Worcester receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fitchburg
Worcester
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 29%
vs56 · Top 50%
Growth
31 · Bottom 19%
vs69 · Top 19%
Climate
60 · Bottom 14%
vs61 · Bottom 17%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 16%
vs85 · Top 16%
Housing affordability
77 · Bottom 44%
vs59 · Bottom 18%
Schools
25 · Bottom 17%
vs37 · Bottom 32%
Access
86 · Bottom 32%
vs79 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
55 · Bottom 39%
vs48 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Fitchburg | Worcester | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,798 | 207,055 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,040 | $70,102 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,302 | $37,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,502/sq mi | 5,542/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $336,400 | $374,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,222 | $1,487 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.1% | 42.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.1% | 35.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.6% | 19.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 12 | 720 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 3.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -58.6% | 25.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 43.4" | 48.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 30 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.7 min | 26.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.3 | 33.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 60 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.95 | 13.54 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 12.9% | 21.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 29.2% | 34.8% | 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
Fitchburg
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Worcester
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Fitchburg, MA · Worcester, MA · How this is calculated: methodology