Worcester, Massachusetts
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Worcester.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Worcester compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 205,501City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $67,544Incorporated place (ACS)14% below U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 108ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)8% above U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $339,500City limits (ACS)12% above U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,415City limits (ACS)Near U.S. avg ($1,348)U.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 4.1%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 27 min8% above U.S. avgU.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 487% above U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 629.9annualized per 100k · citywideNear U.S. avg (602.7)U.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 2050.3annualized per 100k · citywide34% below U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 77°F10.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 20°F14.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 48.3 in47% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 22715% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Worcester with another city
Four sharp seasons and a dense education/biotech corridor drive demand. Winter lows around 20°F mean heating costs and snow logistics belong on the checklist. Average one-way commute time is about 27 minutes, and Walk Score estimates land around 48/100. Labor-market readings near 4.1% unemployment are neither boom nor bust by national standards. Violent-offense rates near 629.9 per 100k sit in a mid-to-elevated band versus many peer cities in this catalog.
Worcester, Massachusetts counts about 205,501 residents inside the city limits. With median income around $67,544 and a cost index of 108, the market reads close to the national housing-cost baseline. A typical home near $339,500 and rents around $1,415 frame most shortlists.
Worcester is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Worcester with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Worcester city, 1600000US2582000)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN250270000000003 (Worcester County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00094746 WORCESTER RGNL AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28
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