Worcester County, Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Worcester County
County
Worcester Fitchburg Uxbridge Blackstone Canal Old Sturbridge Village Mount Wachusett
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Massachusetts
Massachusetts's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
Founded	April 2, 1731
Named for	Worcester, Massachusetts
Seat	Worcester
Largest city	Worcester
Area
• Total	1,579 sq mi (4,090 km2)
• Land	1,511 sq mi (3,910 km2)
• Water	68 sq mi (180 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	862,111
• Estimate  (2024)	881,248
• Density	570.7/sq mi (220.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th

Worcester County (pronounced WUUST-er) is a large and important area in the state of Massachusetts, USA. It's known for being the biggest county in Massachusetts by land area, covering about 1,511 square miles. In 2020, over 862,000 people lived here, making it the second most populated county in the state. The biggest city and main town is Worcester. This county is also part of a larger area that includes parts of Connecticut, known as the Worcester metropolitan area.

A Look Back in Time: Worcester County's History

Worcester County was created a long time ago, on April 2, 1731. It was formed from parts of other older counties like Hampshire, Middlesex, and Suffolk. When the county government started, the town of Worcester was chosen as its main administrative center, also called the "shire town."

Because Worcester County is so big, people tried many times over the years to divide it into two smaller counties. There were 15 attempts in 140 years, but none of them worked out. Towns like Lancaster and Fitchburg were suggested as new main towns for a northern county. As a compromise, in 1884, the county's record-keeping office (called the Registry of Deeds) was split, and a new office was opened in Fitchburg.

Worcester County's Geography and Neighbors

Worcester County covers a total area of about 1,579 square miles. Most of this (about 1,511 square miles) is land, and the rest (about 68 square miles) is water. It's the largest county in Massachusetts by size, even bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island!

This county is located in the middle of Massachusetts, often called "Central Massachusetts." It helps separate the Springfield area from the Boston area. It also stretches all the way from the northern border to the southern border of the state. The exact middle point of Massachusetts is found in the town of Rutland.

Worcester County is special because it borders three different states: New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Only one other county in Massachusetts does this.

Nearby Counties

Special Protected Areas

• Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (part)
• Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge (part)

People and Population in Worcester County

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	56,764		—
1800	61,192		7.8%
1810	64,910		6.1%
1820	73,625		13.4%
1830	84,355		14.6%
1840	95,313		13.0%
1850	130,789		37.2%
1860	159,659		22.1%
1870	192,716		20.7%
1880	226,897		17.7%
1890	280,787		23.8%
1900	346,958		23.6%
1910	399,657		15.2%
1920	455,135		13.9%
1930	491,242		7.9%
1940	504,470		2.7%
1950	546,401		8.3%
1960	583,228		6.7%
1970	637,969		9.4%
1980	646,352		1.3%
1990	709,705		9.8%
2000	750,963		5.8%
2010	798,552		6.3%
2020	862,111		8.0%
2024 (est.)	881,248		10.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020

In 2020, the population of Worcester County was 862,111 people. About 20.7% of the residents were under 18 years old, and 16.4% were 65 or older. The average age was about 40 years old. Most people (78.8%) lived in cities and towns, while 21.2% lived in more rural areas.

The county is home to a diverse group of people. In 2020, the population was made up of many different backgrounds. The largest group was White residents, making up about 73.6% of the population. Other groups included Black or African American (5.6%), Asian (5.4%), and American Indian and Alaska Native (0.3%). About 8.7% of residents identified with two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 13.0% of the population.

There were over 331,000 homes in the county. In about 29.9% of these homes, children under 18 lived there. Many homes were owned by the people living in them (63.8%), while others were rented (36.2%).

How Worcester County is Governed

Worcester County is one of eight counties in Massachusetts that no longer has a traditional county government. Since July 1, 1998, many of the jobs that county governments used to do are now handled by state agencies.

However, there are still some important elected officials for the county. These include a county sheriff, who is in charge of corrections and court services, and a county prosecutor, called the District Attorney. These officials work with the state's public safety department. The county also has a regional planning commission that helps with planning for the area.

The current Worcester County Sheriff is Lewis Evangelidis (R), and the District Attorney is Joseph Early Jr. (D). These leaders are elected by the people of the county to serve for six-year terms.

Cities and Towns in Worcester County

The entire area of Worcester County is incorporated into cities and towns. The U.S. census also defines places inside one or more towns for statistical purposes. On this map, cities are shaded in gray.

Cities

• Fitchburg
• Gardner
• Leominster
• Southbridge
• Worcester (the main county town)

Towns

Census-Designated Places

Other Small Communities

Ghost Town

• Dana, a town that was removed to create the Quabbin Reservoir.

Famous People from Worcester County

Many interesting and important people have connections to Worcester County:

• Louisa May Alcott, a famous novelist who wrote "Little Women."
• Johnny Appleseed, whose real name was Jonathan Chapman, known for planting apple trees.
• Clara Barton, the amazing founder of the American Red Cross.
• Robert Benchley, a writer, actor, and humorist.
• Luther Burbank, a horticulturalist who developed the russet potato.
• William Cullen Bryant, a well-known poet and journalist.
• George M. Cohan, a talented entertainer, playwright, and composer.
• Robert Cormier, a novelist and columnist.
• Ron Darling, a professional baseball pitcher.
• Dorothea Dix, a social reformer and activist.
• Ralph Earl, a famous portrait painter from early America.
• Fannie Farmer, a well-known cookbook author.
• Abby Kelley Foster, an important activist for ending slavery and women's right to vote.
• Rich Gedman, a professional baseball catcher for the Boston Red Sox.
• Robert H. Goddard, often called the father of American rocketry.
• Gabby Hartnett, considered one of the greatest baseball catchers.
• Elias Howe, who invented the sewing machine.
• Elliott P. Joslin, a pioneer in diabetes research.
• Connie Mack, a baseball legend and long-time manager.
• Agnes Moorehead, a famous actress.
• William T. G. Morton, who helped develop modern anesthesia.
• Joe Perry, the songwriter and guitarist for the band Aerosmith.
• Brian Skerry, an underwater photographer for National Geographic.
• Steve Spagnuolo, a successful coach in American football.
• Lucy Stone, a famous advocate for women's rights and the first woman college graduate in Massachusetts.
• Lydia Chapin Taft, America's first woman voter.
• Earl Tupper, who created Tupperware.
• Artemas Ward, a major general during the American Revolution.
• Daniel B. Wesson, co-founder of Smith & Wesson, a firearm manufacturer.
• Eli Whitney, who invented the cotton gin.
• Scott Young, a professional hockey player and two-time Stanley Cup champion.

Images for kids

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  Population density of Worcester County by census block (2020)

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Worcester (Massachusetts) para niños

• List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income
• List of counties in Massachusetts
• Registry of Deeds (Massachusetts) Worcester County District Registry of Deeds
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Worcester County, Massachusetts