Community & Data
Worcester Demographics
A Portrait of Worcester
Worcester is the second-largest city in New England and one of the most diverse in Massachusetts. An old manufacturing and college town, it has grown strongly over the past decade, powered in large part by immigrant communities from Latin America, Southeast Asia, West Africa, and beyond. The figures below come from the U.S. Census Bureau, so follow the source links for the most recent counts.
Key Figures
Sources: US Census Bureau (data.census.gov).
Population & Households
- Population (recent estimate): ~207,000 to 211,000
- Population (2020 Census): 206,518
- Land area: about 37.6 sq mi
- Density: ~5,500 / sq mi
- Median age: ~33.9 years
- Foreign-born: ~22% of residents
- Homeownership: ~43% of units
Race & Ethnicity
- White: ~49%
- Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~25.3%
- Black or African American: ~12.9%
- Asian: ~7.2%
- Two or more races: a growing share
- Languages spoken: dozens, district-wide
Economy & Education
- Median gross rent: ~$1,490 / mo
- Median household income (ACS 2020-2024): $70,102
- Poverty rate: ~19.6%
- Top sectors: health care, education, manufacturing, retail
- Median age: young, shaped by its colleges
- Higher ed: Holy Cross, WPI, Clark, Worcester State, Assumption, MCPHS, UMass Chan, QCC
- Major employers: UMass Memorial Health, the city, area colleges
Registered Voters
Massachusetts reports how many people are registered to vote in each city through the Secretary of the Commonwealth. In Worcester, as across the state, registered voters split into Democrats, Republicans, and the “Unenrolled,” the independents who claim no party and who are the largest group in Massachusetts.
- Total registered: 119,833 (Secretary of the Commonwealth, August 22, 2026)
- Dem / Rep / Unenrolled / Political designations: 29,412 (24.54%) / 6,913 (5.77%) / 82,291 (68.67%) / 1,217 (1.02%) (Secretary of the Commonwealth, August 22, 2026)
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Worcester
- MA Secretary of the Commonwealth, Voter Registration
- MA DESE, Worcester Public Schools
- Secretary of the Commonwealth, Massachusetts Elections Calendar: August 22, 2026 was the last day to register to vote and change party enrollment for the September 1, 2026 state primary (G. L. c. 51, sections 26 and 28), which is the date this enrollment count is as of.
See how Worcester fits into the broader Commonwealth.
Updated as of September 13, 2026.
Sources
- Population and demographics: U.S. Census Bureau API, retrieved September 13, 2026.