Worcester County · Massachusetts · Northeast · 207k residents
Worcester, MA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Worcester: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Massachusetts median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,424/wk. Massachusetts's corporate income tax rate is 8%. Commercial electricity averages 20.9¢/kWh.
Compare Worcester side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,424/wk
Corporate income tax
8%
Bachelor's degree or higher
35.2%
Commercial electricity
20.9¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Worcester's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
51/100
Steady
Ranks Worcester's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $374,400 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $400 |
| Property tax rate | 1.14% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,069/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,559/mo |
| State & local income tax | 5% |
| Sales tax | 6.25% |
| Corporate income tax | 8% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,424/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.2% |
| Commercial electricity | 20.9¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 32.4/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $146,950 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $100,240 |
| Wage: General manager | $111,900 |
| Wage: Customer service | $47,540 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $37,250 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $61,610 |
| Wage: Electrician | $75,510 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $36,220 |
| Cost of living index | 109 |
| Groceries index | 108 |
| Utilities | $245/mo |
| Transit pass | $90/mo |
| Gas price | $3.35/gal |
| Healthcare index | 108 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,900/mo |
| Median household income | $70,102 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% |
| Population | 207k |
| Crime index | 30/100 |
| School rating | 8.5/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 94/100 |
| Avg. commute | 30 min |
| Sunny days / year | 200 days |
| July high | 80°F |
| January low | 17°F |
| Annual snowfall | 73 in |
| Home price YoY | +1.1% |
| Home price MoM | 0.0% |
| Rent YoY | +1.2% |
| Rent MoM | -0.2% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +1.3% |
| Building permits YoY | -50.3% |
| Ocean coast | 43 mi |
| Big lake | 96 mi |
| Mountains | 74 mi |
| Major airport | 41 mi |
| Ski resort | 17 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Marlborough, MA · 42k
- Hudson, MA · 16k
- Milford, MA · 28k
- Southbridge Town, MA · 18k
- Leominster, MA · 44k
Similar size
- Springfield, MA · 155k
- Cambridge, MA · 119k
- Lowell, MA · 118k
- Brockton, MA · 105k
- Quincy, MA · 102k
Real listings in Worcester
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Worcester a good place to run a business?
- Massachusetts's corporate income tax rate is 8%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,424/wk; commercial electricity averages 20.9¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Worcester, MA?
- Worcester indexes at 109 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,559/mo and a acs median home value of $374,400.
- How much does a house cost in Worcester?
- The acs median home value in Worcester is $374,400 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Worcester?
- A two-bedroom in Worcester rents for about $1,559/mo.