HomeMassachusettsWorcester County
Worcester County, Massachusetts: commercial real estate data.
Worcester County, Massachusetts has a population of 867,788 across 1,511 square miles, up 2.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $60.95 bn in 2024, 19,181 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,025 7(a) approvals worth $370.6 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Worcester County
How many people live in Worcester County
- Population867,788
- Households335,826
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$95,939
- Median age40.2
- Median gross rent$1,426 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$423,700
- Home value to household income4.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher39.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over609,049
- Population under 18178,921
- Share under 1820.6 percent
- Population 65 and over147,690
- Share 65 and over17.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64541,177
- Civilian labor force471,761
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over68.5 percent
- Rank by population among Massachusetts counties2nd of 14
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents69th
Worcester County is the 2nd largest of 14 Massachusetts counties by population. A median home costs 4.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.6 percent against 17.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Worcester County
Is Worcester County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.22 percent
- Census 2020 base population862,104
- Births, 20248,460
- Deaths, 20247,722
- Natural change, 2024738
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,804
- Net international migration, 20249,470
- Total net migration, 20247,666
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-4,547
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1100th
The county has grown 2.22 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Worcester County
Where people moving to Worcester County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving16,070
- People arriving, from those returns26,152
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.41 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$87,853
- Largest single originWorcester County Non-migrants (338,632 households)
- Largest single destination (338,632 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County Non-migrants | 338,632 | 659,157 | $34.42 bn |
| Middlesex County | 4,944 | 8,406 | $517.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,675 | 4,382 | $199.1 m |
| Norfolk County | 1,087 | 1,803 | $101.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,086 | 1,825 | $74.4 m |
| Suffolk County | 1,015 | 1,537 | $95.4 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 662 | 1,012 | $49.0 m |
| Essex County | 620 | 1,045 | $44.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Worcester County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Worcester County
What the Worcester County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$60.95 bn
- County GDP, 2023$58.37 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.4 percent
- GDP change over five years31.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Massachusetts counties4th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents97th
- GDP per resident$70,233
Output grew 4.4 percent in the latest year and 31.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Worcester County
Who employs people in Worcester County
- Covered employment, annual average351,476
- Establishments reporting27,743
- Average annual pay$71,641
- Average weekly wage$1,378
- Sector 62, employment72,626
- Sector 62, average annual pay$68,397
- Sector 44-45, employment37,057
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$41,663
- Sector 31-33, employment35,042
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$91,807
- Sector 72, employment25,832
- Sector 72, average annual pay$29,398
- Sector 56, employment18,282
- Sector 54, employment17,609
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 72,626 | 9,350 | $68,397 |
| Sector 44-45 | 37,057 | 2,307 | $41,663 |
| Sector 31-33 | 35,042 | 881 | $91,807 |
| Sector 72 | 25,832 | 1,596 | $29,398 |
| Sector 56 | 18,282 | 1,261 | $53,785 |
| Sector 54 | 17,609 | 2,445 | $118,165 |
| Sector 23 | 16,905 | 2,526 | $90,345 |
| Sector 52 | 11,623 | 886 | $118,404 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 72,626 jobs, 20.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Worcester County
What businesses operate in Worcester County
- Establishments, all industries19,181
- Employment at those establishments319,255
- Annual payroll$20.22 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Worcester County
What is being built in Worcester County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242,506
- Declared construction value permitted$670.9 m
- Single family units authorised964
- Multifamily units authorised1,542
- Multifamily share of units61.5 percent
- Average declared value per unit$267,730
- Units authorised per 1,000 households7.5
Multifamily is 61.5 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Worcester County
How much SBA lending happens in Worcester County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,025
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$370.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$361,603
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$961,400
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)9,513
- Jobs per approval9.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active104
- Distinct industries receiving approvals260
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer5.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms57
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter930
- Franchise loans77
- Franchise share of approvals7.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (45)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (157)
- 504 approvals recorded527
- 504 gross approval dollars$328.7 m
- Average 504 approval$623,774
- Median 504 approval$351,000
- Distinct CDCs active8
- 504 jobs per approval6.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.5
- Most active CDCGranite State Economic Development Corporation (183)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals66.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$699.4 m
The average approval of $361,603 sits well above the median of $100,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 5.6 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Worcester County
Do SBA loans in Worcester County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded196
- Paid in full186
- Charged off10
- Charge off rate on resolved loans5.1 percent
- Status: Paid in full186
- Status: Cancelled125
- Status: Exempt from disclosure651
- Status: Charged off10
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed53
Of the 196 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Worcester County
Which parts of Worcester County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending75
- WORCESTER, approvals199
- LEOMINSTER, approvals69
- WESTBOROUGH, approvals67
- SHREWSBURY, approvals63
- Fitchburg, approvals38
- Northborough, approvals38
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WORCESTER | 199 | $66,763,700 |
| LEOMINSTER | 69 | $37,860,500 |
| WESTBOROUGH | 67 | $22,203,200 |
| SHREWSBURY | 63 | $19,223,600 |
| Fitchburg | 38 | $12,772,000 |
| Northborough | 38 | $15,912,700 |
| MILFORD | 36 | $26,876,900 |
| Auburn | 33 | $16,012,400 |
WORCESTER accounts for 199 approvals against 69 in LEOMINSTER. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Worcester County
How big is Worcester County
- Land area1,511 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Massachusetts counties1st of 14
- Width, east to west42.8 mi
- Height, north to south49.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land574
- Establishments per square mile12.69
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Worcester County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Worcester County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population867,788
- Households335,826
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$95,939
- Median age40.2
Common questions
Worcester County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Worcester County, Massachusetts?
867,788, in 335,826 households, ranking 2nd of 14 Massachusetts counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Worcester County growing?
The population has grown 2.22 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 8,460 births against 7,722 deaths, with net migration of 7,666. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Worcester County?
$95,939. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $423,700, which is 4.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,426 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Worcester County?
19,181 establishments, employing 319,255 people with an annual payroll of $20.22 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Worcester County?
Average annual pay is $71,641, or $1,378 a week, across 351,476 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Worcester County?
1,025 7(a) approvals totalling $370.6 m since FY2020, across 104 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 527 504 approvals worth $328.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Worcester County get paid back?
Of the 196 loans that have reached a final outcome, 186 were paid in full and 10 charged off, a charge off rate of 5.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Worcester County?
2,506 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $670.9 m. Multifamily was 61.5 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Worcester County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Worcester County come from?
The largest single origin is Worcester County Non-migrants, with 338,632 households. Arriving households report an average income of $87,853 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Worcester County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Worcester County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.