Population 11,250 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Spencer
Household size in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.58 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.50 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.35 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.23 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Spencer are small: just 2.35 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 2.58, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.3 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.7 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.9 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 51.1 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +11.8 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Spencer skews older: half of its residents are older than 51.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.3, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only 19 are older.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Spencer than nationally: 9.7%, against 11.6%. Compared with other Massachusetts cities, though, Spencer has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
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 Spencer
Renters in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.2% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.5% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.9% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.9% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About four in ten households in Spencer rent their homes (38.9%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 36.5% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northeast. The renter share is up 2.6 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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.9% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Spencer as nationally: 8.6%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the Worcester area as a whole (6.8%). Vacancy has fallen 2.3 points since 2006–10, as it has 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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1958 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1961 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1964 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Spencer is a place of older homes: half were built before 1964, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1958 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $927 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,004 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,079 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,196 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$269 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
Rent in Spencer runs $1,196 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $269 a month since 2006–10, up 29%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.8% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the west and lowest in the south.
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 Spencer
Bachelor's degrees in Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.4% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.5% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.9% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.9% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.5 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Spencer (28.9%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 8.5 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the center.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.0% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.6% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.0% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.2% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Spencer is a bit above the national rate: 91.2% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across the Worcester area. The share with a diploma is up 5.3 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Spencer
| Period | Spencer | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Spencer than nationally: unemployment was 6.4%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.0 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer | 2.35 | 51.1 | 9.7% | 38.9% | 8.6% | 1964 | $1,196 | 28.9% | 91.2% | 6.4% |
| South Spencer | 2.22 | 59.1 | 3.4% | 11.0% | 5.2% | 1978 | $1,063 | 20.5% | 95.4% | 15.5% |
| Lower Wire Village | 2.20 | 51.6 | 28.3% | 7.4% | 6.2% | 1994 | $1,158 | 22.0% | 72.5% | 4.3% |
| Tafts Corner | 2.69 | 46.7 | 10.1% | 3.4% | 6.8% | 1978 | $1,511 | 27.7% | 95.9% | 5.0% |
| East Brookfield | 2.36 | 52.1 | 5.6% | 16.7% | 8.4% | 1968 | $1,142 | 27.0% | 96.4% | 5.1% |
| Leicester | 2.83 | 40.4 | 9.4% | 8.4% | 8.3% | 1967 | $1,597 | 31.7% | 89.4% | 3.5% |
| North Brookfield | 2.69 | 44.0 | 10.7% | 31.1% | 17.5% | 1958 | $968 | 25.6% | 95.6% | 3.7% |
| Mystic Grove | 2.82 | 47.1 | 14.3% | 4.6% | 8.1% | 1983 | $1,042 | 38.5% | 94.6% | 3.1% |
| Rochdale | 2.43 | 48.1 | 6.8% | 18.2% | 3.6% | 1967 | $1,575 | 29.0% | 92.3% | 1.7% |
| Paxton | 2.70 | 41.9 | 13.2% | 7.8% | 1.9% | 1972 | $1,413 | 55.1% | 95.8% | 4.1% |
| 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: Chelsea, AL · Cape May, NJ · Cardiff By The Sea, CA · Carmel, CA · Carroll, IA · Carthage, MS · Carver, MA · Castle Pines North, CO · Central, SC · Chamblee, GA
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 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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