01603 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
01850
01603
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 20%
vs50 · Bottom 41%
Growth
60 · Top 33%
vs67 · Top 19%
Climate
63 · Bottom 26%
vs61 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 13%
vs85 · Top 16%
Housing affordability
48 · Bottom 11%
vs62 · Bottom 25%
Schools
22 · Bottom 12%
vs24 · Bottom 16%
Access
92 · Bottom 49%
vs79 · Bottom 20%
Economic stability
61 · Top 48%
vs55 · Bottom 42%
Measured values
| Metric | 01850 | 01603 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,740 | 20,868 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,780 | $66,049 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $27,609 | $33,873 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 13,035/sq mi | 4,608/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $390,800 | $331,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,707 | $1,372 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.3% | 49.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.7% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.8% | 24.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.8% | 17.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 229 | 720 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 3.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 34.7% | 25.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.9" | 48.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 20 mi | 42 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.2 min | 27.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.4 | 35.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 8 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.07 | 13.43 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 9.9% | 13.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 23.0% | 23.5% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
01850
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
01603
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: 01850 — Lowell, MA · 01603 — Worcester, MA · How this is calculated: methodology