Worcester cost of living
Prices in the Worcester, MA metro area run at 102.5 against a national average of 100, ranking it #52 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 113.0.
What drives the number
Prices in Worcester run at 102.5 where the national average is 100, so about 2.5 per cent above the country as a whole. It ranks #52 of 387 metro areas. Against Massachusetts as a whole it is 3.3 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is doing nearly all of the work. Rents sit at 113.0 while goods sit at 97.0, a gap of 10.5 points between what it costs to live somewhere and what it costs to buy things. That pattern is the single most useful thing the parity series shows: the cost of a place is the cost of its housing.
The practical use of this number is converting pay between places. Take any salary quoted here, divide by 102.5, multiply by 100, and you have what it would need to be nationally to leave you equally well off.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Worcester is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 14,380 | $39,520 | $38,556 | $34,900 |
| Registered Nurses | 9,730 | $103,490 | $100,966 | $93,600 |
| General and Operations Managers | 8,760 | $109,430 | $106,761 | $102,950 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 8,710 | $34,500 | $33,659 | $30,480 |
| Retail Salespersons | 8,530 | $35,570 | $34,702 | $34,580 |
| Cashiers | 7,540 | $34,000 | $33,171 | $31,190 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 5,960 | $37,170 | $36,263 | $37,090 |
| Nursing Assistants | 5,490 | $44,080 | $43,005 | $39,530 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 102.5.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | 108.3 | 148.4 | #19 |
| Providence-Warwick | 101.8 | 103.9 | #59 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton | 100.2 | 97.5 | #84 |
| Barnstable Town | 98.4 | 90.0 | #103 |
| Springfield | 96.1 | 75.8 | #144 |
| Pittsfield | 95.1 | 73.5 | #166 |
Worcester: common questions
Is Worcester expensive?
Prices are 2.5% above the national average, a parity of 102.5 where the country is 100. It ranks #52 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Massachusetts as a whole it is 3.3 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Worcester?
The median worker there earns $55,300, which buys what $53,951 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 113.0 against goods at 97.0. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.