Population 186 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Waterville
Household size in Waterville
| Period | Waterville | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.76 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.61 | 2.62 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.74 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.64 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Waterville average 2.64 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in the Worcester area as a whole, where it has 2.56 people. Household size has dropped from 2.76 in 2006–10, 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 Waterville
| Period | Waterville | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.7 | 39.1 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.7 | 39.8 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.6 | 40.8 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.3 | 41.1 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.6 | +2.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Waterville skews older: half of its residents are older than 46.3, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Waterville
| Period | Waterville | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 10.8% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 11.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 11.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +0.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Waterville than nationally: 9.5%, against 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 Waterville
Renters in Waterville
| Period | Waterville | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.4% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.1% | 34.8% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.0% | 34.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.2% | 34.2% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 14.2% of households in Waterville rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 28.3% have no mortgage at all, 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 Waterville
| Period | Waterville | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 8.5% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −2.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Waterville than nationally: 12.1%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Waterville
| Period | Waterville | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1961 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1962 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1964 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1965 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Waterville was built around 1982, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in the wider Worcester area, 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 Waterville
| Period | Waterville | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $659 | $930 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $652 | $1,008 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $736 | $1,155 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,361 | $1,549 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$702 | +$619 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Waterville pays $1,361 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 37.9% 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 Waterville
Bachelor's degrees in Waterville
| Period | Waterville | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.2% | 33.1% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.5% | 34.5% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.2% | 36.5% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.3% | 39.8% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +6.7 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Waterville have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.3%, 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 Waterville
| Period | Waterville | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.6% | 88.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.0% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.2% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.0% | 90.9% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Waterville have finished high school as nationally: 89.0%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the Worcester area overall (90.9%).
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 Waterville
| Period | Waterville | Worcester area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 7.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.7% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Waterville: 7.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. 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).
Waterville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterville | 2.64 | 46.3 | 9.5% | 14.2% | 12.1% | 1982 | $1,361 | 22.3% | 89.0% | 7.0% |
| Winchendon | 2.71 | 42.1 | 11.6% | 23.5% | 11.1% | 1974 | $1,302 | 21.3% | 92.6% | 6.9% |
| Baldwinville | 2.59 | 41.8 | 17.6% | 19.0% | 4.9% | 1956 | $924 | 19.3% | 84.1% | 12.1% |
| Royalston | 2.77 | 47.8 | 9.2% | 4.4% | 15.2% | 1979 | $1,644 | 28.3% | 86.3% | 5.4% |
| Phillipston Four Corners | 2.78 | 48.8 | 5.9% | 7.6% | 20.2% | 1984 | $1,375 | 25.4% | 92.4% | 9.8% |
| North Ashburnham | 2.53 | 48.3 | 16.4% | 5.4% | 20.9% | 1986 | $1,703 | 40.8% | 95.2% | 3.6% |
| Fitzwilliam Depot | 2.45 | 49.3 | 9.0% | 5.5% | 28.2% | 1971 | $1,932 | 38.8% | 91.2% | 0.0% |
| West Rindge | 2.85 | 34.3 | 1.8% | 22.0% | 10.0% | 1984 | $1,125 | 35.1% | 94.8% | 5.2% |
| Rindge | 3.01 | 33.9 | 2.5% | 15.3% | 12.9% | 1983 | $1,104 | 31.5% | 93.4% | 3.4% |
| Fitzwilliam | 2.43 | 49.8 | 7.1% | 6.9% | 23.6% | 1966 | $1,511 | 37.1% | 95.4% | 1.7% |
| Lane Village | 2.36 | 52.1 | 21.4% | 1.1% | 22.2% | 1992 | $1,807 | 47.9% | 95.6% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: San Antonito, NM · Little Bow, NY · Little City, OK · Little Machias, ME · Little Sandusky, OH · Lockertsville, TN · Lockney, WV · Locust Hill, KY · Locust, IA · Loudenville, WV
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 Waterville. 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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