Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Leicester grades B− overall, 203rd among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. The median household earns $105K and natural-hazard risk is low. It also does better than most on health: residents are healthier than 71% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $457K, 4.8 years of the Worcester metro’s $96K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. Leicester’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 1.8 and U.S. towns at 0.4. On the outdoors, just 23 of Massachusetts’ 325 towns do worse. Its National Register listings include Quinsigamond Branch Library.
Where Leicester beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,076 in 1790, 11,087 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1841 and 8 maps from 1889 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Leicester takes its name from Leicester in Leicestershire, England, 3,250 miles across the Atlantic.
UKUK editionLeicester, settled in 1713, takes its name from Leicester, a city in Leicestershire, England.
Named after: each U.S. town’s Wikipedia article. Grades compare each town with towns in its own country, so they aren’t a head-to-head.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Leicester is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Leicester. Close and well known come first.
Big draw14 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
32 mi LakeWalden Pond
35 mi National Historic SiteSpringfield Armory National Historic Site14K visitors a year
22 mi LakeQuabbin Reservoir
6 mi Stadium & arenaDCU CenterLake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Springfield Armory National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Quabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0 · DCU Center: Terageorge, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Leicester, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Leicester.
Leicester has added a third more jobs in ten years, is safe by national standards but not by Massachusetts’s and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Massachusetts.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 87% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Leicester.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Leicester school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Leicester High, with 388 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leicester ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 467 | C |
| Leicester HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 388 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Jobs based here grew from 1,839 in 2013 to 2,574.
Most working residents leave Leicester for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in Leicester grew to 2,574 in 2023, 735 more than in 2013. 3.8% of Leicester residents live below the poverty line, below both Massachusetts’ towns (6%) and U.S. towns (9.6%).
| Leicester | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.8% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $105,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 13% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
89% of Leicester households own their home. The typical Leicester home is worth about $457,000, up 2.6% in a year, 30% below the Massachusetts typical home. Leicester’s median rent is $1,487 a month.
| Leicester | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 89% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,487 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 78% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar. Against the 7,817 U.S. towns with household incomes like Leicester’s, it is healthier than 52%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
27% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Leicester. Leicester beats the Massachusetts average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 18% of adults binge drink in Leicester.
| Leicester | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 33% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Leicester | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with obesity | 32.1% | 27.7% |
| More adults with depression | 26.8% | 23.8% |
| More adults with arthritis | 28.1% | 25.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
20 miles of trail in 12 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Burncoat Pond Conservation Area, 114 acres with 1.7 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Burncoat Pond Conservation Area | 1.7 mi | 114 |
| 2. Moose Hill Flood Control Site | 0.5 mi | 101 |
| 3. Moose Hill Wildlife Management Area | 0.2 mi | 105 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Leicester has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Leicester is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 19.2 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 72% of Massachusetts’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
9 within 15 miles of the center of Leicester
About 6 of every 100 Leicester residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Where Leicester’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Leicester on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Leicester.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Leicester ( LEST-ər) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,087 at the 2020 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Leicester.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Leicester grades B− overall, better than 49% of U.S. towns and #203 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades B+ for health, B− for safety and C for schools.
Massachusetts has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Leicester sits nearer the middle.
11 notable people were born here, including William Henry Crane and Emory Washburn.
