Population 322 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in South Spencer
Household size in South Spencer
| Period | South Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.71 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.16 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.22 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.49 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in South Spencer are small: just 2.22 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.71, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 South Spencer
| Period | South Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.9 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.4 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 53.6 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 59.1 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +27.2 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 59.1, South Spencer is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 South Spencer
| Period | South Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.5% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 3.4% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 3.4% of households in South Spencer, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 South Spencer
Renters in South Spencer
| Period | South Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.6% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.1% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.1% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −19.6 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
South Spencer is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 11.0% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About a quarter of owners (24.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%.
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 South Spencer
| Period | South Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.2% of homes in South Spencer are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing.
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 South Spencer
| Period | South Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in South Spencer was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in the Worcester area overall, where the median home dates to 1965.
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 South Spencer
| Period | South Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $904 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $908 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $869 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,063 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$159 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in South Spencer runs $1,063 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 13.6% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 South Spencer
Bachelor's degrees in South Spencer
| Period | South Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.9% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.2% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 20.5% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.2 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in South Spencer have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 20.5%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 South Spencer
| Period | South Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.2% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.9% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.8% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.4% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.2 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in South Spencer: 95.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 South Spencer
| Period | South Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.9% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.5% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +9.9 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in South Spencer runs well above the national rate: 15.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. 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).
South Spencer compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Spencer | 2.22 | 59.1 | 3.4% | 11.0% | 5.2% | 1978 | $1,063 | 20.5% | 95.4% | 15.5% |
| Spencer | 2.35 | 51.1 | 9.7% | 38.9% | 8.6% | 1964 | $1,196 | 28.9% | 91.2% | 6.4% |
| East Brookfield | 2.36 | 52.1 | 5.6% | 16.7% | 8.4% | 1968 | $1,142 | 27.0% | 96.4% | 5.1% |
| Tafts Corner | 2.69 | 46.7 | 10.1% | 3.4% | 6.8% | 1978 | $1,511 | 27.7% | 95.9% | 5.0% |
| Mystic Grove | 2.82 | 47.1 | 14.3% | 4.6% | 8.1% | 1983 | $1,042 | 38.5% | 94.6% | 3.1% |
| Lower Wire Village | 2.20 | 51.6 | 28.3% | 7.4% | 6.2% | 1994 | $1,158 | 22.0% | 72.5% | 4.3% |
| Leicester | 2.83 | 40.4 | 9.4% | 8.4% | 8.3% | 1967 | $1,597 | 31.7% | 89.4% | 3.5% |
| Rochdale | 2.43 | 48.1 | 6.8% | 18.2% | 3.6% | 1967 | $1,575 | 29.0% | 92.3% | 1.7% |
| North Brookfield | 2.69 | 44.0 | 10.7% | 31.1% | 17.5% | 1958 | $968 | 25.6% | 95.6% | 3.7% |
| Charlton | 2.68 | 44.0 | 8.5% | 15.9% | 5.1% | 1986 | $1,569 | 40.7% | 93.8% | 1.9% |
| Cherry Valley | 2.65 | 47.4 | 8.7% | 12.9% | 6.5% | 1961 | $1,289 | 33.4% | 92.3% | 2.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rawalts, IL · Mission, MN · Moffitsville, NY · Moland, MN · Moores Chapel, TN · Moorestown, MI · Morgan City, AL · Murraysville, SC · Quinney, WI · Ramsay, MI
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 South Spencer. 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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