Richmond and Worcester receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Richmond
Worcester
Opportunity
49 · Bottom 33%
vs58 · Top 43%
Growth
61 · Top 32%
vs67 · Top 16%
Climate
75 · Top 31%
vs61 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience
82 · Top 17%
vs85 · Top 11%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 30%
vs59 · Bottom 32%
Access
97 · Bottom 49%
vs79 · Bottom 8%
Economic stability
52 · Bottom 39%
vs48 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Richmond | Worcester | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 229,359 | 207,055 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,587 | $70,102 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,790 | $37,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,827/sq mi | 5,542/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $353,000 | $374,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,372 | $1,487 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 43.5% | 42.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.1% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.6% | 35.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.2% | 19.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,714 | 720 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.9 | 3.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -20.0% | 25.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 90°F | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 29°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.5" | 48.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.1 min | 26.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.7 | 33.9 | 2024 ACS 5-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
Richmond
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Worcester
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Richmond, VA · Worcester, MA · How this is calculated: methodology