Worcester and Richmond 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
Worcester
Richmond
Opportunity
57 · Top 48%
vs46 · Bottom 26%
Growth
68 · Top 19%
vs60 · Top 33%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs75 · Top 32%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 15%
vs82 · Top 21%
Housing affordability
59 · Bottom 25%
vs58 · Bottom 24%
Access
79 · Bottom 16%
vs97 · Top 36%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 26%
vs52 · Bottom 31%
Measured values
| Metric | Worcester | Richmond | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 207,055 | 229,359 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $70,102 | $64,587 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $37,221 | $45,790 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,542/sq mi | 3,827/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $374,400 | $353,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,487 | $1,372 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 42.8% | 43.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.3% | -2.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.2% | 45.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.6% | 18.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 720 | 2,714 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.5 | 11.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 25.2% | -20.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 80°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 29°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 48.3" | 45.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 41 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.5 min | 23.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.9 | 34.7 | 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
Worcester
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Richmond
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Worcester, MA · Richmond, VA · How this is calculated: methodology