Population 4,947 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in South Worcester
Household size in South Worcester
| Period | South Worcester | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.92 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.20 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.72 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.68 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.23 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
At 2.68 people per household, South Worcester sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in the wider Worcester area, where it has 2.56 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.92, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Worcester
| Period | South Worcester | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.5 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 29.3 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 34.7 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 31.6 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.1 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
South Worcester is young: half of its residents are under 31.6, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults and children. South Worcester is younger than at least four in five Worcester neighborhoods.
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 Worcester
| Period | South Worcester | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.5% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.4% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 17.6% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 18.9% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −8.6 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in South Worcester: 18.9% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. South Worcester has a higher share of single-parent households than most Worcester neighborhoods.
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 Worcester
Renters in South Worcester
| Period | South Worcester | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 60.6% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 69.2% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 75.7% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 69.5% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in South Worcester rent: 69.5% 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, 40.5% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally.
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 Worcester
| Period | South Worcester | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.8% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.8% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −11.1 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in South Worcester than nationally: 7.7%, against 9.6% for the U.S. The picture is much the same across the Worcester area.
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 Worcester
| Period | South Worcester | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1938 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1938 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | ±0 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in South Worcester is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1938, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. No other Worcester neighborhood has older homes.
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 Worcester
| Period | South Worcester | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $887 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,047 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,154 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,579 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$693 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in South Worcester pays $1,579 a month for rent and utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 34.7% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Worcester
Bachelor's degrees in South Worcester
| Period | South Worcester | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.1% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.8% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.5 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in South Worcester have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.8%, against 35.6% nationally. Few Worcester neighborhoods have a lower share of college graduates: only two of 26.
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 Worcester
| Period | South Worcester | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 71.3% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 74.6% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 75.3% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.1% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +12.9 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in South Worcester never finished high school, well above the national share: only 84.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
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 Worcester
| Period | South Worcester | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.1% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.1% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.9 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in South Worcester runs well above the national rate: 9.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. South Worcester has higher unemployment than at least four in five Worcester neighborhoods. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 Worcester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Worcester | 2.68 | 31.6 | 18.9% | 69.5% | 7.7% | 1938 | $1,579 | 16.8% | 84.1% | 9.1% |
| University Park | 2.68 | 28.4 | 18.6% | 90.2% | 6.2% | 1942 | $1,352 | 28.4% | 80.9% | 11.8% |
| North Quinsigamond Village | 2.51 | 29.9 | 17.3% | 48.6% | 6.3% | 1938 | $1,632 | 43.0% | 93.4% | 3.7% |
| Vernon Hill | 2.17 | 41.6 | 23.5% | 82.4% | 9.5% | 1954 | $1,575 | 16.0% | 74.4% | 7.2% |
| Green Island | 2.68 | 32.8 | 36.7% | 81.0% | 18.7% | 1948 | $1,597 | 21.3% | 80.2% | 14.3% |
| Main Middle | 2.70 | 33.9 | 19.1% | 90.0% | 10.9% | 1942 | $1,387 | 23.3% | 77.9% | 9.1% |
| Columbus Park | 2.58 | 37.5 | 18.4% | 66.8% | 6.2% | 1950 | $1,226 | 24.1% | 79.7% | 8.3% |
| Hadwen Park | 2.73 | 36.4 | 14.8% | 40.2% | 4.9% | 1949 | $1,603 | 27.6% | 86.5% | 6.9% |
| Union Hill | 2.63 | 34.5 | 25.3% | 60.8% | 10.4% | 1948 | $1,566 | 20.7% | 78.4% | 6.4% |
| Central Business District | 1.86 | 29.9 | 13.6% | 92.9% | 15.0% | 1969 | $1,524 | 45.0% | 80.1% | 5.6% |
| Institute Park | 1.94 | 30.9 | 8.2% | 87.6% | 20.3% | 1948 | $1,515 | 56.6% | 91.0% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Baynard Village, Wilmington, DE · Waltham Highlands, Waltham, MA · Washington Park, Milwaukee, WI · 9th and 9th, Salt Lake City, UT · Victory, Minneapolis, MN · Whiteaker, Eugene, OR · Windsor Square, Glendale, AZ · Berg-Lasher, Detroit, MI · Belevedere, San Bernardino, CA · Bear Creek, Irving, 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 South Worcester. 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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