Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0How is Worcester run?
Worcester’s city government spent $1.1 billion on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $5,281 per resident. Water and other utilities ($17.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Worcester is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Worcester School District
Worcester’s K–12 school district. The schools are run by Worcester, so this money is part of the budget above.
Of the $24,492 per pupil, $16,812 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Massachusetts districts overall: 49% local, 43% state, 8% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
About $5,281 per resident a year, or $14.47 a day
Schools are part of the city’s budget, so they lead the receipt: 59% of day-to-day spending.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Worcester runs its own schools, so school spending is part of this budget. Comparisons are with Massachusetts cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools.
$4,363 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities
Worcester’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($4,363 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 22 Massachusetts cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools: the median was $4,284, and the middle half spent $3,970–$4,965. Worcester spent more than 55% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($43.7 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Massachusetts cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Worcester itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 35% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Worcester reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $4,363 · 2023: $4,227 · 2024: $5,281. Per resident it went from $4,363 to $5,281 (up 21%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 184,570 to 205,319.
full-time in March 2025, up from 5,879 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $4,733 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.26% of the home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Worcester’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Worcester’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Worcester →
Who’s in charge in Worcester
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Worcester’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on worcesterma.gov ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 32 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (205,319).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
How Worcester voted in 2024
Official results for Worcester’s own voters, as certified after the November 5, 2024 general election, with the county and the state beside them.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat62.4%40,923 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican34.5%22,598 votesOthers: 3.1% (2,009 votes).
Most votes in Worcester: Kamala D Harris
Worcester County: Harris 53.6%, Trump 43.7% · Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%
of Worcester’s 144,210 adult citizens voted for president in 2024. Across Massachusetts: 67%.
Votes ÷ citizens of voting age (Census CVAP, 2020–24 ACS).
Most votes in Worcester: Elizabeth Ann Warren
Worcester County: Warren 51.9%, Deaton 48.0% · Massachusetts: Warren 59.8%, Deaton 40.0%
Most votes in the district: James P Mc Govern
Whole-district result
President, 2024: Worcester, its county and the state
| Harris | Trump | Others | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester | 62.4% | 34.5% | 3.1% | 65,530 |
| Worcester County | 53.6% | 43.7% | 2.7% | 420,841 |
| Massachusetts | 61.2% | 36.0% | 2.8% | 3,473,668 |
Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Worcester sends 5 representatives to the Massachusetts House alone.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: worcesterma.gov ↗
- 2Massachusetts HouseWorcester is split between 5 districts
- 3Massachusetts SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Massachusetts
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Worcester compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Massachusetts cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Millbury | $4,035 runs schools | $5,406 |
| Grafton | $4,135 runs schools | $7,117 |
| Shrewsbury | $4,144 runs schools | $6,923 |
| West Boylston | $4,213 runs schools | $6,115 |
| Auburn | $4,239 runs schools | $5,289 |
| Worcester | $4,363 | $4,733 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Worcester’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Worcester’s government
How much does Worcester spend per resident?
About $5,281 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $4,363 was more than 55% of 22 Massachusetts cities of 100,000–249,999 that run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Worcester?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $4,733 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.26% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.07% across Massachusetts. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see worcesterma.gov.
Who runs Worcester’s government?
See worcesterma.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Worcester yet.
How did Worcester vote in 2024?
For president, Kamala D Harris 62.4%, Donald J Trump 34.5% (65,530 votes, official results). Worcester County: Harris 53.6%, Trump 43.7%. Massachusetts: Harris 61.2%, Trump 36.0%.
How many people work for Worcester?
6,380 full-time and 1,220 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $45.8M (about $549.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Worcester in the state legislature?
Worcester is split among 5 State House districts and 3 State Senate districts, so your address decides. The Massachusetts Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Worcester’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →