Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Worcester earns a D, 259th among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns, mostly because of schools. Its public schools trail 82% of Massachusetts towns on state tests and graduation. One bright spot: it is more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 284 places on the National Register. 37% of working residents work locally in Worcester, above both the Massachusetts town median (9.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Liberty Farm and American Antiquarian Society. On health, just 17 of Massachusetts’ 321 towns do worse.
Where Worcester beats most towns.
American Antiquarian Society| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 6,695 |
| Quinsigamond Community College | 5,550 |
| Worcester State University | 4,994 |
American Antiquarian Society is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 284 National Register listings are more than in any other Massachusetts town with a listing.
Census counts: 2,095 in 1790, 206,518 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1793 and 7 maps from 1885 on.
Worcester takes its name from Worcester in Worcestershire, England, 3,210 miles across the Atlantic.
UKUK editionWorcester, settled in 1673, takes its name from Worcester, a city in Worcestershire, England.
1 more U.S. town is named after Worcester:Worcester Township, PA11,191
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 Worcester is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Worcester. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
Big draw30 mi Stadium & arenaGillette Stadium
Big draw37 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
Big draw37 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
in town Stadium & arenaDCU Center
27 mi LakeWalden PondLake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gillette Stadium: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · DCU Center: Terageorge, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Worcester, 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 Worcester.
Worcester has poverty well above the Massachusetts rate, but it scores below Millbury and its other neighbors on health and trails Shrewsbury and its other neighbors on schools.
71 miles of trail in 75 parks and preserves. Worcester’s trail density is 1.9 miles per square mile. Green Hill Park, at 450 acres with 6.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Green Hill Park | 6.8 mi | 450 |
| 2. Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary | 6.2 mi | 436 |
| 3. Bovenzi Conservation Area | 2.3 mi | 123 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Each of its 5 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C−, Shrewsbury highest at A.
Its public schools are run by the Worcester school district. Three of its 63 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 940 | C− |
| South High CommunityLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,800 | C |
| Worcester Technical HighTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,442 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
The typical Worcester home is worth about $433,000, up 1.6% in a year, 34% below the Massachusetts typical home. 43% of Worcester households own their home.
| Worcester | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 43% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,487 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 54% | 52% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
186 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 26 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 77% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 186 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Worcester.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Worcester has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Worcester is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
20% of residents live below the poverty line in Worcester. About one in 3 of Worcester’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Worcester has added 7,679 jobs, to 98,576 in 2023.
| Worcester | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 12% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
All 5 graded neighbors score healthier than its C+, from Millbury (A−) to Shrewsbury (A+).
Only 8 of the 279 Massachusetts towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Worcester. Worcester beats the Massachusetts average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. Only 10 of the 279 Massachusetts towns we compare have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than Worcester.
| Worcester | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 9.1% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 19% | 25% |
| What stands out | Worcester | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.4% | 8.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.7% | 12.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Worcester's reported crime rate is well below Massachusetts's. No town among the 278 in Massachusetts we compare has a lower property crime rate than Worcester. 35 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
| Worcester | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 5.6 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
8 within 15 miles of the center of Worcester
About 14 of every 100 Worcester residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
7 colleges in town.
284 places in Worcester on the National Register of Historic Places.
28 notable people were born in Worcester.
City in Massachusetts, United States
Worcester ( WUUST-ər, locally [ˈwɪstə] ) is a city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The principal city of Central Massachusetts, Worcester is both the second-most populous city in the state, and the 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city had an estimated 213,862 people as of 2025, also making it the second-most populous city in New England, after Boston. Because it is near the geographic center of Massachusetts, Worcester is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth"; a heart is the official symbol of the city. Worcester is the historical seat of Worcester County. Founded and incorporated as a town in 1722 and incorporated in 1848 as a city,…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Worcester.
All 5 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Millbury (B−) is closest.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester | #259 | D | C− | — | C− | C+ |
| Shrewsbury | #48 | A | D | A− | A | A+ |
| Auburn | #168 | B | C− | C | B | A− |
| Millbury | #207 | B− | D | C+ | C+ | A− |
| West Boylston | #69 | A | C | A− | B+ | A− |
| Grafton | #62 | A | C− | A | B+ | A |
Worcester reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Worcester with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Worcester grades D overall, better than 13% of U.S. towns and #259 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades C+ for health and C− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. That is 4.5 years of the area's median household income ($95,939 across the Worcester, MA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
28 notable people were born here, including Robert H. Goddard and Elizabeth Bishop.
