Massachusetts

Worcester

862,111

2020 population

1790

first census record

census records

About Worcester

Worcester, Massachusetts, first appears in the United States federal census in 1790, when it recorded a population of 56,807. At the most recent census, in 2020, its population stood at 862,111.

The county's recorded population has risen across the decades to its highest level in 2020.

On the ground today, 27 documented military engagements have been recorded within the county, among them Siege of Brookfield Garrison, Battle of Brookfield (King Philip's War), Wheeler's Surprise (Brookfield Ambush), and 695 places are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Population by decade

Census Year	Population	Chart
2020	862,111
2010	798,552
2000	750,963
1990	709,705
1980	646,352
1970	637,969
1960	583,228
1950	546,401
1940	504,470
1930	491,242
1920	455,135
1910	399,657
1900	346,958
1890	280,787
1880	226,897
1870	192,716
1860	159,659
1850	130,789
1840	95,313
1830	84,355
1820	73,625
1810	64,910
1800	61,192
1790	56,807

Source

Population data from the United States decennial census, U.S. Census Bureau (public domain).

Battles & engagements in Worcester

Military engagements that took place in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Siege of Brookfield Garrison

1675

Battle of Brookfield (King Philip's War)

1675

Wheeler's Surprise (Brookfield Ambush)

1675

Attack on Mendon MA (King Philip's War)

1675

Siege of Quabaug Fort (Brookfield Second Attack)

Siege of Brookfield (Wheeler's Surprise) 1675

1675

Ambush at Wheeler's Surprise (1675)

1675

Attack on Brookfield (Wheeler's Surprise)

1675

First Lancaster Raid

1675

Wheeler's Surprise at Brookfield

1675

Raid on Brookfield MA 1675

1675

Attack on Brookfield 1675

1675

Ambush at Nipmucs Hill MA 1675

1675

Quabaug Fort Siege (Second Brookfield) 1675

1675

Raid on Lancaster MA (King Philip's War)

1676

Lancaster MA Gauntlet — After Mary Rowlandson Raid

1676

Attack on Lancaster 1676

1676

Second Lancaster Raid — Rowlandson Captivity

1676

Attack on Lancaster (Mary Rowlandson captivity)

1676

Attack on Lancaster

1676

Raid on Lancaster 1697

1697

Raid on Lancaster (MA, 1704)

1704

Shays' Rebellion — Shays Assembles at Worcester 1786

1786

Shays' Rebellion — Petersham Surprise

1787

Shays' Rebellion — Petersham

1787

Historic places in Worcester

National Register of Historic Places listings in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Maples Cottage

Westborough

Bolton Center Historic District

Bolton

Marsh, Alexander, House

Worcester

Heywood, Levi, Memorial Library Building

Gardner

Dodge, Helen, Three-Decker

Worcester

Oakdale Village Historic District

West Boylston

Malvern Road School

Worcester

Gullberg, Evert, Three-Decker

Worcester

Freegrace Marble Farm Historic District

Sutton

Fruitlands Museums Historic District

Harvard

Adriatic Mills

Worcester

Ahern, Catherine, Three-Decker

Worcester

Adena Burial Site

Brookfield

Sturbridge Common Historic District

Sturbridge

Waters, Asa, Mansion

Millbury

First Baptist Church of Northborough

Northborough

Taft, Moses, House

Uxbridge

Lundberg, Charles, Three-Decker

Worcester

Whitney & Company

Leominster

Wells, George B. and Ruth D., House

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Other counties in Massachusetts

Explore census history and historic records for more Massachusetts counties.

Dukes Essex Franklin Hampden Hampshire Middlesex Nantucket Norfolk Plymouth Suffolk Barnstable Berkshire Bristol

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Everything a full report reveals about Worcester County, Massachusetts

This page charts the census history of Worcester County, Massachusetts. A full Aubrey report for an address here pulls together everything the historical record holds about the ground, from the earliest settlement to the twentieth century:

Overview

An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.

The Land

The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.

Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.

LiDAR Terrain

Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.

Conflict & War

The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.

The Civil War

The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.

The Soldiers

The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.

Native Heritage

The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.

Settlement

Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.

The Community

How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.

Rivers & Rail

The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.

Notable People

The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.

Historical Maps

Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.

Finds & Access

Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.

Literature

The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.

Spotlight

A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.

Points of Interest

The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.

Timeline

The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.

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Frequently asked about Worcester

When does Worcester first appear in the US census?

Worcester, Massachusetts first appears in the federal census in 1790, with a recorded population of 56,807.

What is the population of Worcester?

At the most recent federal census (2020), Worcester had a recorded population of 862,111.

Were any battles fought in Worcester?

27 documented military engagements took place in Worcester, including Siege of Brookfield Garrison, Battle of Brookfield (King Philip's War), Wheeler's Surprise (Brookfield Ambush).

How many historic places are in Worcester?

695 sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Worcester, Massachusetts.

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