  2. Census Tract 7411.02

  3. Census Tract 7151

In 2017, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Worcester County, MA was Census Tract 7424.01 with a value of $174,300, followed by Census Tract 7411.02 and Census Tract 7151, with respective values of $154,259 and $151,618.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Worcester County, MA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

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Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

11.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Worcester County, MA (87.9k out of 791k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 13.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

  1. White

    65,589 ± 1,874

  2. Hispanic

    25,306 ± 1,095

  3. Black

    7,152 ± 614

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Worcester County, MA is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Occupations

Employment by Occupations

415k

2017 Value

± 10,304

-1.85%

1 Year decline

± 3.61%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Worcester County, MA declined at a rate of -1.85%, from 423k employees to 415k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Worcester County, MA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (52,038 people), Management Occupations (48,421 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (36,936 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Worcester County, MA.

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Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Worcester County, MA, by number of employees, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (52,038 people), Management Occupations (48,421 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (36,936 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Worcester County, MA has an unusually high number of residents working as Healthcare Support Occupations (1.35 times higher than expected), Architecture & Engineering Occupations (1.34 times), and Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations (1.28 times).

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Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Worcester County, MA, by median earnings, are Computer & Mathematical Occupations ($91,994), Computer, Engineering, & Science Occupations ($87,685), and Management Occupations ($83,624).

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Industries

Employment by Industries

415k

2017 Value

± 10,304

-1.85%

1 Year decline

± 3.61%

From 2016 to 2017, employment in Worcester County, MA declined at a rate of -1.85%, from 423k employees to 415k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Worcester County, MA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (71,238 people), Manufacturing (49,893 people), and Retail Trade (46,374 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Worcester County, MA, though some of these residents may live in Worcester County, MA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Most Common

The most common industries in Worcester County, MA, by number of employees, are Health Care & Social Assistance (71,238 people), Manufacturing (49,893 people), and Retail Trade (46,374 people).

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Most Specialized

Compared to other counties, Worcester County, MA has an unusually high number of Manufacturing (1.24 times higher than expected), Health Care & Social Assistance (1.23 times), and Management of Companies & Enterprises (1.22 times) industries.

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Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Worcester County, MA, by median earnings, are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($110,345), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($74,555), and Utilities ($72,399).

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Massachusetts to other states, or from other states to Massachusetts.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

  1. Gasoline

    $31.5B

  2. Mixed freight

    $27.2B

  3. Electronics

    $24.1B

In 2015, the top outbound Massachusetts product (by dollars) was Gasoline with $31.5B, followed by Mixed freight ($27.2B) and Electronics ($24.1B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Massachusetts products.

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Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Massachusetts state.

$240B

2015 Value

$364B

Projected 2045 Value

51.4% growth

In 2015, total outbound Massachusetts trade was $240B. This is expected to increase 51.4% to $364B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Massachusetts trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

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Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Massachusetts to other states, or from other states to Massachusetts.

Most Common Trade Partners

  1. New Hampshire

    $13.2B

  2. New York

    $13.2B

  3. Connecticut

    $12.7B

In 2015, the top outbound Massachusetts domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was New Hampshire with $13.2B, followed by New York with $13.2B and Connecticut and $12.7B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Massachusetts shares with each state (excluding itself).

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Health

97.2% of the population of Worcester County, MA has health coverage, with 53.5% on employee plans, 20.1% on Medicaid, 10.7% on Medicare, 12% on non-group plans, and 1.04% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in the county of Worcester County, MA was $10,559 in 2014. This is a 2.78% increase from the previous year ($10,273).

Primary care physicians in Worcester County, MA see 971 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.103% increase from the previous year (970 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1411 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 226 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Bristol County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (11.4%). Additionally, Bristol County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (29.1%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

971 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio

Primary care physicians in Worcester County, MA see an average of 971 patients per year. This represents a 0.103% increase from the previous year (970 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Worcester County, MA in comparison to neighboring states.

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Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

  1. West Virginia

    8.26% of the population affected

  2. Arkansas

    8.13% of the population affected

  3. New Hampshire

    7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

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Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

  1. Mississippi

    19.2% of adults

  2. Texas

    17.9% of adults

  3. Louisiana

    17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

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Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Massachusetts.

$10,559

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care 

$5,302

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$8,922

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$11,899

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Massachusetts (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 2.78%, from $10,273 to $10,559.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

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Health Care Coverage

2.78%

Uninsured

53.5%

Employer Coverage

20.1%

Medicaid

10.7%

Medicare

12%

Non-Group

1.04%

Military or VA

Between 2016 and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Worcester County, MA grew by 15.9% from 2.4% to 2.78%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Worcester County, MA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Risks

Data available at the county level.

Most at risk counties

  1. Bristol County

    11.4% prevalence

  2. Hampden County

    11.1% prevalence

  3. Plymouth County

    10.8% prevalence

Bristol County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Massachusetts, at 11.4%.

The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in Massachusetts by county over multiple years.

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Diversity

Worcester County, MA is home to a population of 826k people, from which 94.5% are citizens. As of 2017, 11.7% of Worcester County, MA residents were born outside of the country (96.4k people).

The ethnic composition of the population of Worcester County, MA is composed of 633k White Alone residents (76.6%), 94.7k Hispanic or Latino residents (11.5%), 40.3k Asian Alone residents (4.88%), 35.9k Black or African American Alone residents (4.34%), 17.7k Two or More Races residents (2.14%), 3.03k Some Other Race Alone residents (0.366%), 1.62k American Indian & Alaska Native Alone residents (0.196%), and 129 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Alone residents (0.0156%).

The most common foreign languages spoken in Worcester County, MA are Spanish (67,580 speakers), Portuguese (11,475 speakers), and Yoruba, Twi, Igbo, or Other Languages of Western Africa (7,799 speakers).

Age

Age by Nativity

40

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.6

44

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 1.1

In 2017, the median age of all people in Worcester County, MA was 40.5. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 40, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 44. But people in Worcester County, MA are getting getting older. In 2016, the average age of all Worcester County, MA residents was 40.

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Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

11.7%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

96.4k people

11.5%

2016 Foreign-Born Population

94.3k people

As of 2017, 11.7% of Worcester County, MA residents (96.4k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2016, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Worcester County, MA was 11.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Worcester County, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Massachusetts.

Most Common Origin

  1. China

    92,810 ± 7,429 people

  2. Dominican Republic

    90,391 ± 7,333 people

  3. Brazil

    80,753 ± 6,936 people

In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Massachusetts was China, the natal country of 92,810 Massachusetts residents, followed by Dominican Republic with 90,391 and Brazil with 80,753.

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Citizenship

94.5%

2017 Citizenship

94.8%

2016 Citizenship

As of 2017, 94.5% of Worcester County, MA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.1%. In 2016, the percentage of US citizens in Worcester County, MA was 94.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Worcester County, MA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Race and Ethnicity

Most Common

  1. White Alone

    633k ± 1.01k

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    94.7k ± 7.87k

  3. Asian Alone

    40.3k ± 1.73k

In 2017, there were 6.68 times more White Alone residents (633k people) in Worcester County, MA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 94.7k Hispanic or Latino and 40.3k Asian Alone residents, the second and third most common racial or ethnic groups.

The following bar chart shows the 8 races and ethnicities represented in Worcester County, MA as a share of the total population.

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Non-English Speakers

Most Common Languages

  1. Spanish

    67,580 speakers (8.65%)

  2. Portuguese

    11,475 speakers (1.47%)

  3. Yoruba, Twi, Igbo, or Other Languages of Western Africa

    7,799 speakers (0.998%)

19.6% of Worcester County, MA citizens are speakers of a non-English language, which is lower than the national average of 21.8%. In 2017, the most common non-English language spoken in Worcester County, MA was Spanish. 8.65% of the overall population of Worcester County, MA are native Spanish speakers. 1.47% speak Portuguese and 0.998% speak Spanish, the next two most common languages.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

  1. Vietnam

    13,258 ± 1,434

  2. Gulf War (2001-)

    6,326 ± 1,204

  3. Gulf War (1990s)

    4,764 ± 1,063

Worcester County, MA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.1 times greater than any other conflict.

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Education

In 2016, universities in Worcester County, MA awarded 11,657 degrees. The student population of Worcester County, MA is skewed towards women, with 20,698 male students and 26,505 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Worcester County, MA are White (7,947 and 74%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (928 and 8.64%), Unknown (637 and 5.93%), and Black or African American (595 and 5.54%).

The largest universities in Worcester County, MA by number of degrees awarded are Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1,727 and 14.8%), Worcester State University (1,523 and 13.1%), and Quinsigamond Community College (1,420 and 12.2%).

The most popular majors in Worcester County, MA are General Business Administration & Management (962 and 8.25%), General Psychology (558 and 4.79%), and Registered Nursing (491 and 4.21%).

The median tuition costs in Worcester County, MA are $35,510 for private four year colleges, and $970 and $7,050 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

  1. General Business Administration & Management

    470 degrees awarded

  2. General Biological Sciences

    281 degrees awarded

  3. General Psychology

    545 degrees awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Worcester County, MA was General Business Administration & Management with 470 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Worcester County, MA according to their major.

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Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

  1. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

    1,727 degrees awarded

  2. Worcester State University

    1,523 degrees awarded

  3. Quinsigamond Community College

    1,420 degrees awarded

$970

Median In-State Public

$35,510

Median Private

In 2016, the Worcester County, MA institution with the largest number of graduating students was Worcester Polytechnic Institute with 1,727 degrees awarded.

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Student Gender for Common Institutions

4,901

Degrees Awarded to Men

6,756

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2016, 4,901 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Worcester County, MA, which is 0.725 times less than the 6,756 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Worcester County, MA by degrees awarded.

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Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

  1. White

    7,947 degrees awarded

  2. Hispanic or Latino

    928 degrees awarded

  3. Unknown

    637 degrees awarded

In 2016 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Worcester County, MA were to White students. These 7,947 degrees mean that there were 8.56 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 928 degrees awarded.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Worcester County, MA was $281,100 in 2017, which is 1.29 times larger than the national average of $217,600. Between 2016 and 2017 the median property value increased from $269,700 to $281,100, a 4.23% increase. The homeownership rate in Worcester County, MA is 63.5%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. People in Worcester County, MA have an average commute time of 27.3 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Worcester County, MA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Income

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$70,402

Median Household Income

± $2,801

309k

Number of Households

± 8,383

In 2017, the median household income of the 309k households in Worcester County, MA grew to $70,402 from the previous year's value of $69,295.

The following chart displays the households in Worcester County, MA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Housing

Property Value

$281,100

2017 Median

± $3,868

$269,700

2016 Median

± $5,515

In 2017, the median property value in Worcester County, MA grew to to $281,100 from the previous year's value of $269,700.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Worcester County, MA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Worcester County, MA the largest share of households have a property value in the $300k - $400k range.

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Property Taxes

$3k+

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Worcester County, MA distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Worcester County, MA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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Rent vs Own

63.5%

2017 Homeownership

64.5%

2016 Homeownership

In 2017, 63.5% of the housing units in Worcester County, MA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 64.5%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Worcester County, MA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Worcester County, MA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Worcester County, MA have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

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Commute Time

27.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Worcester County, MA have a longer commute time (27.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.5 minutes). Additionally, 3.66% of the workforce in Worcester County, MA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Worcester County, MA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

  1. Drove Alone

    79.7%

  2. Carpooled

    7.68%

  3. Worked At Home

    6.03%

In 2017, the most common method of travel for workers in Worcester County, MA was Drove Alone (79.7%), followed by those who Carpooled (7.68%) and those who Worked At Home (6.03%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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