Worcester County was formed from the eastern portion of colonialHampshire County, the western portion of the originalMiddlesex County and the extreme western portion of the originalSuffolk County.[3] When the government of Worcester County was established on April 2, 1731, Worcester was chosen as its shire town (later known as a county seat). From that date until the dissolution of the county government, it was the only county seat. Because of the size of the county, there were fifteen attempts over 140 years to split the county into two counties, but without success.
Initially,Lancaster was proposed as the seat of the northern county; later,Petersham was proposed once andFitchburg was proposed repeatedly, most recently in 1903. Perhaps as a concession, in August 1884 the Worcester County Registry of Deeds was split in two, with the Worcester Northern registry placed in Fitchburg.[4]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,579 square miles (4,090 km2), of which 1,511 square miles (3,910 km2) is land and 68 square miles (180 km2) (4.3%) is water.[5]
It is the largest county in Massachusetts by area. The county is larger geographically than the entire state of Rhode Island even including Rhode Island's water ocean limit boundaries. The county constitutes Central Massachusetts, separating theGreater Springfield area from theGreater Boston area. It stretches from the northern to the southern border of the state. The geographic center of Massachusetts is inRutland.[6]
Worcester County is one of two Massachusetts counties that borders three different neighboring states; (New Hampshire,Connecticut andRhode Island); the other beingBerkshire County. They are also the only two counties to touch both the northern and southern state lines.[7]
Of the 283,927 households, 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. In addition, 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56, and the average family size was 3.11.[17]
The age distribution was 25.60% under the age of 18, 8.40% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.00% 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.
The median household income was $47,874 and the median family income was $58,394. Males had a median income of $42,261 versus $30,516 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,983. About 6.80% of families and 9.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 11.30% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.
At the2010 census, there were 798,552 people, 303,080 households, and 202,602 families in the county.[18] The population density was 528.6 inhabitants per square mile (204.1/km2). There were 326,788 housing units at an average density of 216.3 per square mile (83.5/km2).[19] Theracial makeup of the county was 85.6% white, 4.2% black or African American, 4.0% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 3.6% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 9.4% of the population.[18] In terms of ancestry, 22.2% wereIrish, 15.1% wereFrench as well as 6.7%French Canadians, 14.4% wereItalian, 11.7% wereEnglish, 7.0% werePolish, 6.9% wereGerman, and 3.2% wereAmerican.[20]
Of the 303,080 households, 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.2% were non-families, and 26.2% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 39.2 years.[18]
The median household income was $64,152 and the median family income was $79,121. Males had a median income of $56,880 versus $42,223 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,557. About 6.9% of families and 9.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.[21]
Population density of Worcester County by census block (2020)[22]
The ranking of unincorporated communities that are included on the list are reflective of the census designated locations and villages were included as cities or towns. Data is from the 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.[23][24][25]
Worcester County is one of the 8[26] (of the total of 14)Massachusetts counties that have had no county government or county commissioners since July 1, 1998, when county functions were assumed by state agencies at local option[clarification needed] following a change in state law.[27] The county has an elected county sheriff, county prosecutor, and court officials, administered under the state department of public safety. The state correctional system in the county is known as the Worcester County Jail or "House of Corrections" atWest Boylston, and the Worcester County District courts (state administered) are housed at Worcester, Fitchburg, and other district courts within county boundaries.[27] The Worcester County district attorney is a county-wide position even though the district includes one town from a neighboring county. In Massachusetts, Sheriffs have more limited roles than most states and are responsible for corrections, court service and bailiffs and jail release programs.[27] County Sheriffs in Massachusetts are elected to six-year terms.[27] The Worcester County Sheriff isLewis Evangelidis (R), and the Worcester County District Attorney is Joseph Early Jr. (D) (see the info-box for elected officials at county level). The Worcester County Conservation District has countywide boundaries.[28] The county has a regional planning commission.
Massachusetts law allows regional compacts, traditional counties and other governmental entities.[27] Traditional County governments in the state include Norfolk, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, and Plymouth Counties.Barnstable County, which is Cape Cod, functions as a modern regional county government. Suffolk County, which is mainly Boston, is under the Boston City Council. The Massachusetts General Laws describe this relationship of county government and the options for abolishing county governments and/or chartering regional governmental compacts in subchapter 34 B.[27] Four other new county compacts have been created by the state legislature in Hampshire, Franklin, Barnstable Counties, and a regional planning council level for Berkshire County. Thus 9 of 14 Counties have some form of county regional governments. Worcester County could exercise that option if it chooses, such as for public safety and/or preparedness due to its rather large geography, by a request to and a special act of the legislature, by local referendum, or by one of three mechanisms. See the references for the state statute, and the League of Women Voters link.
Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 17, 2018[29]
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.
Lysander Spooner, pamphleteer, lawyer, abolitionist and political theorist
Lucy Stone, famous suffragist, women's rights advocate, abolitionist, public speaker, first woman college grad in Massachusetts; first woman to retain her own name after marriage
Lydia Chapin Taft, America's first woman voter; first colonial woman who voted legally in America
Earl Tupper, a New Hampshire native, who pioneered Tupperware in Farnumsville, South Grafton, in the 1940s[31]
Mary Babson Fuhrer,A Crisis of Community: The Trials and Transformation of a New England Town, 1815-1848. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2014.
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