Population 10,042 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Main Middle
Household size in Main Middle
| Period | Main Middle | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.28 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.62 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.19 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.70 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.41 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Main Middle average 2.70 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in the Worcester area overall, where it has 2.56 people. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.28, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Main Middle
| Period | Main Middle | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.7 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 34.2 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.6 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 33.9 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.8 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Main Middle is young: half of its residents are under 33.9, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults and children. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 36.7, even as the national median rose.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Main Middle
| Period | Main Middle | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.6% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.7% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.9% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 19.1% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Main Middle: 19.1% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is down 4.6 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Main Middle
Renters in Main Middle
| Period | Main Middle | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.0% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 90.3% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 85.2% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 90.0% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.0 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Main Middle rent: 90.0% of occupied homes are rented, far above the national share of 34.8%. Expect more apartments, and more turnover, than in owner-heavy areas. Among homeowners, 64.0% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 4.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Main Middle
| Period | Main Middle | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.3% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −11.5 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Main Middle as nationally: 10.9%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Worcester area overall (6.8%). Vacancy has fallen 11.5 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Main Middle
| Period | Main Middle | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1942 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1941 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1941 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1942 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Main Middle is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1942, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Main Middle has older homes than at least four in five Worcester neighborhoods.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Main Middle
| Period | Main Middle | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $833 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $843 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,048 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,387 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$554 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Main Middle pays $1,387 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $554 a month since 2006–10, up 66%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 36.6% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the east.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Main Middle
Bachelor's degrees in Main Middle
| Period | Main Middle | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.1% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.3% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Main Middle have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.3%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 8.2 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the southeast.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Main Middle
| Period | Main Middle | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 64.1% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 62.7% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 64.5% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 77.9% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.8 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in Main Middle never finished high school, well above the national share: only 77.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 13.8 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other Worcester neighborhood has a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Main Middle
| Period | Main Middle | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.1% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 17.9% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.6% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Main Middle: 9.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 7.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Main Middle compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main Middle | 2.70 | 33.9 | 19.1% | 90.0% | 10.9% | 1942 | $1,387 | 23.3% | 77.9% | 9.1% |
| University Park | 2.68 | 28.4 | 18.6% | 90.2% | 6.2% | 1942 | $1,352 | 28.4% | 80.9% | 11.8% |
| Institute Park | 1.94 | 30.9 | 8.2% | 87.6% | 20.3% | 1948 | $1,515 | 56.6% | 91.0% | 4.4% |
| Central Business District | 1.86 | 29.9 | 13.6% | 92.9% | 15.0% | 1969 | $1,524 | 45.0% | 80.1% | 5.6% |
| Green Island | 2.68 | 32.8 | 36.7% | 81.0% | 18.7% | 1948 | $1,597 | 21.3% | 80.2% | 14.3% |
| Newton Square | 2.76 | 37.4 | 7.7% | 33.8% | 9.3% | 1939 | $1,595 | 52.6% | 95.3% | 3.8% |
| South Worcester | 2.68 | 31.6 | 18.9% | 69.5% | 7.7% | 1938 | $1,579 | 16.8% | 84.1% | 9.1% |
| Columbus Park | 2.58 | 37.5 | 18.4% | 66.8% | 6.2% | 1950 | $1,226 | 24.1% | 79.7% | 8.3% |
| Salisbury Street | 2.52 | 43.4 | 7.4% | 31.4% | 8.6% | 1947 | $2,014 | 60.8% | 94.9% | 3.4% |
| Vernon Hill | 2.17 | 41.6 | 23.5% | 82.4% | 9.5% | 1954 | $1,575 | 16.0% | 74.4% | 7.2% |
| Bell Hill | 2.75 | 32.2 | 31.1% | 72.5% | 14.3% | 1945 | $1,803 | 31.6% | 81.0% | 8.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Mission Grove, Riverside, CA · Elk Plain, Spanaway, WA · North Arroyo, Pasadena, CA · Memorial Park, Santa Ana, CA · Mandarin, Jacksonville, FL · Historic Mitchell Street, Milwaukee, WI · Willowbrook, Houston, TX · Saint Anthony, St. Paul, MN · North End, Fall River, MA · Highland Park, San Antonio, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Main Middle. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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